You Are in Control of Your Life, Not Menopause

Let’s talk about menopause and how not to let it control your life. Read about my experiences and waht I learned.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by EQUELLE. The post is not endorsed by them. I wrote it entirely on my own and it represents my 100% honest opinions. I am not a medical doctor and I am only reporting my experiences.

Talking about Menopause Was a No-no

When my late mom hit menopause, all my siblings and I learned about it was that it generates hot flashes. She would open the door to the patio in the middle of winter, when she had a hot flash or she would just shut the furnace off. Talking about menopause was a no-no in the 80s in West Germany.

When I was in my sophomore year in college I remember she had severe menopausal symptoms for a long time because she kept opening the door or turning the heating off for about a decade! Now there are options for those suffering from hot flashes like my mom, for example EQUELLE®, a hormone-free‡, non-prescription dietary supplement that helps address several symptoms of menopause. †

Back then I only visited maybe once a month. While I realized and hated the habit, I never thought much about it, nor did I ask, “what’s up.” I was like “it’s my parents’ house and they can do what they want in their home.” My explanation for her “odd behavior” of opening the door or turning the furnace off was that the usual setting of the furnace is too high when several additional people are in the dining room. The typical reaction of someone trained in physics! Thus, when I entered menopause, I had no idea what to expect!

No Family History of Menopause

My hot-flashes started when I was about 50. My doctor asked me when my mom’s menstruation had stopped. To make a long story short, there was no family history about the start of menopause. My mom had her uterus removed before her menstruation stopped. My maternal grandma Hedi had passed away from breast cancer that had invaded her lungs at 53, when I was still a toddler. While my paternal grandma Hannah was more open to talk about “female things”, I never had asked her about menopause. I was in my late teens and my mom hadn’t hit menopause yet, when Grandma Hannah passed away. Thus, menopause had never occurred to me to be a subject to talk about with Granny Hannah.

How the Start of Menopause Affected my Life

Before hitting 50, I was the person who had to stay in the sauna for 30 minutes before my metabolism would respond to the heat with the production of sweat. I was always the person who would be the first to feel cold when room temperature was below 70F (21^oC) or outside temperatures were below 59F (15^oC). However, since entering menopause, I am sweating like a pig for no reason and I didn’t even feel cold when my hubby took a photo of me in a bikini outside at 40 below this January.

Hot flashes are followed by feeling cold. Nobody ever spoke about that! You shiver. Ok, that leads to keep you warm.

Your Clothes Won’t Fit Anymore despite Your Keeping Your Weight

My boobs got smaller than before, while I still have the same weight than before entering menopause. It’s like my “meat” is shifting around and changing places. Mostly south, if you get what I mean. Many fav clothes don’t fit anymore despite my weight not changing. Which fashion-obsessed woman isn’t upset by that fact!

The worst part about entering menopause were the mood swings that finally led to deep depressions. When my doctor checked for whether I was still ovulating, and the answer was “No”, I reacted like “Does this mean that nature just gives me another maybe 20 years or so to raise the last set of kids and that’s it?” My doctor confirmed that many women have this question or reaction to not menstruating anymore and that they feel like they are on the “downslope.”

Get Help when You Suffer Insomnia

Another symptom was insomnia. I had trouble falling asleep and felt tired the next day. As time progressed even when I had a good night sleep, I felt tired. I got nervous, was easy to irritate, felt stressed out and suffered anxiety.

Be Open-minded and Embrace Progress in Science

Don’t let menopause pull you down. Sure, hot flashes followed by feeling cold are an annoyance, but they can be fought effectively with supplements. As my doctor said “It’s not your mother’s or grandmothers’ menopause.” Today there are many ways to relieve menopausal symptoms. Menopause doesn’t mean this is the end or that you are less attractive than before. On the contrary, you can enjoy life to the fullest when you understand the lifestyle impact of hot flashes and the upside of finding relief. Share your experience with other women. It’s beneficial not only for them to be prepared with what to expect or to know they aren’t alone, but also for you. Talking about it helps coping with it. Furthermore, today there are non-hormonal‡ supplements like EQUELLE®, that help reduce the frequency of hot flashes and mood swings. †

What I have Learned

You can enjoy the pleasures in your life despite menopause symptoms. It’s better than puberty. Visit bit.ly/2njdMTN to learn more about the Live Hot, Stay Cool campaign and check out other women’s stories.

OOTD

More on how baby boomer and Gen X experience menopause.

‡Free from human or animal hormones. Contains trace amounts of isoflavones, a type of naturally occurring plant hormone.

†This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Photos of me: G. Kramm

© 2013-2021 Nicole Mölders | All rights reserved