A baby girl has more than a million eggs in her ovaries. Women are on a path to menopause from birth. The word itself stems from the Greek pausis ('pause') and men ('month'), meaning the 'end of monthly cycles'. On average, a woman in Australia will have 400 to 500 periods in her lifetime. What is menopause – and what is it with a 'peri' in front? What happens to women experiencing it? What happens afterwards? And is there a male equivalent? What's menopause? Workplace policies to cater for menopausal employees are up for discussion too: Britain's Labour Party wants to mandate them for large organisations, and a major media company introduced one in October. In Britain, women are gathering at pop-up 'menopause cafes' to swap notes on their experiences. Now it's starting to become more a part of the conversation. Or, for some women, nothing much at all.ĭespite being a fundamental biological transition affecting half the world’s population, the symptoms of menopause, from disturbed sleep to memory loss, have not been the stuff of dinner party banter, generally, nor a popular subject of chit-chat down the pub. 'I promise that, afterwards, there’s life.'ĭisturbed sleep. You have to surrender to it, British comedian Dawn French proclaimed last year of menopause. Something to read with your morning cup of coffee.Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size.Racial Disparities In Breast Cancer Mortality Are.'Comparative Effectiveness' Research Addresses Opt.Never too young to start and exercise program!.Celia Rivenbark's take on perimenopause!.Asian Spice Could Reduce Breast Cancer Risk In Wom.Obama chooses family physician from Alabama as nex.Award-Winning Where Did My Wife Go? Helps Men Save.Danish study: Hormone therapy increases risk of ov.10 Natural Antidepressants to Boost Your Spirits.Menopausal weight gain and gray matter.Daily does of vitamin D hones men's minds.Ovary Removal Could Increase Lung Cancer Risk.Estrogen Getting Cool Reception From Dermatologist.I am looking forward to living the second half of my life as a healthy, productive, hormonally balanced woman! In this case, it's not hype-I absolutely know that bioidentical hormone therapy has not only improved the quality of my life, but has literally saved my life. As a society, we overuse the phrase that something has 'changed my life'. The creams are in no way an inconvenience, They come in a little dispenser jar and it took me less than a week to remember my three daily doses. By using creams, I am able to bypass the liver and the absorption rate for my hormones is faster. I am also often asked why I take my hormones transdermally (using creams on my skin) rather than just pop a pill. I am very excited about that-and I attribute it to the bioidentical hormones, exercise, and supplements (including Vitamin D). I had a repeat scan done in June 2009-not only do I no longer have osteopenia, the bone density measurements in my hip, femur and spine show that I am COMFORTABLY in the normal range.

July 2009 update: Three years ago when I had a DEXA (bone denisty test) the results showed that I had a mild case of osteopenia, which is the precursor to osteoporosis. The Bi/Est cream, like my other hormones, is compounded at the pharmacy and I take it transdermally, twice a day.

Although I was not having any hot flashes, I began to notice over the winter of 2010-11 that I felt a little cognitively 'off'-grasping for words occasionally, and not quite feeling on top of my game. Until October 2010, my FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and estradiol levels indicated that I did not need supplemental estrogen. Oh, yeah, did I mention I am down over 120 pounds from my high weight (and still working on it)! I began taking Bi/Est cream in April 2011. I now work out at our local YMCA 5-6 days per week, which has tremendously benefited the back, hip and pelvis problems I have from a car crash in 1992. My mind is much clearer, my focus much sharper, and my anxiety level has decreased dramatically. Besides the obvious health benefits of not poisoning my body with all the medications listed above, I honestly have more energy now than I did when I was 30, and I turned 52 in June 2010. I took longer to wean off the antidepressant I was taking as those meds must be gradually tapered off to minimize side effects. Within two weeks, I was off five medications: antihistamine (cured severe seasonal allergies), acid reflux medication, sleeping medication (now I use Melatonin), blood pressure medication, and most importantly, the Ritalin/Concerta I took for Attention Deficit Disorder. The results were nothing short of astonishing! Within three days, my restless leg syndrome disappeared. I started with progesterone cream 3 times a day, and a small amount of testosterone cream every other day. I began taking bioidentical hormone therapy in September 2006.

Menopause chitchat