Women and Menopause

We are already in the “ber” months. September is almost over and Christmas is just around the corner. Despite the pandemic, our lives go on. There are those who celebrated life with the addition of newborn babies in their families while others celebrated birthday milestones. As for me I am almost heading to a new season of my life. Come December 2020 I’ll be 49 years old and next year, hopefully by God’s grace I will be celebrating my 50th birthday. I will be officially a golden girl, hoping and praying that the pandemic by then is over. Nonetheless, I welcome and hope that I will be able to accept what is in store for me in terms of my health and financial capacities in the coming years. I keep an open-mind, leaning on God and making Psalms 16:8 my inspiration as it says “I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”.

On another note, most women with the same age like mine, probably are like me who are now now on their way to menopause. Menopause as defined by Merriam-Webster is the natural cessation of menstruation that usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55. Menopause happens according to an article (How Do I Know if I’m in Menopause?) posted on WebMD, when you haven’t had a period for 12 straight months and you aren’t pregnant or sick. It happens because female sex hormone levels naturally go down as you get older. Your ovaries eventually stop releasing eggs, so you’ll no longer have periods or be able to get pregnant.

Moreover, it was mentioned in the article that you may start to notice changes months or years before you are in menopause. (I think this is what’s happening to me right now…)

You won’t know exactly when your menopause will hit. All you can do is pay attention to how you’re feeling and the following are some of the changes you may notice as cited also in the said article:

Your periods become irregular.

This is the classic sign that you are on your way to menopause. Your periods may come more often or less often, be heavier or lighter, or last longer or shorter than before.

When you’re in perimenopause, it can be hard to predict when, or if, your next period may come. It’s also harder to gauge how long your period will last or if your flow will be heavy or light. It’s harder to get pregnant during this phase, but it’s still possible as long as you have periods.

Some chemotherapy drugs used to treat cancer can also make your periods irregular. Any bleeding, even just spotting, after menopause isn’t normal. You need to talk to your doctor.

You have hot flashes and night sweats.

Hot flashes can make you feel warm or hot suddenly for no apparent reason. Your skin may flush red and your heart may beat faster. Then you may feel suddenly cold.

Night sweats are hot flashes that happen during sleep. They can be so intense they wake you up.

Like so many symptoms of menopause, hot flashes and night sweats can vary a lot from woman to woman. They can last 1 minute or 5 minutes. They can be mild or severe. You can have several an hour, one a week, or never have them.

For some women, these symptoms go on for years or decades after they’ve stopped their periods — into the time called postmenopause.

If you have hot flashes but aren’t sure it’s related to menopause, talk to your doctor. There are medical conditions and even medications that can bring them on, too.

You have trouble sleeping.

Waking up during the night or having trouble going to sleep can happen for lots of reasons, but if you don’t typically have problems sleeping, it may be a sign you’re approaching menopause. Sometimes it’s caused by other menopausal symptoms like night sweats. If sleep problems hang on for a while, and you can’t pinpoint why, it may be time to tell your doctor.

You feel moody.

Lots of things can affect your mood, and that includes the change in hormone that happens around menopause. If you’ve had anxiety or depression in the past, your symptoms may worsen during menopause. Whatever the reason, you deserve to feel good. If you’ve been down for more than a few weeks, tell your doctor. Together, you can decide on a treatment to help you feel better.

You forget things.

Both men and women can have some minor memory lapses during middle age: not being able to think of a word or losing the car keys. Usually it’s no big deal. Forgetfulness can stem from not only menopause but also from stress. If you’re worried that you’re forgetting too much, let your doctor know.

You feel differently about sex.

Some women say they are less interested in sex or have trouble getting aroused when they are in menopause. Other women say they enjoy sex more and feel freer because they don’t have to worry about things like getting pregnant.

During menopause, the skin around your vagina may become drier. This can make sex hurt. Gels called “personal lubricants” can help.

You have physical changes.

You may also notice your hair and skin become drier and thinner. Some women gain weight during menopause. Your body also might change so that you have more fat around the waist and more fat and less muscle in general. You may also find it a little harder to move, with stiff joints or joints that hurt. It’s important to stay active. You may need to work harder to keep your strength and stay in shape.

True enough, I’ve been experiencing some of the above changes. Just recently I’m having night sweats so, i have to make sure that am facing the electric fan to cool my self during sleeping time. Another thing, am also being forgetful. There was a time that am preparing to cook dinner and I opened the ref but i don’t recall what am going to get in it. I have to think twice to remember. Moreover, I’m also experiencing some physical changes like more fat around the waist area. I have also minor aches in my right knee most especially during cold days. So, I now have a ready liniment for my joint pains.

I asked my mother who is in her late 60s if these pre-menopausal signs will be gone once you are already in menopause. By her experience, she said that it will come and go. Even up to now, she still experience hot flashes, joint pains and forgetfulness every now and then. But she learned to endure and find remedies for it.

I’ve read in one article that menopause is not a disease or an illness. It is a transition phase of a woman’s life. It’s a normal part of aging. So, I guess we women have to prepare ourselves and live with it gracefully. We can find solutions and remedies if we are experiencing the above changes by asking our doctors or by researching about menopause. There are already a lot of information about it in books or by browsing the internet.

Below is a prayer from ibelieve.com that might be appropriate for this new season in our lives among us women entitled Lord, make Your strength perfect in me.

“Father God, in Jesus’ name, I confess that this new season is too much for me to handle on my own. I’m weak without You, but Your grace is sufficient for me. Cover me with Your grace, Father, and make Your strength perfect in my weakness.”

Amen.

“A strong woman is one who feels deeply and loves fiercely. Her tears flow as abundantly as her laughter. A strong woman is both soft and powerful, she is both practical and spiritual. A strong woman in her essence is a gift to the world.” – Native American Saying