Women's Issues Midlife And Beyond
Sigh. Â Summer is such a fleeting moment in Minnesota. Â It’s hard not to get giddy with each phase. Â There’s the first 70 degree day, the first 80 degree day, the first why-did-I-want-this? 90 degree day, and the dreaded humid, too hot to breathe, slather my body in ice cream day. But I digress. Along with the rising temperatures, plants are… Read More
Over the past year I’ve had increasing hot flashes despite working with my practitioner and my compounding pharmacist. When I first started taking the bio-identical hormones six years ago my blood tests said I was in estrogen dominance while having very low progesterone and testosterone levels.  This is very common. After a discussion with my midwife practitioner I began taking progesterone and… Read More
My arms were almost elbow deep in dishwater suds.  “Why do I have to do this when I have a dishwasher?” I wondered.  Nonetheless, scrubbing the non-dishwater friendly object gave me a moment to appreciate all the items that do go in the dishwater, and a chance to gaze outside the window on a busy day.  It was  sunny, windy, and… Read More
As I just mentioned last week, the ebbs and flows of hormones embody menopause. Almost daily there is a new mystery, emotion, or awareness about this midlife phase.  And just as my journey into puberty was most likely different than yours, the menopausal experience is also as individual as the women undergoing the changes. The debate between using hormone replacements– or… Read More
Letting go of expectations, permission, and cultural detritus can leave menopausal women struggling for an identity. Do they continue as before—shrouded in a persona that tends to no longer fit—or do they allow themselves to revisit and explore aspects of themselves considered too self-serving during the childbearing years? As Dr. Northrup (2003) explains, “Caring for others and pursuing unexplored personal… Read More
The smell of coffee. The sound of bacon crankily snapping in the pan. WCCO on the radio. Dad is home.  I loved those weekend markers. My father worked as a construction foreman, which meant he was not home Monday through Friday.  Mom, in her independence, kept the farm running and my siblings and I herded. She didn’t drink coffee, and… Read More
I write it down and then lose the list. I put tasks and appointments on my computer calendar and then forget to back up my iPhone so I can’t/don’t get the reminders. ARGH! Life is so busy that I spend more time creating reminders to do the things I need to do than actually getting the jobs done. How is… Read More
Last week my story entry ended with my confusion about entering a new love relationship in midlife. Even though I adored my soon-to-be husband, letting go of my hard won independence was daunting. During my single-motherhood years I tested my strength and voice as a woman, and now I would once again be sharing decisions. Would it feel like I… Read More
Do you remember the first time some high school kid at the grocery store asked if you wanted paper or plastic, Ma’am? I do, and I was a little shocked. Menopause is a bit like that too. It sneaks up on you. Suddenly the world views you differently. Unfortunately, that means it can also affect how we see ourselves.After many… Read More
Big Foot trying on Nike running shoes. Aliens eating ice cream and waving from the window of a UFO. A cat obeying its human. These would be amazing photographs, right? However, those of us who love photography know the odds of actually having a camera in hand and ready to go when once-in-a- lifetime photo opportunities occur are rare. Very,… Read More
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