Does Any Woman Come out of the Gynecologist Feeling Good About Herself?
I left my most recent appointment with a recommended list of supplements:
- Primrose oil — 1000 mg for my mood swings. (It’s not me, it’s you.)
- Calcium — 1000 mg until I’m 50, then I’ll want to up it to 1200 mg.
- Magnesium — 350mg to help me sleep through the night. (I thought that’s what the whiskey was for.)
- Multivitamins — designed for women over 40, none of that youngblood sh*t.
I am entering perimenopause as my eldest is entering puberty — oh the fun that’s on our horizons.
We’ve had the talk, and she’s got a pad in her bag should “it” happen at school, but she’s no more ready for the next phase of her life than I am for mine. Neither one of us wants what’s coming. None of it sounds fun or like an easy transition, but it’s coming nonetheless, and the only thing we can do about it is be prepared.
The Other Side of Life
I was also cautioned away from alcohol as it could make the night sweats (the what?) worse, and the alcohol could expedite the deterioration of my brain because, if you didn’t know, “The loss of estrogen means that glucose metabolism in the brain, its primary fuel, is reduced by about 20 to 25 percent,” says Roberta Diaz Brinton, the director of the Center for Innovation in Brain Science at the University of Arizona. [Read more here.]
I think this is what’s hitting me the hardest — the loss of brain power.
There was a major shift in my brain, and as a result, my personality, when I became a mother. Some of it was beautiful, but if I’m honest, a lot of it wasn’t. I didn’t like the foggy brain or the anxiety that wasn’t there before parenting. And surviving six months of sleep deprivation has left me irrevocably changed. I hate to admit it, but when I hear a young baby cry, I get annoyed and then deeply sad. I do not blame the parent or the child, but it’s a knee-jerk reaction to a traumatic period I can’t remember with absolute clarity, thankfully.
When my doctor explained it’s basically downhill from here, I started to do a bit of research about what I can do to help slow down the mental decline I’m going to experience simply because I’m a biological female. I listened to a Ted Radio Hour podcast, “Life Stages of the Brain”. It was interesting until I reached the part when the scientists were discussing what happens to a woman’s brain during menopause.
That brain fog, that anxiety, the depression, and restless could all resurface again. In fact, there’s a high probability that at least one of these will.
From Anger to Acceptance
I spent about a week being angry. First at my husband, then at society for demanding so much of today’s woman and yet betraying us at every turn, and then, finally, at myself.
Intellectually, I understand it’s no one’s fault. Men aren’t to blame anymore than society or myself. This is life. This is how the female body is designed. We are capable of some truly miraculous things, but those things come at a cost.
Now, my focus is on what I can control: diet, exercise, and stress.
When we are stressed, our bodies prioritize the production of cortisol over oestrogen and progesterone — two hormones that are key in maintaining our hormonal balance and our emotional well-being.
My first step in controlling my stress is to become aware of my triggers. Then I take a deep breath and ask does anyone die? Will anyone be physically or emotionally harmed? Now, what happens if this doesn’t get done? Because, let’s face it, a lot of my stress is because my plate is too full, and I try to make every minute count.
But I’m learning to let a lot of things go. I’m also asking for help more.
Oh, and that list of supplements? Yep. I’m on all of them, including a fish oil containing krill oil.
Change, once again, is coming, but I’m going to breathe my way through it one moment at a time.
