Ellen Dolgen
Happy Menopause Awareness Month! If you think that sounds like a bit of an oxymoron (“does happy really go with menopause?”), then this month’s for you!
Menopause, like every era of a woman’s life, comes with challenges. But if we face them head on, this time can actually be the best one ever! It probably sounds counterintuitive to all of the menopause haters out there, but I’m stronger, healthier, and more empowered today at 60 than I was at 40! How? I finally put my health and happiness at the top of my to-do list. Yep, right on top! As women, we work so hard to take care of the health and wellness of our families. But, as a result, we often forget to listen to our own bodies and to what they need from us. Not anymore! My body is the only place I have to live, and I’m taking care of it!
That’s what Menopause Awareness Month is all about: putting our health first! I want all of the fabulous women out there to live the fabulous lives they deserve! I know they can—we all can!
This Menopause Awareness Month, take these five steps to achieving hormone happiness. Once you do, you’ll have plenty to celebrate!
1. Listen to Your Body. Menopausal symptoms—whether they involve sweating like a linebacker or waving goodbye as your vagina heads for dryer land—are your body’s way of telling you that something isn’t right. So stop pretending to be fine. Paying attention to your symptoms is the only way to treat their underlying cause and get rid of them for good.
2. Find a Menopause Specialist. The gynecologist who has been treating your hoo-ha for years might not be the best for relieving your menopausal symptoms. Fewer than one in five trainee obstetricians and gynecologists in the United States receive formal training in menopause medicine, according to recent research from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. That’s why it’s crucial to find a menopause specialist who is trained to best treat your symptoms while taking into account any general health issues. To find a specialist near you, check out The North American Menopause Society, the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, call your local medical school, or consult my Menopause Doctor Directory. These doctors have been recommended by the sisterhood.
3. Chart Your Menopause Symptoms. The best gift you can give your menopause specialist is a comprehensive chart of your symptoms. Sign up for my free Menopause Mondays Newsletter to receive my Menopause Symptoms Chart via email. Then, each day, chart the frequency, duration, and severity of your symptoms. Take this chart with you to your menopause specialist and together with a hormone panel, your specialist can develop an individualized plan just for you.
4. Know Your Numbers. Receiving a completeblood workup, including a hormone panel is the quickest and easiest way to pinpoint exactly what’s going on in that body of yours. Along with your Menopause Symptoms Chart, the info will help your doctor create a course of treatment just for you. After all, not all hot flashes are created equal!
5. Stay on the Path. Steps 1 through 4 are good, but it’s even better to repeat them over and over again. Why? Achieving hormone happiness over the long term is all about knowing how your hormones ebb and flow. As women, it’s our prerogative to change!
Sisters, this Menopause Awareness Month, it’s time to love—and celebrate—menopause! So gather your girlfriends and get ready for hormone happiness. The best years of your life are yet to come!
Remember: Reaching out is IN! Suffering in silence is OUT!
You can find more about our Menopause expert Ellen Dolgen, at ellendolgen.com. You won’t want to miss Ellen’s Menopause Mondays. Like Ellen Dolgen on Facebook, follow her on Twitter and Pinterest, connect with her on LinkedIn, Google+, and Klout, watch her videos on YouTube, and subscribe to her newsletter.