“Oh gawd, I am not looking forward to menopause!”

These were the dramatic words uttered in defeat by an exhausted looking forty-something woman as we rode the elevator together. Her remark, borne, I’m guessing, out of fear, frustration and an unwillingness to face menopause head-on, struck me as odd. She just blurted it out – no preamble, no prelude, no “Hey, how ya doin’?” –  as if we had been conspiratorially sharing a mutual loathing for menopause all day. For the record, we hadn’t.

It was a short elevator ride – from the first to the fifth floor – but in that short span of time, I learned that a few minutes prior she had experienced what she believed to be her first hot flash. Apparently, I had caught her on the tail end of a doozy, just as she was frantically peeling off her soft peach floor length cardigan and fanning herself with her hand.

Her hot flash episode may very well have been perimenopause induced, but it could also have been any other number of things. Either way, it was clear that she was a woman none too thrilled at the prospect of joining the prestigious club known as menopause. Perhaps she never took the time to learn about menopause.

Here’s the reality of menopause: it’s a natural part of a woman’s life. It’s also something that all women will experience (unless her ovaries were removed before going through puberty). Here’s another truth: every woman will experience menopause symptoms in her own way. Rebecca may have horrendous night sweats and tingling extremities, while Sheila will barely notice those symptoms and, instead, she’ll have to contend with incontinence, brain fog and a loss of libido. Then along comes Vanessa who seems to be sailing through menopause relatively symptom-free.

Just as every woman’s hormones are unique to her, so too are her symptoms. This, however, doesn’t mean that women have to pack their bags and travel on the menopause journey all by their lonesome.

There’s power in sisterhood. There’s power in knowledge. There’s power in passing on that knowledge.

An African proverb comes to mind when I think about how much women may not know about menopause: “Each one teach one.”

Each one of us has the power to teach another —whatever that passing on of knowledge may be. I’m a big proponent of talking about menopause and spreading the word so that others may learn about menopause. Why?

✔️Because I came into menopause not fully knowing what to expect.
✔️Because I thought the only symptoms of menopause were hot flashes and moodiness.
✔️Because I never had that talk with my mom before she left this earth.
✔️Because too many women are afraid to open up about this natural transition in life.
✔️Because women should not go it alone.
✔️Because I didn’t know my PVCs episode was a symptom of perimenopause, not a heart attack.

And I’m convinced I’m not the only woman who has felt this way.

Like the woman in the elevator, are you, too, dreading the approach of menopause? Have you reached menopause and having a difficult time dealing with it? Are you surprised each week with a new symptom that you didn’t expect?

There is help out there.

• There are at least 34 symptoms of menopause. Find out about them all at Menopause Now.
• If you want to try and battle hot flashes, read, “‘I Just Love These Mood Swings’ Said No Midlife Woman EVER“
• Menopause or postmenopause – are you saying the right thing? Find out HERE.
• Search for a menopause practitioner near you through The North American Menopause Society’s database.
• Dry vagina? Read on: “What in the World is Going On Down There?“
• If you want more inspiration and motivation, be sure to bookmark Midlife-A-Go-Go.

Remember . . . menopause doesn’t have to be a solo journey.