Photo Credit: Cathy Yeulet / iStockphoto.com
Laughter Truly Is the Best Medicine
What can menopause possibly offer that is laughable? After all, menopause means night sweats, hot flashes, and a multitude of other changes.
Laughing through menopause does not negate the changes that come with it, but it can put some of the discomforts into perspective. If you are going through menopause you have lived long enough to know menopause is just a part of this journey of life — you may as well enjoy it!
Why Women Don’t Enjoy Menopause
Some uninformed people still look upon menopause as a sign that we women are growing older and are therefore not as desirable as we once were. The physical changes that come with menopause are very real and, for many women, extremely uncomfortable. Throw in the mental and emotional changes and it becomes clear that menopause is no laughing matter.
Here are some reasons why you might not look forward to menopause:
- Hot flashes may make you down right uncomfortable and miserable.
- Night sweats and hormonal changes can keep you up all night long.
- You may experience anxiety and depression.
- Your bones can become more brittle.
- Hormonal changes can make your skin thinner and less elastic.
- Sex can become painful.
- Your hair might fall out at a previously unseen rate.
- Some women gain weight easier after menopause.
- You can’t remember a thing.
It can be challenging to comb through all the facts on hormone therapy. Here are some of the pros and cons of HRT to help you on your way.
When you look at this list, it’s unlikely you feel like laughing. Menopause and growing more mature results in a lot of changes and most of them don’t sound too appealing. However, there are benefits of going through menopause to consider to keep you laughing and smiling through it all.
Benefits of Going Through Menopause
If you are going through menopause, it means that you are still alive. Alive is preferable to dead.
You get to join an exclusive club that 50 percent of the world’s population belongs to provided they live long enough.
If you have always been freezing, you finally get to warm up (albeit probably more often than you want and with a glistening, glowing, red face).
The desire to avoid sweating through your pajamas may be just the boost you need to begin sleeping in the buff.
Your heart may be not as well protected, but emotionally it has grown bigger and more loving. By now you have had opportunities to see life from a wide array of perspectives. You are experienced enough to appreciate and be grateful for the love of friends and family.
You might feel anxious or depressed, especially if you cling to the traditional views about women and menopause. On the other hand, you are approaching the age where you may feel freer and say “the heck with what other people think of me, I am going to live well and enjoy my life.”
Your bones might become less solid and you have increased risks for developing other health challenges, but at least we live at a time when the risks are known and treatment options are available. In the case of brittle bones, needing to preserve density becomes a great excuse for dancing the night away or taking up some really cool sport that you never had the courage to participate in before now.
Your skin might not be as supple as it was at 18, but at least you don’t have to worry about the appearance of pimples on the end of your nose like you did when you were a gawky teenager. There is a wide array of natural and advanced treatments you can employ to remain gorgeous no matter what you age is. Take advantage of those that “a-peel” to you (pun intended).
Try some of the new lubricants to add some zing and moisture to your sex life. Other solutions are available too.
One of the nice things about less hair is that it’s not just on your head. You might get away with shaving your armpits and legs less often. You may even decide that you simply do not want to shave anymore. Menopause brings freedom of all kinds!
You might gain weight more easily, but that doesn’t mean you have to gain weight. Join a gym, take a swim, climb Mount Everest. The sky’s the limit now!
Not remembering is sometimes a good thing. It also makes for great shared stories and fun with your fellow menopausites.
Chances are, unless you are among the minority, you are not as well off financially as you envisioned you would be at this age. You are still young enough to make changes. Besides, as the old saying goes, money isn’t everything. In case you don’t believe that, buy a lottery ticket — you need to have a vice at your age.
Some women worry that they aren’t sexy anymore once they hit menopause. That’s absolutely ridiculous! For heaven’s sake, you don’t have to worry about becoming pregnant, having PMS, or worrying whether or not your breasts are the “right” size (I know, I went through menopause at an early age and only have one breast due to cancer).
Yes, menopause can be uncomfortable and challenging. It can be tougher for some women than it is for others. However, it’s important to be grateful to be at an age where we have experienced enough life to realize how precious every day is.
We menopausites have learned not to sweat the small stuff — even when it is dripping down our faces.
Happy menopause ladies!
