"This Might Seem A Bit Daunting"

"The wide array of problems shown in this diagram may seem daunting; but..."

Imagine a diagram of a woman (I tried to copy it) and this list of changes that could, might, or will happen to you and me sometime between 40 and 60. Remember, "the wide array of problems shown in the diagram may seem daunting" (this statement had to be written either by a 25 year old woman or a man):

Headaches & Hot Flashes (ok, I've already complained about this one)
Hair loss and a lack of Luster (do you think Pantene will develop a Menopause Formula for shiny hair?)
Teeth loosen and Gums Recede (everything recedes it seems)
Breasts droop and flatten (due to obvious reasons mine won't droop)
Risk of cardiovascular disease
Backaches
Bone mass loss and bones become more fragile
Body hair becomes thicker and darker (including the whiskers on your face)
Skin Dryness (everywhere)
Stress or urge incontinence
(www.healthcentral.com/menopause)

I'll add a few more of my own -- some of which I've blogged about
Loss of coordination -- I tripped over my flared pants yesterday
Memory loss -- I murmered about this already unless I just think I did and forgot
Mood swings
Directional dyslexia
Thin lips
Bunyons
Bad and worsening breath (carry gum or mints with you everywhere you go!)

I found a good website called Menopause Out Loud. It has some good information and lots of informational links. Apparently, our mothers and grandmothers didn't really talk about "the change" which is hard to imagine. Thanks to the "boomer" generation everybody's talking about it. I admit that everyone on my team at work knows about my hot flashes -- not only because they're painfully obvious, but because I acknowledged that the flush on my face and the sweat on my brow and lip is "age induced".

Don't worry, even though the information contained in this email might seem a bit daunting, take comfort -- you're not alone.