Menopause – thank you Samantha Jones! The new generation of Menos!!
I have been struggling more mentally than physically lately with this Menopause thing. Physically, as you know I do like to exercise and I do love my food and wine, I make sure I push as many nutrients into my body as possible. I could perhaps cut back a wee bit on the vino, but I justify it now as I am not getting hot flushes as I used to (wine and coffee used to set mine off dreadfully). I take good quality supplements so feel that I have ticked all the right boxes as I am managing my symptoms so much better. But what I am struggling with is the attitude.
Just the name, MENOPAUSE, when I mention it to people, especially youngsters (anyone under 40!) they look either shocked, miffed or just like they want the ground to swallow them up! Yes it has taken me a while to come to terms with it, but come on! Enough already, it’s part of our life so yes we need to talk about it more, what happens, how it feels and what can be done, as unlike our mothers generation there is more information available, various type of HRT and lots of alternative therapy available these days.
I was sofa surfing this weekend and watched on catch up Sex and the City 2. Brilliant, it’s one of my fav’s. When I first watched this, it must have been when it was first released, which by my calculations without looking it up around 5 years ago. How did I come to this calculation you ask? The first time around I didn’t give the scene in the airport much of a thought.
The fabulous Samantha Jones is menopausal and she has all of her pills and potions confiscated at security on the way to Abu Dhabi. She is suffering with hot flushes and other Meno related symptoms she freaks out and says “Without those hormones who knows what mood swings I am capable of” she pleads with them to keep hold of her bag of goodies, as she could “Ricco shade back to the Menopause without her herbal supplements”.
Later on in the film all the girls are sitting around the pool, she is fanning herself, due to the heat along with mental hot flushes (she says Flashes as the Americans do) she is disappointed that while watching the Men’s Australian swim team practice she feels nothing, she says with a sigh that “she has no feeling down under now that Oestrogen has left the building!”
I now totally get it!!
I know sometimes ignorance is bliss but we are not the same generation as our mums and grannies. We are the new fabulous generation of changers! If Samantha Jones can still look and be fabulous, then so can we.
We need to educate our daughters, nieces and younger generation on how to eat and exercise in the right way so that when they do hit the Menopause their symptoms could perhaps be a lot less than ours. Education and knowledge are key, suffering in silence no more!!