Women are adequately warned about menopause and its oncoming attacks. But what about post menopause? When does it happen and what can you expect? By being informed and knowing what's coming your way, you can make better decisions and enjoy life more in your post menopausal years.
Post Menopause—What it’s like and how to cope
Some days, does it feel like you’ve been through a wringer-washer? You might
be experiencing post menopause. If you’re old enough to know what a
wringer-washer is, then you’re old enough to read this article. If not, let me
explain.
In the old days, a wringer-washer was a washing machine that had two
rollers, one on top of the other. After the clothes were washed, they were fed
between these two spinning rollers, which would wring the water out of them by
pressing them between the rollers, before clothes were hung up on the
clothesline to dry. As anyone who has ever used one can tell you,
wringer-washers are stressful machines. They all have a “panic bar” in case
something other than a piece of clothing gets fed into the machine.
Menopause is also a time when your insides are churned up, much like the
clothes (and hopefully only the clothes) in the washing machine. As you pass
through menopause, you may feel like your energy has been squeezed out of you,
like you’ve been through a battle with an invisible foe. Post menopause may at
first seem like a savior—your symptoms may be reduced or even may have
disappeared completely.
But that isn’t the case for some…
When is post menopause?
Post menopause takes place when you haven’t had a period for at least a
year. It’s not uncommon for women in their middle years to miss a period here
and there, but you can be sure that if you’ve had no periods for a year and
you’re not pregnant, then you’re in post menopause…and you’ll be in it for the
rest of your life, so it’s important that you learn about it, and learn about
what to expect (even if you didn’t know what a wringer washer was before I told
you).
What kinds of changes are normal?
The estrogen reduction that began during menopause may continue. Whether or
not you have passed through menopause, the healthy changes you made to diet and
lifestyle should be continued to promote optimal health. Although emotionally
you may find life a bit easier, some of the other symptoms of menopause may
persist or even, in some cases, grow stronger for a short time. Understand that
this is normal. It is a gradually phasing out of these symptoms that will
occur—not an overnight change.