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Things we don't talk about -- Perimenopause!
It's had a huuuuuge impact on my work in ways that totally took me by surprise. I'm pretty sure I'm not alone. I'd love to hear your stories of going through Perimenopause, how it's impacted your ability at work, and how you are moving through it.
Robyn WickHiEd Professional/PT Fitness Inst
741
08/16/21 at 1:40PM UTC
I'm 46 and have definitely been having symptoms for a few years - night sweats, weight gain, fatigue...ugh, sleep is elusive. While I'm functional at work, the lack of sleep really affects my memory/brain function.
Barbara NelmsChange Agent and Leadership Advocate
12
07/16/21 at 2:07PM UTC
You are not alone. It can be very disruptive to my train of thought, my comfort (hot all the time), and just overall crankiness. I have been open an honest (without details) with my team when I am not feeling like myself.
Rashida Graham Educator/Trainer in Silver Spring, MD
183
06/27/21 at 3:22PM UTC
@AubreyArmes Thanks for posting this. Women don't discuss perimenopause enough, especially in regards to the impact on work. In this case, sharing truly is caring.
Anonymous
06/09/21 at 2:10PM UTC
This perimenopause is bothersome. Good news is that this whole thing should be over soon! Bad news is that at 52 I am still having cycles, they are less frequent, maybe once every 4 months, but they are still lurking. Each time it starts I get sad as I was wishing that I was done. Luckily my symptoms are light, one hot flash every other month or so, and not hot raging fire, just a slow boil.
Aubrey ArmesCreating Empowered Workplaces
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06/09/21 at 6:08PM UTC
I'm so glad you have "light" symptoms. They really can be life debilitating for some women.
User deleted comment on 06/10/21 at 6:18PM UTC
Lisa Carmichael
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06/04/21 at 4:13PM UTC
I hate every minute of it ?
Michala
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05/03/21 at 3:36PM UTC
things started changing for me when I about 44 or so. I used to be so regular! then I had my first major hot flash 2 days before my 46th birthday at 3am (why is it always in the middle of the night?) and I having a hand fan with me at all times. If someone commented on it, I stated it was a medical device. If pressed, I responded 'Honey - I am a woman of a certain age'
I also have endometriosis so adding that to the mix doesn't help as I still have my period but I now have no idea when it is going to happen. It could be 3 months, 2 weeks, or 6 weeks from now.
FWIW, I had a doozy of a period post vaccine (the second one) which I hear is a thing.
I am 50 now so I have no idea how much longer I will be dealing with this
Anonymous
05/02/21 at 5:58PM UTC
I stopped having periods in 2015, when I was 44. I suffered no ill effects, physical or mental, because my doctor told me the birth control pills I was taking kept the other symptoms at bay. So I am still taking them.
Huong Nguyen-ValleOffice and Facility Manager
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04/30/21 at 3:52PM UTC
Thank you for bringing up this topic! I am 40, I am still young, but I want to navigate it early. I had surgery for endometriosis at 30 years old not sure if that affects my body for menopause. I asked my mom about her experience and when she hit menopause in her mid 40's, I wonder if that is my timeline as well.
Aubrey ArmesCreating Empowered Workplaces
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06/09/21 at 6:11PM UTC
Every woman has her own journey, but it is an excellent idea to learn as much from the women in your family as you can.
Anonymous
04/30/21 at 3:40PM UTC
I am 50 and it started just before I turned 49. For me it's been fatigue (need naps) and hot flashes where I feel like I'm on fire but are not any worse than what I experienced with Grave's Disease (before they took my Thyroid out) but I am now 15 years older so these systems hit me harder. I also have the extra weight but I can't separate that either from the hormones I have to take because of no Thyroid. The worst is the periods that are beyond heavy to the point I end up anemic afterwards and I hesitate to leave the house for more than an hour because it is so heavy. Before the pandemic I had several times I had to leave work because I soaked through my clothes. It was embarrassing. I can tell when they are coming on because the hormone "dump" I get right before makes me more agitated and prone to react more angrily to things that annoy me that I can normally just let roll off me. Thankfully my cycles seem to have almost stopped instead of every 4 weeks like clockwork.
Thanks for talking about it. No one seems to ever mention this. Trying to not fan myself and open every window for a hot flash during zoom meetings is no fun. I think I am finally on the tail end of it - fingers crossed. I just keep reminding myself that "this too shall pass".
Anonymous
04/30/21 at 12:59PM UTC
I am 47 and started perimenopause at 46 during the pandemic. I feel like I've lost my drive for a lot of things both personally and professionally. Professionally, I am having a hard time remembering things quickly. I will remember them once I reflect on it but when I'm on a phone call, my mind goes blank. I don't feel like I have the same umphf that I used to with self learning and its hard for me to take that extra step sometimes. I've lost my spunk.
Personally, I've gained 20 lbs that I just can't lose. I work out consistently and I'll lose 6 lbs only to get frustrated for staying there for two weeks and just give up on watching what I eat. I've tried to talk to myself positively and self reflect that it doesn't matter but it does to me. I haven't bought new clothes to fit properly because I am determined to lose it only to get frustrated because I can't fit into it when I need something to wear. I recognize that this is my fault but it seems difficult to break the cycle.
Thank you for bringing this up. A lot of women don't seem to talk about the emotional aspect of perimenopause and how it's impacting day to day.
Aubrey ArmesCreating Empowered Workplaces
168
06/09/21 at 6:14PM UTC
Dearest, starting this during the pandemic must have been so tough!
Oh, the emotional, mental, and even spiritual aspect to perimenopause has been my biggest surprise and hardest thing to navigate with my family history of depression. I do happen to know of a coach who specializes in weight loss during peri/menopause tending to the emotional and mental aspects. Feel free to PM me if you want her details.
