We talked with:

• Laurie Notaro has been fired from seven jobs, laid off from three and voluntarily liberated from one. Despite all that, she has managed to write a number of New York Times bestselling essay collections, including "The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club," "Autobiography of a Fat Bride," and "Housebroken." She lives with her husband in Oregon. Her most recent book, "Excuse Me While I Disappear," is based on what happened when her husband started to receive AARP memberships materials.
• Erum Jadoon, M.D., is a geriatrician, internist and an assistant professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Her interests include nutrition, bone health and geriatric medicine with an emphasis on functional status, unintentional weight loss and frailty. She is on faculty with the Academy of Communication in Healthcare and teaches communication to Mayo Clinic with faculty, physicians in training and medical students.

We talked about:

In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:

• The mystery of older age. Many people enter middle age and are blindsided by the changes to their bodies. Others have difficulty even describing themselves as "aging."
• The assumptions of ageism. Ageism is real, and it comes with assumptions — "You don't have anything to contribute," "Your life is behind you," or even "You're a nonsexual being." These may just seem annoying or insensitive, but ageism can actually have negative effects on your health and wellbeing! And those assumptions are not true — many people find greater confidence, enjoyment and freedom as they age.
• The call to respect your elders! It's often not until you reach older ages that you look back and wish you had listened to your parents or grandparents — and asked them more questions! Laurie advocates for having "the talk" with middle-aged women about what they can expect in the next phase of life.

Can't get enough?

• Purchase "Excuse Me While I Disappear: Tales of Midlife Mayhem."
  • From Bookshop.org
  • From Amazon
  • From Barnes & Noble
• Purchase the Mayo Clinic Press book The New Rules of Menopause. 
• Want to read more on the topic? Check out our blog:
  • Menopause: Unexpected symptoms catch women by surprise
  • Menopause: The change that can add challenges to diabetes management
  • Are there reasons I'm feeling more down during perimenopause? 

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The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.