Menopause, Midlife and Mayhem

Thank you so much for sharing your time with us today. And thank you dear Dragana for sharing your whimsy, your compassion and your joy juice with us.

We talked about hysterectomies – how we both in our early 50’s when we had them. Apparently we in good company – according to the government of Canada,

the most common reasons for hysterectomies among Canadian women in their 50s include heavy periods, pelvic pain, fibroids, endometriosis, and uterine prolapse. These conditions often lead to significant discomfort and may require surgical intervention when other treatments have failed.

Dragana talked about waiting 10 year for this intervention. She spoke about fibroids (I believe it was but I mistakenly referred to them as polyps. I knew that was not the right word when I said it but it was the word that came to my mind).

Like many women, she was told by both male and female gynecologists, that things would go away with periods.

But that was not what Dragana wanted. She was tired of waiting. She wanted everything out. Like so many women, she had very difficult and painful periods.

Although her body and mind were both speaking to her, she was not listening to them. She learned and so did I that our intuition is actually almost more exacting than medical sciences. (Edit - we appreciate our healthcare system and the healthcare professionals we have dealt with over the years.)

Ultimately this bubble inside her kept growing until it was the size of a melon and intertwined with other stomach organs.

She was experiencing difficult and painful cramps and ended up in emergency. It was very dire. Finally she was able to convince her doctor that she would like to have a hysterectomy. The mass was pressing against her intestine, stomach and bladder and she had to convince her doctor? That is not right and just serves to reinforce how important it is for women to advocate for their own reproductive healthcare.

As we chatted, I recognized how individual both menopause and surgical experiences are for women. While thankfully Dragana’s recovery was smooth and she felt better, it was not the same for me. At least at the beginning.

It also highlights the connect between our physical and mental and emotional health.

Dragana also has a very positive attitude towards menopause and sees it as being a member of the wise woman club.

So even though we deal with cognitive decline, hot flashes and more emotions (to say the least), Dragana also deals with anxiety and depression and diabetes type 2– as she describes it, the trifecta.

She spoke of the value in establishing a baseline, of her body’s optimal state.

And of course, we talked about the crazy menopausal symptoms, like having itchy ears. And the value of not drinking alcohol.

Dragana also inspired me with her positive attitude to aging – not caring so much what others think, and truly being her authentic self (which is amazing by the way).

She celebrates her quirkiness and choosing to take a job that she really loves, not just one that pays well but causes more stress.

Maintaining a positive outlook is most definitely one of Dragana’s super powers, as is bringing her sunshiney wacky ridiculously wonderful self to everything she does.

Most importantly we agree that there is a lot of magic in menopause. It comes in the form of Mother Nature, of the colourful leaves in the trees during the fall, in friendships, in learning how to meditate and visualize. Focus more on the magic and less on the mayhem.

What if we took control of the narrative and described menopause as empowering? What if we started making decisions based on what we want – not our partners, our families or society? Could we do that?

Bottom line – women in menopause are rock stars. We have been through things and now, we don’t have to worry about our periods and horrible cramps and all that other stuff. Now, we are getting ready for the best parts of our lives – we just need to enjoy some of that joy juice Dragana is talking about! And better yet, what if we shared it with other incredible women during their menopausal journey?

So thank you so much Dragana – my crush continues!!

****FYI - I said December 17th - that was wrong - I should have said October 17th. My bad - clearly my brain was racing ahead a couple of months! :(

Links:

Dragana Mrdjenovic | LinkedIn

Canadian Menopause Society - Advancing Mature Women's Health

Hysterectomy Support Forum | Hysterectomy Support Group

202532-LeBlanc-ActionCanada-AdvocacyToolkit-EN-v10.pdf

Reproductive Justice

Thank you so much for spending your time with us on the podcast today. A big huge thank you to Kate Cole for sharing your wit, inspiration and experience with us. This was so much fun!

Some takeways from our conversation:

Kate is a fabulous author. Her books are witty, smart, sexy and fun. And should be on screen!!

We all have crappy days, but the key is finding our allies. Be open to them. Focus on the positive, keep moving forward and keep growing as a human.

Draw on your diverse experiences to support your career transitions. Like Kate does when she creating characters in her books.

Although it can be challenging for women in male-dominated professionals like construction, as women get older they are more free to be themselves and bring their whole selves to their work.

One of the best things that comes with menopause is the lack of caring. We just don’t care as much. We are not invested in pleasing people like we used be when we were younger.

The best way to get through menopause in a male-dominated industry – be your true self. There is a clarity that comes with age that is liberating and empowering.

Women on Site – oh my goodness!! What an amazing group this is! Strong, tenacious, positive, supportive – just fabulous. Women on Site was born out of a genuine need for connection and support within the building industries. Founded by four women who experienced isolation in their careers, WOS emerged organically from an Instagram community.

​It aims to be a beacon of support and community for women and gender diverse individuals in the building industries. It is the creation of Constanza, an Environmental Technician; Samara, a Red Seal Sheet Metal worker; Darci, an Electrical Apprentice; and Tessa, a Red Seal Bricklayer.​ Four women working in construction who saw the need for a community for people just like them.

I love this so much!! If you are a woman in the trades or know someone who is or is thinking about it, please share the information about this awesome group. Check out their monthly meetings!

When we talk about sick days and taking time off for health reasons, including mental health, collective agreements are critical. They provide protection. Construction and project management fields are a deadline focused culture – mental health is very important.

You can tell there was a lot to take away. Thank you so much for coming onto the podcast Kate. Please make sure you read her fabulous Women in Trades romance series. You will love them and I can’t wait for High Voltage to come out!

Please remember to share the podcast with someone who would like to be part of our growing community.

Really looking forward to our next episode coming out on October 25th – it will be another interesting chat. See you then when we will take a pause together.

Links:

Instagram - Instagram

katecoleauthor Official: TikTok | Linktree

Meet Melani Sanders, the Woman Saying ‘We Do Not Care’ to Menopause (EXCLUSIVE) | Woman's World

Instagram Women on Site

Construction trades launch peer-support program to help workers facing mental health challenges | CBC News

Thank you for spending your time with us on today’s podcast. It is such an honour and I appreciate you so much.

And thank you so much Anne and Janet for sharing your expertise, knowledge and compassion with us.

Here are some of my takeaways from today’s chat:

1. Menopause is different for everyone. No two menopausal experiences are the same. So it does not matter what your mom, sister or best friend have gone through. Your menopause transition and experience is going to be uniquely yours.
2. We definitely need to talk about menopause – things that are not in journals or other books. It’s not only older generations of women who do not talk about it. People of all ages don’t seem to be comfortable talking about it. So people don’t talk about their experiences and challenges at work. The authors had no trouble finding 60 women who wanted to talk about their experience.
3. Although menopause is having it’s moment (finally) there is still so much research that needs to be done. For instance, the medical establishment decided that menopause happens 12 months after a woman’s last period -but that is an arbitrary number they decided on. And once you are in menopause, you postmenopausal for the rest of your life. There is not a lot of research on how long the symptoms last after menopause. See – another theme – the lack of research.
4. The hormonal changes start in perimenopause when women start to have fluctuations in estrogen. Between peri and menopause, hormonal changes can go on for a very long time. The whole time is known as the menopausal transition.
5. Aging and menopause can go hand in hand – so sometimes it is hard to know if the symptoms are due to aging or if they are menopausal in nature.
6. Doctors are not well trained in both perimenopause and menopause so it is important to have meaningful discussions with our healthcare providers. Don’t wait for a doctor to bring it up. If you are having symptoms, talk to your doctor. Especially now you need to be advocate for your own health. You don’t have to suffer – there are different interventions that help ease your symptoms.
7. Education is critical. It’s not the physical symptoms. There are a lot of components of menopause as well. Things like depression, anxiety, uncontrollable rage
8. There are so many fantastic things to list here, but my biggest takeway is that you need to read the book! I think you will be able to identify with so many experiences that are recounted in the book. It’s a warm, compassionate book and I could feel the passion and the dedication of the authors.

Links:

We Need to Talk About Menopause | Real Stories from Women's Lived Expe

The Menopause Manifesto by Dr. Jen Gunter | Penguin Random House Canada

Canadian Menopause Society - Advancing Mature Women's Health

The Menopause Foundation of Canada

(6) Menopause, Midlife & Mayhem | Facebook

Thank you so much for spending your time with us on the podcast. A big thank you to my awesome guest, Nicole Bedford.

I really enjoyed our chat, and here are my top takeaways:

The power of connection – my former colleague saw a post on Facebook, reached out to me and introduced me to Nicole – she generously joined me on the podcast, and I am going to be part of the Beyond the Pause project. Building community is based on creating connections.

Beyond the Pause is a multi-layered project focused on sharing people’s stories and experiences of menopause – the documentary, the Youtube channel, and the mini-documentary series which will be stories of the menopause transition as a catalyst for reinvention.

The project started as a reaction to the perimenopausal symptoms that Mylene was experiencing. They wanted to reduce the stigma around the menopausal transition, which is often just ignored or not taken seriously. They wanted to draw attention to it and as creative souls, they decided to use their voices in the most natural way.

Newsflash – women don’t disappear after menopause. They don’t become meaningless. They wanted to change the narrative around menopause so it is not as scary for women. Because the invisible woman syndrome is a thing.

Beyond the Pause is an opportunity for people to truly share what their personal experience with menopause has been or is. It’s a gift for people have space held for them.

This project also shows people that they are not alone going through this – the aging parents, the raising of children, the working, all while dealing with the most challenging of symptoms.

It’s also for women on the brink of or experiencing perimenopause and menopause to learn how to deal with these challenges. It is for everyone. Because everyone is going to either experience it themselves or they will have a partner, a parent, a sibling, a relative, a colleague, or a child or a friend go through it. Menopause impacts everyone’s life.

Women have to advocate for their own health. Don’t just accept – it’s your hormones, it’s that time of life. We are the ones who are experiencing our own health. We know our bodies, and what is right and what is wrong.

Menopause has been so stigmatized. We need to take control of the narrative. We need to share information. We need to help each other – and ourselves. We need to talk about it. We need to see beyond the pause.

Thank you so much Nicole for sharing your vision, your mission and your passion with us today.

And thank you for spending your time together with us. Please share the podcast with a friend so we can help grow the community and learn with and from each other.

Links:

Beyond the Pause Film

Nicole Bedford | About

Kilam Media

Understanding and Overcoming Invisible Woman Syndrome

(2) Instagram

(16) Facebook

Beyond The Pause Film - YouTube

Thank you so much for joining us on the podcast today. I really appreciate you spending your time with us.

I really appreciate you sharing your insight and knowledge with us Gineen. What a rich conversation we had! We talked about a whole of things – here are some takeaways –

For women in middle age – we are the people who look after our family, our friends, our children – but how often do we look after ourselves? We press the gas pedal. We just keep going. We may not have the coping skills we need, we may be living off caffeine and sugar and gaining weight.

In menopause, we don’t know our bodies anymore. Our weight is distributed differently and we have to learn how to accept this new body we have.

As a coach and fitness professional, Gineen works predominantly with women trying to help them feel empowered and learn they how they can support their body as it transitions through menopause.

During perimenopause we start to see our hormones shifting and we see changes in our menstrual cycles. We experience join soreness and stiffness (among many, many things).

For some women, including Gineen and me, we chose to start hormone therapy – and it made a huge difference for both of us.

Gineen suggests we need to come into the space with a lot of kindness and compassion for ourselves and then really learn to understand our bodies in a much different way. Are we chasing unrealistic expectations of how our bodies should be? Or how they once were?

Women are speaking up. We are not okay with just getting through it and suffering and struggling through this time of our lives. Because when we look at perimenopause, it can last eight to 10 years.

Many women (including me) are not big into exercise, or they may have been exercising throughout their lives but suddenly it feels like they are starting all over. Gineen suggests that we need to meet ourselves where we are.

She offers one on one coaching to her clients, and she also has a group coaching platform called the M-Powered Shift which includes a lot of education about why strength training is so important. She suggests we need to focus on how we want to feel versus how we want to look. Her hope is every woman feels amazing in her skin – regardless of her body shape or size.

Reframe our perspective of what our body can do for us, and what we GET to do.

After 35 we actually lose muscle at a fairly significant rate. And then women can end up with sarcopenia, which again is that muscle loss as they head into post-menopause.

We want to look at bone density because this helps women stay strong later in life, and women who have stayed active have a better chance at healing and returning to daily life activities after any kind of surgery.

As women enter into later perimenopause and post-menopause, they are less insulin sensitive, so it's much easier for the body to store fat. Muscle acts as an amazing glucose sponge so when we do strength training and by training muscle and gaining strength and increasing muscle size, that's when we can really tap into that glucose regulation.

Women are at a really high risk of cardiovascular illness so it is really important for us to keep our hearts healthy too.

Start with something that makes sense for your lifestyle, something that feels doable. Something that brings you joy.

And it helps to know your why- why do you want to work out? Ask yourself – is it because you want to stay healthy and mobile longer? Or because you want to be able to pick up your grandchildren?

A combination of strength training and nutrition can help you see changes in your body composition. And it’s important to build your new habit through repetition. Just like when your parents taught you to brush your teeth. You just got used to doing it.

Think about you about using different equipment or try a new workout. It helps keep you mentally stimulated.

Gineen taught us about the concept of cycle syncing – so working with her clients based on the different phases of their menstrual cycle. The idea of truly listening to your body.

And start early!! Trust me, age sneaks up on you and before you know it, all of a sudden you are 48 to 52 year old seeing sudden sees major changes in your body.

Gineen is the exact person I would like to have on my journey towards health and wellness as I continue along this crazy menopausal journey!

Links:

Gineen Nicholls - Women's Holistic Hormone Health Practitioner

Gineen Nicholls | LinkedIn

Menopause - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

Thank you so much for joining us today! Thank you for sharing your passion and your knowledge with us Firdaus.

Peri just means around – so perimenopause means around menopause. According to the American Heritage Dictionary it is the period of a woman's life characterized by physiological changes associated with the end of reproductive capacity, terminating with the completion of menopause.

Women deal with symptoms such as:

• hot flashes
• moodiness
• memory loss
• brain fog
• night sweats
• acne
• thinning hair
• irregular periods
• super heavy periods
• low libido
• migraines

All while working. All while being a part of relationships – with families, friends and work colleagues. All while raising children and or dealing with the realities of aging parents. All while possibly being confronted with a mounting anxiety that can develop during these years.

This is why I loved this video. I am certain that many women in their 30s and 40s will be able to relate with the animated characters.

This feeling that “there is something wrong with me” but not being able to put your finger on it. Worried that you have dementia because you are forgetting your words or people’s birthdays, women worry about being a failure.

But could you imagine what it would be like if employers were understanding and offered women in perimenopause flexibility at work – offering benefits such as

• expanding paramedical coverage to include menopause-informed practitioners such as naturopaths, registered nurses, and hormonal health specialists
• reviewing drug plan coverage to ensure hormone therapy options are accessible and affordable
• strengthening mental health supports related to anxiety, mood disruption, sleep challenges, and cognitive changes

What if employers created workplace flexibility through scheduling adjustments, temperature accommodations, and workload support and like this video – provides education that helps reduce stigma creates opportunity for conversations

That’s what this video does. It promotes awareness and starts the conversation. So, if you are in perimenopause, this video is for you. Watch it, relate to it and mostly share it.

Thanks again to Firdaus and Chocolate Moose Media for everything!

Links:

Firdaus Kharas | LinkedIn

Homepage | Chocolate Moose Media

Chocolate Moose / Firdaus Kharas - Director, Executive Producer & Video Producer

Perimenopause at Work

Perimenopause in the workplace: Benefits support that matters

Unpacking the perils and the gifts of perimenopause and menopause with Professor Madeline Toubiana.

Thank you so much for spending your time with us, and thank you Sharon for such an authentic and honest talk about what can happen to our hair during perimenopause, menopause and even earlier.

We tackled a subject that affects a lot of women – statistics vary some say 40% to 50%, and in menopause around 80% of women experience some kind of hair loss or thinning…but it’s something that is still taboo. We talk about hot flashes, a lack of libido but no one talks about our hair.

Hormones are pretty much to blame when it comes to losing our hair, and stress and cortisol are right there along with the plummeting estrogen. There could be nutritional deficits and there is also a possibility of a thyroid imbalance.

One thing we wanted to talk about was alternative hair solutions. And that women should have the freedom to choose exactly how they want to wear their hair. You should not be called brave because you opt for short hair.

And why it is okay to get extensions, but anything that goes on top of the hair is a different story?

We need to think critically when it comes to investing in our hair, and ultimately women need to be able to support other women as we all face the challenges and distresses that we are confronted with through the peri and menopausal transition.

Bottom line – let’s keep talking about hair loss so that we can feel less alone during this kind of scary and totally crazy time of life.

Big thanks to Sharon for coming on to the podcast and really sharing her story with us.

I tell you each month that the next episode is going to be a good one. And it is! Please join me for my conversation with Firdose Kharas, the founder of Chocolate Moose Media as we talk about his video Perimenopause: Be Cool and Aware.

Let’s keep doing this!! Let’s keep talking about peri and menopause and let’s take control of the narrative.

Until next time, let’s take a pause – together.

Show Notes:

Canada's #1 Invisible Halo l Topper l Wigs – Mulberry Hair Extensions | #1 Rated 100% Human Remy Hair

Sharon Mejia | LinkedIn

Can Hair Loss Be a Symptom of Menopause?

Show Notes:

Thank you so much for joining us on the podcast today. I really appreciate you being part of our growing community.

And thank you Naomi for such a truly interesting and informative conversation. It was packed with information and here the top 5 takeways I would love to share with you:

1) When I read her substack about the menopause industrial complex, I knew I needed to interview Naomi on the podcast. She describes the MIC as the array of products, services and ads that are targeted at middle aged women who are going through perimenopause, menopause and post menopause.

2) It’s a system thing, not just a woman thing. The system includes a severe lack of menopause training and education in our medical systems. This needs to change and it should not come down to women having to do their own research in order to tell their doctors (if they are lucky enough to actually have a provider). It’s a structural challenge.

3) Women are still impacted by the nasty symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, regardless of the lack of information and support from the medical field, so this creates the confluence between social media (and the algorithm) where women can share their symptoms and commiserate and the MIC which targets their products and services at these women. So yay, our power is being acknowledged as a consumer sector, but at the risk of being targeted in a very ruthless way. Naomi underscores the importance of research and skeptism when you are looking into the different supplements and finding a healthcare professional with menopause training and experience.

4) We can use the power of our consumer sector to change the system. There needs to be public education to counter all the misinformation, more education of medical providers, and better advice and guidance to women navigating the new world of perimenopause and menopause.

5) We need to learn how to embrace aging with grace and beauty, and in so doing, resist the targeting by the MIC. Think of celebrities like Jamie Lee Curtis, Paulina Porizkova, Helen Mirren, Gillian Anderson.

Links:

The Gender Nerd | Substack

Naomi Darom | LinkedIn

Desiderata: Original Text

Jamie Lee Curtis Says Turning 60 Made Her Realize I 'Have No Time to Waste on Toxic People'

Helen Mirren Opens Up About Embracing Aging at 80 - Parade

Paulina Porizkova on Aging and Being ‘Terrified’ of Wrinkles

Lesson of Worth - Gillian Anderson

Thank you so much for joining us on the podcast today. I hope you enjoyed the chat as much as I did. Thank you so much to Dr. Brotto for sharing her passion, her knowledge and her dedication and commitment to women’s health and equity with us.

Wow!!

Trust me, there are WAY more than 5 takeaways from today’s chat, but here are my top 5 takeways:

Mindfulness – it’s a combination of training our attention, focusing said attention on one target in a very particular way. It’s doing that with kindness and without judgement. It’s a way of being in the present moment.

Mindful sex – When we bring the concept of mindfulness and bring it to sexuality. I don’t know about you, but I can remember how I felt when I first heard that. I was intrigued and needed to read on!

Sexual concerns can be really prevalent during the menopause transition – so basically perimenopause and menopause. With vaginal dryness, genitourinary syndrome of menopause, low desire, a huge amount of changes in body image and emotions – there is a direct bearing on sexual function. And guess what? The vasomotor symptoms and even cognitive symptoms get better over time, but the sexual symptoms continue to persist over time.

This is super important – a lack of desire is common. You are not alone! Women can have pain during sex because of vaginal dryness because of the decline in estrogen – the vaginal tissue can be more prone to tearing. And that can be painful. And when something causes pain, it’s just not something we are inclined to want to do.

Not really a takeway, but I wanted to share this – I really enjoyed the book. I found it interesting, easy to access, relatable and helpful. For me, it’s a must read and I am looking forward to getting that workbook!

The bottom line – there is a serious lack of research into women’s health – and when Dr. Brotto said that 2025 was the first time that menopause was included in the curriculum for medical students, I was gob smacked. How is this even possible?

The conversation was so rich and I very much appreciate Dr. Brotto for sharing her time with us.

Links:

Dr. Lori Brotto

Instagram

Lori Brotto | LinkedIn

Show Notes:

Thank you so much for spending your time with Lisa and me today. And Lisa, thank you for sharing your insight, knowledge and compassion. We really appreciate you!

This was a huge show with so much helpful information, but here are just some of the takeways I am getting from the chat with Lisa:

1. Redirection in your career for any reason – including something medical – does not have to be the end. It can be a wonderful opportunity to nurture another part of yourself – and to ultimately help others nurture themselves
2. Everyone’s perimenopausal and menopause journey is unique to themselves. For Lisa, it did not start with hot flashes and mood swings. It started with a nagging toothache.
3. Research and talking to other women helped Lisa determine what was causing all the difference symptoms she was experiencing. It was what she heard – that women were thinking about ending their lives because they were not being heard that changed everything for her.
4. Sometimes we need to be reminded that we are doing enough, that we are enough.
5. Nutrition and gut health are the drivers of many physical and emotional symptoms during perimenopause and menopause.
6. As women, sometimes we forget the importance of getting the right nutrients and making sure we are actually eating throughout the day.
7. There is also a relationship between what we eat and our mental health.
8. Food is just food – it is neither good or bad.
9. The importance of eating mindfully, not under stress. If that piece of chocolate or cup of ice cream is going to bring you joy, eat it. But think about it first. Figure out what you can do during your day in order to be able to enjoy the treat guilt-free. And then, when you are eating this treat, do it mindfully. Appreciate the taste, the way it feels in your mouth, the way it smells. Notice these things. Take the time.
10. Take time for yourself. We can’t be all go, go, go all the time. Women give to others all the time – we need to give time to ourselves. To calm down, to breathe.
11. Perimenopausal and menopausal women do not live in a bubble – we have partners, families, colleagues – we need to be understanding of each other and ourselves.

Links:

linkedin.com/in/lisafeveck

[email protected]

Facebook

Lisa Feveck's Substack | Lisa Your Menopause Dietitian | Substack

(1) Instagram

STOP Eating These 11 Vegetables After 40 They’re Making You Fatter!