quote:Originally posted by bjb:
No offense John, but why are men so misinformed about the "midlife change". It happens in the 50s not the 40s!!! My otherwise intelligent boyfriend made the same mistake, and his father is a doctor...
I think this is a matter of semantics. Menopause refers to the cessation of periods, which usually - but not always - occurs around the early 50s. But what most people refer to when commenting on menopause as John did is the perimenopause. Early signals of menopause can begin in your late 30s; my hot flashes began in my mid-forties (I'm now 53 and now past most of it, hurrah!). And 'surgical' menopause - due to hysterectomy with removal of the ovaries - can occur at any age given the right indications for removal (cancer, for example.) Menopause is a process, sort of adolescence in reverse, hormonally speaking. Bone loss begins in the mid 30s - peak bone building time is in your teens, which is why I'm forever giving my 15 year old milk. Mood swings may or may not be present, often due to disrupted sleep from the aforementioned hot flashes and various aches and pains. Skin begins to lose elasticity (more sagging and dryness), weight is harder to lose and easier to gain, etc. But as with adolescence, menopause is different for every woman, though your experience may reflect that of your mother's.
In any event, getting to the other side of it is a relief.
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