Anti-Aging in Huntington Park, California

Menopause and Giving in to the Mystery

By Menopause Goddess, Lynette Sheppard

Early in my Menopause transition (euphemism for hellish maelstrom of horrifying hormonal events), so many things bothered me that I couldn't keep count. As the preliminary WTF freakouts of perimenopause and volcanic upheavals of The Big M are now mostly in my rear view mirror, I realize that some irritants that used to upset me simply don’t any longer. And that’s a real blessing.

For example, I used to be confounded and annoyed by the backhanded compliment "You look good…for your age." Now, heck, I'll take any compliment I can get without overanalyzing it for nuance or even honesty. I'll just focus on the "look good" part and thank the complimenter with sincere gratitude.

Being called ma'am initially was both disconcerting and horrifying. My mom is ma'am. And she just barely. I felt old and frumpy every time I was addressed in this fashion usually by someone only recently out of diapers, waiting on me in the store or bank.

But now, I gotta say, I'm okay with ma’am. You might say I've grown into it. Ma'am. Short for madam – now there’s a racy little thought. And when someone calls me "Miss"? I know they're just sucking up or trying to sell me something. I no way qualify for "Miss" anymore. Another thing in my rear view mirror and I don’t really miss it.

I've heard some of my friends and sister goddesses over the years complain about being invisible. And I've certainly experienced that evanescence myself when a clerk looks right past me to wait on some hot young woman. "Hey!" I'd want to yell. "I"m right here taking up space. Service me – or at least wait on me." (No I never did yell, I'd just clear my throat and say, "Excuse me, I believe I was here first." Which either worked or didn't.

However, now in my post menopausal incarnation, I find that I enjoy a certain anonymity, thanks to this decreasing visibility. I can slip in and out of places faster than a greased pig. Hawkers on the street miss giving me flyers. I love that.

And if I'm having a bad hair day? Or a fat day? Who cares? I'm invisible in the very best way and can just go about my business, carefree and happy. I don't have an image to keep up. I'm ma'am now, remember?

No, I'm not letting myself go – just letting myself be. So much easier when you aren't noticed that much anymore. Whew, what a relief. Forgetting things drove me absolutely stark staring mad in the beginning of my transition. Not so anymore. I'm used to it. I have workarounds to make my life work. I am the Queen of ritual and OCD in organizing stuff.

I just can't trust my formerly prodigious memory any longer to pick up the slack. And honestly, I can't get all worked up about it anymore. I exercise my brain as well as my body but neither are going to be in Olympic condition any time soon. Or ever. Hence the workarounds.

Lastly, not knowing the why of things sent me into an info gathering tailspin. Not all bad. I've learned (and shared) so much about the crazy Menopause journey through my incessant desire for understanding. And while I can learn and understand a lot, some things will remain incomprehensible. Maybe forever.

Like why I had hot flashes to the point of nausea and my friend Susan had nary a flush. Or why black cohosh works for some and not others. Or why I and others lose our hair while some women boast luxurious manes all their lives.

Overall, I've come to an acceptance that some things may never be clear. In a sense, I’m on a need-to-know basis – and apparently the great mystery has decided that I don’t really need to know. So be it.

Maybe the biggest change is this: I'm just going to enjoy the Mystery, however it plays out, whatever challenges or wonders await me 'round the next bend. That might be one of the secrets to aging gracefully. Maybe not. Then again, maybe.

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Nearby Results Your search returned 69 nearby results

  1. Margaret Bates MD

    Los Angeles, CA (About 6 miles)

    Phone
    (213) 977-4190

  2. Yvonne Bohn MD

    Los Angeles, CA (About 6 miles)

    Phone
    (213) 977-4190

  3. Mark Dwight MD

    Los Angeles, CA (About 6 miles)

    Phone
    (213) 977-4190

  4. Allison Hill MD

    Los Angeles, CA (About 6 miles)

    Phone
    (213) 977-4190

  5. Dewayne Hervey

    Inglewood, CA (About 8 miles)

    Phone

  6. Miriam Mackovic-Basic MD

    Lakewood, CA (About 8 miles)

    Phone
    (562) 634-8812

  7. Leilani Woodson MD

    Lakewood, CA (About 8 miles)

    Phone
    (562) 634-8812

  8. marina maslovaric MD

    Lakewood, CA (About 8 miles)

    Phone
    (562) 634-8812

  9. Phyllis Presley MD

    Alhambra, CA (About 9 miles)

    Phone
    (626) 282-0282

  10. Ludmila Bess MD

    Los Angeles, CA (About 10 miles)

    Phone
    (323) 934-8877

  11. Anne Peters MD

    Los Angeles, CA (About 10 miles)

    Phone
    (323) 936-8283

  12. Howard Elkin MD

    Whittier, CA (About 10 miles)

    Phone
    (562) 945-3753

  13. Essam Taymour MD

    Long Beach, CA (About 10 miles)

    Phone
    (562) 595-5331

  14. Alan Schwartz MD

    Beverly Hills, CA (About 11 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 855-7504

  15. Cathie Lippman MD

    Beverly Hills, CA (About 11 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 289-8430

  16. Michal Amir MD

    Beverly Hills, CA (About 11 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 289-0330

  17. Susan Cohen MD

    Beverly Hills, CA (About 11 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 247-8920

  18. Beth Julian-Wang MD

    Pasadena, CA (About 11 miles)

    Phone
    (626) 795-5848

  19. Steven Applebaum MD

    Pasadena, CA (About 11 miles)

    Phone
    (626) 396-2999

  20. Nancy Goldman MD

    Beverly Hills, CA (About 11 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 652-9347

  21. Steve Rabin MD

    Beverly Hills, CA (About 11 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 652-9347

  22. William To MD

    Los Angeles, CA (About 11 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 659-9625

  23. Ruth Cousineau MD

    Beverly Hills, CA (About 11 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 657-1600

  24. Suzanne Gilbert-Lenz MD

    Beverly Hills, CA (About 11 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 657-1600

  25. Jay Goldberg MD

    Beverly Hills, CA (About 11 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 657-1600

  26. Robert Katz MD

    Beverly Hills, CA (About 11 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 657-1600

  27. Maurice Lam MD

    Long Beach, CA (About 11 miles)

    Phone
    (562) 595-0591

  28. Maurice Levy MD

    Los Angeles, CA (About 11 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 556-8200

  29. Emil Levin MD

    W Hollywood, CA (About 11 miles)

    Phone
    (323) 650-1788

  30. Ryan Stanton MD

    Beverly Hills, CA (About 12 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 278-0077

  31. Kathleen Kornafel MD, PHD

    Glendale, CA (About 12 miles)

    Phone
    (818) 242-9933

  32. Anthony Chin MD

    Beverly Hills, CA (About 12 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 659-5810

  33. Paul Crane MD

    Beverly Hills, CA (About 12 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 659-5810

  34. Theodric Hendrix MD

    Beverly Hills, CA (About 12 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 652-3570

  35. Marshall Kadner MD

    Beverly Hills, CA (About 12 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 276-5544

  36. Richard Mettel MD

    Beverly Hills, CA (About 12 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 274-4818

  37. Peter Weiss MD

    Beverly Hills, CA (About 12 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 275-5595

  38. Uzzi Reiss MD

    Beverly Hills, CA (About 12 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 247-1300

  39. Eva Cwynar MD

    Beverly Hills, CA (About 12 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 271-5438

  40. Karl Norris MD

    Beverly Hills, CA (About 12 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 274-6245

  41. Violet Boodaghians MD

    Los Angeles, CA (About 12 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 274-9977

  42. Dolores Kent MD

    Los Angeles, CA (About 12 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 860-9490

  43. Layne Kumetz MD

    Los Angeles, CA (About 12 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 274-9977

  44. Daniel Brousseau DO

    Pasadena, CA (About 13 miles)

    Phone
    (626) 794-4668

  45. David Wong MD

    Torrance, CA (About 13 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 326-8625

  46. Ben Naghi MD

    Torrance, CA (About 13 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 326-5150

  47. Albert Chen MD

    Torrance, CA (About 13 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 325-1198

  48. Joanna Padilla NP

    Redondo Beach, CA (About 13 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 792-8317

  49. Allen Peters MD

    Redondo Beach, CA (About 13 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 373-7830

  50. Jeff Barris RPH

    Torrance, CA (About 13 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 530-0831

  51. Stephen McCann MD

    Torrance, CA (About 13 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 540-2282

  52. Maria White NP

    Torrance, CA (About 13 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 375-2705

  53. Wayne Wightman MD

    Torrance, CA (About 13 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 375-2705

  54. Judi Goldstone MD

    Torrance, CA (About 14 miles)

    Phone
    (424) 247-4962

  55. Stephen Schmones MD

    Burbank, CA (About 14 miles)

    Phone
    (818) 843-2826

  56. David Ahdoot MD

    Burbank, CA (About 14 miles)

    Phone
    (818) 700-8300

  57. Samantha Han MD

    Burbank, CA (About 14 miles)

    Phone
    (818) 846-8981

  58. Nancy Kimber MD

    Los Alamitos, CA (About 14 miles)

    Phone
    (562) 430-0805

  59. Ismael Mena DO

    Los Alamitos, CA (About 14 miles)

    Phone
    (562) 795-5180

  60. Deborah Vu MD

    Arcadia, CA (About 14 miles)

    Phone
    (626) 445-3333

  61. Cynthia Furnberg NP

    Redondo Beach, CA (About 14 miles)

    Phone
    (310) 372-1443

  62. Ara Poladian MD

    N Hollywood, CA (About 14 miles)

    Phone
    (818) 763-2992

  63. Warren Brown MD

    Sierra Madre, CA (About 15 miles)

    Phone
    (626) 355-8595

  64. Charles Law MD

    N Hollywood, CA (About 15 miles)

    Phone
    (818) 761-1661

  65. Kenneth Russ MD

    Arcadia, CA (About 15 miles)

    Phone
    (626) 447-0679

  66. Nancy Mullan MD

    Burbank, CA (About 15 miles)

    Phone
    (818) 954-9267

  67. Ram Prakash MD

    N Hollywood, CA (About 15 miles)

    Phone
    (818) 505-8610

  68. Della Fong MD

    Arcadia, CA (About 15 miles)

    Phone
    (626) 447-4400

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