Or that perimenopause could be just plain embarrassing, thanks to “gushers” (a.k.a. Or that said transitional phase would, at times, feel more annoying than PMS. We knew menopause signified the end of menstrual periods but we didn’t really understand that it followed a potentially lengthy transitional phase. My similar-in-age pals report that they, too, were somewhat in the dark. I had never even heard the term perimenopause until a couple of years ago - and that is only because a nurse friend who specializes in women’s health told me about it. If this feels like new information, you are not alone. In our society, aging is treated like something to be ashamed of - and based on the profound lack of research into menopause, it can feel like the medical industry agrees. Despite menopause and perimenopause being totally normal for anyone who has ovaries, it's a women's health issue that nobody seems to discuss. Only when you have gone twelve consecutive months without a period have reached menopause. That's because perimenopause, officially defined as the season in which the body makes its transition to menopause, can last for years and years (and years). At 46, I’ve simply become perimenopausal, and there is no way to predict how long I’ll stay this way. I went to see my gynecologist just to make sure there wasn’t some other reason for my symptoms. Hot flashes, perhaps the most infamous of all the perimenopause symptoms, became a regular thing. I experienced mid-cycle spotting in addition to all my other new menstrual cycle woes. For my period, the term “heavy flow” took on a whole new meaning.

I knew when to expect my period and exactly how long it would last, and I had a pretty good idea of how I would feel throughout my 28-day cycle. One month, everything was steady and predictable. Perimenopause hit me like a ton of bricks. This article first appeared on Your Tango and has been republished with permission.

Ingrid cherrytree