Beyond Hot Flashes, Night Sweats, and the Change: My Menopausal Story
It’s so much more than physical discomfort
Back in the day, I was a huge Sex and the City fan, like many other women in the world. There was a group of us who hosted and attended episode-watch parties. Lisa, the only one with the luxury to afford cable, recorded the episodes on her VCR. Later, we all met up at someone’s apartment to watch the latest shenanigans the quartet experienced in their fabulous lives.
We were in our late twenties, fumbling through grad school. The antics and relatability of Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda provided comfort, validation, and some laughs about the painful challenges of dating and single life for women during the late 90s. I remember an episode in season 3 where Samantha felt distraught when her period was late. She interpreted it as the loss of her sex appeal.
I couldn’t help but smirk dismissively because, even then, I eagerly anticipated the day when I could evict my unwelcome monthly visitor. Fast forward 20 years, and around 300 shark weeks later, that eviction notice became a reality. I decided in my late teens that I had no interest in ever becoming a parent, so my relentless cycle was an unwanted monthly subscription I couldn’t cancel.
