The Roundup: 2009
I had originally written a December Roundup like months prior. And it mysteriously disappeared into the black hole of writing, socks and earrings.
Taking a page from the book of “stir things up,” I decided to shed this year by posting some of my favorites. So, without further interruption, I bring you my top five of 2009. (BTW, I’d love to hear your feedback on the posts that rocked your world, made you happy or sad or that made you think a bit harder.)
- Pink Elephant – Sisters! Listen up – time to start supporting (and not bullying) one another in the workplace.
- Well Well Well – Is wellbeing reallly elusive during menopause?
- Are you rubberstamping the cougar narrative? – Meet Lina, the cougar of cougars who’s turning the notion of cougars on its head….and then some.
- Breast cancer – it’s personal. – My mother, my story. Can’t we do better?
- Wednesday Bubble: Bifocals, babies, hot steamy flashes of perspective. It is enough. – Writer and friend Patti Digh shows us why it’s time to call in the dumpster and accept.
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Menopause. The app.
Yes! There is an application for menopause! No longer do you need to scramble in the middle of the night to find a pen to write in your Hot Flush Diary! Now you can turn on your phone, go to the application, and voila! All your symptoms, moods swings, night sweats, hot flashes and lack of libido in one place!
Introducing My pause the must have app that allows you to track your symptoms, create a treatment plan and hey, even share it with family and friends on Twitter!
As I’ve written previously, a diary is the last thing I want to keep on my nightstand. The same goes for an application for my phone. In fact, the idea of taking notes on all of my hot flashes and night sweats and when/why/how they occur and how they make feel gets me pretty hot under the collar. As a friend said “I’m hot and grumpy and not getting sleep. Who needs an app for that?”
I’m all for having a thorough, informative vision of what you are suffering through so that you can discuss your symptoms with a licensed practitioner and come up with a viable strategy to address them. But putting menopause into a category that requires a disease tracker? That’s taking this whole “pause” thing a bit too far.
Developers – take a note from this page. This transition is a natural part of a woman’s life. It doesn’t need to be treated; it needs to be accepted and supported. I don’t want to note my symptoms/moods/fatigue/anxiety/depression/sexual desire (or lack thereof) on my phone everyday. Instead, how about “Freeze it!” The app that stops flashes in their tracks! Now, there’s an app I can get my head around!
Seriously, who thinks of this crap? What’s next? Anyone?
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Wednesday Bubble: there ain’t no men in menopause, part two
This saddens me greatly but maybe it’s true after all. It is really all about us.
But is it?
In early November, I put out a call for male contributors, hoping to find some male voices to fill the obvious void on this blog and lend their perspectives — not just on menopause — but on midlife. I was hoping to find men of all ages who could share their experiences with crazy moms going through hormonal mood swings, partners flashing night and day and in general, this time of life means for the other half of the equation, i.e. men. Let’s face it, we’re not going to come to the table if we don’t understand the issues, right? However, thus far, I’ve had only one courageous man willing to share his POV and another contact me to discuss possibly topics. And the slots remain empty.
Recently, I had a back channel conversation on Twitter with a young male blogger about men’s general lack of interest in discussing the female anatomy or so-called “female problems.” His take? That men are generally apathetic and unaware when it comes to this stuff. And while I know plenty of men, sensitive or not, who would welcome an opportunity to speak their peace in their relationships, I can’t seem to find any takers for this challenge. Perhaps it’s the term “menopause” in the tagline that causes men to approach trepedatiously.
I thought I’d try again. Three’s a charm, right? I’m not looking for just a discussion on menopause, but a discussion on what it’s like to deal with a woman going through such a drastic transition in her life. I’d eve love posts on what you might imagine it might be like, or how your female partners can change the way that they communicate with you now so that some of the issues that might arise later can be averted or avoided altogether. Anything and everything.
So are there men in menopause? Send me your ideas. OR comment and let me know WHY you don’t want to post.
I need you. I really really do!
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