Featured 'Mid-Life Mama' ~ Me
The primary goal of this website is to bring us "Women of a Certain Age" together. I want us to be able to seek answers and find them here. My hope is that you will feel comfortable enough to become an active participant in conversations, that you will share your personal experiences with our other readers, support each other in difficult times, and help bring the resources that we need to the attention of other women in our sister-hood of Mid-life Mama's.
To help us get to know each other, I have created a special meme for this website that I am calling "Featured Mid-Life Mama" where I will periodically shine the spotlight on one of our Mid-life Mama Readers. Each featured mid-life mama will be interviewed by me. Through her answers I hope that we can not only get to know her better, but also that we can learn that we are not alone in our journey. With so many of us 'Women of a Certain Age' out there, each in a different stage of this great transition in life, it can be comforting to know that others have been-there-done-that and haven't pulled all of their hair out, or killed their spouses. Whether you are just beginning this transition and have a million questions about what is happening to your body (and your mind) or you are a seasoned expert on managing the many symptoms of menopause, we want to meet you.
Since my interview questions are quite personal...I thought it only fair that I answer them first, so here is our first edition of 'Featured Mid-Life Mama'...
Your name is: I am Anna
Your Biological age is (40s, 50s, or 60s): I am in my 50th year of life.
What age to you Feel: Sometimes when the Peri-menopause symptoms are at their worst, I feel like I am in my 60s or 70s, but most of the time I would say that I feel like I am in my mid-forties.
Do you have an Empty-Nest or is there still a birdie waiting to take flight? I am an Empty-Nester. Originally became an empty-nester about 11 years ago when my youngest daughter graduated high school at the age of 16 and insisted on spreading her wings. I didn't feel she was old enough to be out on her own but she was employed full-time and legally emancipated so there wasn't much I could do to stop her. She came back home to my nest a few times off and on over the next few years but overall my nest has been empty since then.
Because my older daughter had just turned 18 and went to college just six months before my younger daughter graduated high school and moved out, I did not have time to adjust to having an empty nest. It was probably one of the toughest times in my life. It took me several years to come to terms with this change.
Are you a grandparent? Yes! I am the proud grandma to two beautiful babies.
~ If yes, What are the ages of your grandkids? My granddaughter Sydney is turning 5 in February and my grandson Russell just turned 3 years old earlier this month. Both grandbabies belong to my younger daughter. The older daughter is working on giving me a few more grandbabies, but I am not putting any pressure on her.
~ If yes, How is being a grandparent different from being a parent? You are always a mom to your children no matter what their age, but the role of mom changes drastically when they become an adult. Keeping my mouth shut when appropriate is sometimes difficult -but I try very hard.
Being a grandmother is way more fun than being a mom was because I don't have to worry so much about being the 'responsible mom' ha ha! I can indulge the grandbabies and get away with it because I am a grandma. They think I am pretty cool because I don't have the tough job of being the disciplinarian. I try to stick by their moms rules but I get to bend them just a little when I want to.
Are you Single, Engaged, Married, Divorced, Widowed? I am happily married. We were both previously divorced and both new exactly what we wanted -and didn't want- in a life-partner. We've been together for almost 10 years and I can honestly say that I am even more in love with him today. He is my best friend and I am his.
Are you Retired, Semi-Retired, Still working but planning to retire soon, or Don’t see retirement in my near future? I am Semi-retired. I recently retired from owning and operating a brick & mortar as well as an online baby and maternity shop. Now I work very part-time managing our commercial property. Since my recent retirement from the shop I am enjoying being domestic, baking bread, getting my home in order, visiting the kids and grandbabies down in Arizona whenever I want, and we also plan to do more traveling in the near future.
What stage of ‘the Change’ are you currently in? (Peri-Menopause or Post Menopause) I am in the Peri-menopause stage. Have been for at least the last 4 or 5 years. Hoping I will be in the Post stage soon. Never thought I would be wishing for Post-Menopause to hurry up, lol.
When you were in your 20s, what did you think Mid-Life was going to be like? Did it turn out to be like that? Gosh, when I was in my 20s I don't think I had a a clue about what mid-life was going to be like. I thought people in their mid-life were 'old' and their life was pretty much about over for them. Now that I am in my mid-life I don't feel 'old' at all. I occasionally feel like my world has been turned upside down, and sometimes I feel very alone in this transition and frustrated by the lack of information available to me, plus confused by the conflicting information that I do find, but I certainly don't feel like my life is over...afterall, I still have the 2nd half of my life to live!
Tell us what being a ‘Mid-Life Mama’ means to you. I think that being a Mid-Life Mama means that I get to take the time to finally discover who I am. For the first time in my life, I am giving myself permission to focus on 'me'. Not in a selfish way, but in a nurturing way. How I spend the 2nd half of my life is totally up to me. It is actually kind of empowering
For Peri-Menopausal Mama’s:
~ On a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being the worst) how are you managing your Peri-Menopausal symptoms? At this very moment I would say I am managing at about an 8. My symptoms have been really bad at times where I thought I was falling apart and losing my mind...I was not handling it well. I was probably at a 1 at that time. Then I took an pro-active role in my own health and started researching options, treatment, alternatives, basically I went on a mission for answers. So at this moment I am managing my Peri symptoms pretty well, but that can change by the day
~ Are you now or have you been on HRT? (hormone replacement therapy) If yes, was it synthetic or bio-identical? How well did it work for you? When I was at my worst (handling things at a level 1 as mentioned above), I went to a Gynecologist who specializes in Menopause. He put me on a bio-identical estrogen alone...at first it was amazing...I felt like a 25 year old again. But that did not last. After about 6-7 months my menstrual cycles started going wacky again. He added a synthetic progesterone but I did not tolerate the synthetic progesterone at all. It made me feel generally un-well, therefore I didn't take like I was suppose to. I then began spotting continually for the next several months. We tried a bio-identical progesterone thinking if it didn't make me feel bad then I would be more likely to take it as prescribed. However I went from continually spotting to continually bleeding. My quality of life really sucked. My doctor and I decided that I was going to stop taking all hormones and try alternative, natural remedies. Several days after I stopped all HRT I had a D & C procedure to stop all of the bleeding.
~ Have you tried Alternative, Natural therapies to treat your Peri-Menopause Symptoms? If yes, are (or were) they beneficial? Please share details if you like. I am now (after stopping HRT and having a D & C) experiencing less symptoms then I had before and I am trying different alternative therapies with hopes of keeping it that way.
~ If you could wave a magic wand and make the worst symptom go away, which one would it be? Just one symptom???? I guess it would be my foggy brain, I hate not being able to focus and multi-task like I use to. However, if the magic wand would work for two of my worst symptoms then I would make the vaginal dryness go away too. Yes, it can be managed with Vitamin E suppositories and other natural remedies, but it would sure be nice if it was just naturally like it use to be.
I welcome any comments. Did any of my answers resonate with you? Did my answers make you think of a question that you would love to ask? Do you have some suggestions that you would like to share with me? Or if you would just like to say 'Hello!' Please introduce yourself! Be sure to subscribe via email so you will never miss another 'Featured Mid-Life Mama' post or any of our posts! An easy sign up box is in the upper right-side column.
If you would like to be a 'Featured Mid-life Mama' too, just send me an email at anna@mid-lifemama.com with: "Feature Me" in the subject line. I will send you my complete list of interview questions. I would love to feature YOU!
To help us get to know each other, I have created a special meme for this website that I am calling "Featured Mid-Life Mama" where I will periodically shine the spotlight on one of our Mid-life Mama Readers. Each featured mid-life mama will be interviewed by me. Through her answers I hope that we can not only get to know her better, but also that we can learn that we are not alone in our journey. With so many of us 'Women of a Certain Age' out there, each in a different stage of this great transition in life, it can be comforting to know that others have been-there-done-that and haven't pulled all of their hair out, or killed their spouses. Whether you are just beginning this transition and have a million questions about what is happening to your body (and your mind) or you are a seasoned expert on managing the many symptoms of menopause, we want to meet you.
Since my interview questions are quite personal...I thought it only fair that I answer them first, so here is our first edition of 'Featured Mid-Life Mama'...
Your name is: I am Anna
Your Biological age is (40s, 50s, or 60s): I am in my 50th year of life.
What age to you Feel: Sometimes when the Peri-menopause symptoms are at their worst, I feel like I am in my 60s or 70s, but most of the time I would say that I feel like I am in my mid-forties.
Do you have an Empty-Nest or is there still a birdie waiting to take flight? I am an Empty-Nester. Originally became an empty-nester about 11 years ago when my youngest daughter graduated high school at the age of 16 and insisted on spreading her wings. I didn't feel she was old enough to be out on her own but she was employed full-time and legally emancipated so there wasn't much I could do to stop her. She came back home to my nest a few times off and on over the next few years but overall my nest has been empty since then.
Because my older daughter had just turned 18 and went to college just six months before my younger daughter graduated high school and moved out, I did not have time to adjust to having an empty nest. It was probably one of the toughest times in my life. It took me several years to come to terms with this change.
Are you a grandparent? Yes! I am the proud grandma to two beautiful babies.
~ If yes, What are the ages of your grandkids? My granddaughter Sydney is turning 5 in February and my grandson Russell just turned 3 years old earlier this month. Both grandbabies belong to my younger daughter. The older daughter is working on giving me a few more grandbabies, but I am not putting any pressure on her.
~ If yes, How is being a grandparent different from being a parent? You are always a mom to your children no matter what their age, but the role of mom changes drastically when they become an adult. Keeping my mouth shut when appropriate is sometimes difficult -but I try very hard.
Being a grandmother is way more fun than being a mom was because I don't have to worry so much about being the 'responsible mom' ha ha! I can indulge the grandbabies and get away with it because I am a grandma. They think I am pretty cool because I don't have the tough job of being the disciplinarian. I try to stick by their moms rules but I get to bend them just a little when I want to.
Are you Single, Engaged, Married, Divorced, Widowed? I am happily married. We were both previously divorced and both new exactly what we wanted -and didn't want- in a life-partner. We've been together for almost 10 years and I can honestly say that I am even more in love with him today. He is my best friend and I am his.
Are you Retired, Semi-Retired, Still working but planning to retire soon, or Don’t see retirement in my near future? I am Semi-retired. I recently retired from owning and operating a brick & mortar as well as an online baby and maternity shop. Now I work very part-time managing our commercial property. Since my recent retirement from the shop I am enjoying being domestic, baking bread, getting my home in order, visiting the kids and grandbabies down in Arizona whenever I want, and we also plan to do more traveling in the near future.
What stage of ‘the Change’ are you currently in? (Peri-Menopause or Post Menopause) I am in the Peri-menopause stage. Have been for at least the last 4 or 5 years. Hoping I will be in the Post stage soon. Never thought I would be wishing for Post-Menopause to hurry up, lol.
When you were in your 20s, what did you think Mid-Life was going to be like? Did it turn out to be like that? Gosh, when I was in my 20s I don't think I had a a clue about what mid-life was going to be like. I thought people in their mid-life were 'old' and their life was pretty much about over for them. Now that I am in my mid-life I don't feel 'old' at all. I occasionally feel like my world has been turned upside down, and sometimes I feel very alone in this transition and frustrated by the lack of information available to me, plus confused by the conflicting information that I do find, but I certainly don't feel like my life is over...afterall, I still have the 2nd half of my life to live!
Tell us what being a ‘Mid-Life Mama’ means to you. I think that being a Mid-Life Mama means that I get to take the time to finally discover who I am. For the first time in my life, I am giving myself permission to focus on 'me'. Not in a selfish way, but in a nurturing way. How I spend the 2nd half of my life is totally up to me. It is actually kind of empowering
For Peri-Menopausal Mama’s:
~ On a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being the worst) how are you managing your Peri-Menopausal symptoms? At this very moment I would say I am managing at about an 8. My symptoms have been really bad at times where I thought I was falling apart and losing my mind...I was not handling it well. I was probably at a 1 at that time. Then I took an pro-active role in my own health and started researching options, treatment, alternatives, basically I went on a mission for answers. So at this moment I am managing my Peri symptoms pretty well, but that can change by the day
~ Are you now or have you been on HRT? (hormone replacement therapy) If yes, was it synthetic or bio-identical? How well did it work for you? When I was at my worst (handling things at a level 1 as mentioned above), I went to a Gynecologist who specializes in Menopause. He put me on a bio-identical estrogen alone...at first it was amazing...I felt like a 25 year old again. But that did not last. After about 6-7 months my menstrual cycles started going wacky again. He added a synthetic progesterone but I did not tolerate the synthetic progesterone at all. It made me feel generally un-well, therefore I didn't take like I was suppose to. I then began spotting continually for the next several months. We tried a bio-identical progesterone thinking if it didn't make me feel bad then I would be more likely to take it as prescribed. However I went from continually spotting to continually bleeding. My quality of life really sucked. My doctor and I decided that I was going to stop taking all hormones and try alternative, natural remedies. Several days after I stopped all HRT I had a D & C procedure to stop all of the bleeding.
~ Have you tried Alternative, Natural therapies to treat your Peri-Menopause Symptoms? If yes, are (or were) they beneficial? Please share details if you like. I am now (after stopping HRT and having a D & C) experiencing less symptoms then I had before and I am trying different alternative therapies with hopes of keeping it that way.
~ If you could wave a magic wand and make the worst symptom go away, which one would it be? Just one symptom???? I guess it would be my foggy brain, I hate not being able to focus and multi-task like I use to. However, if the magic wand would work for two of my worst symptoms then I would make the vaginal dryness go away too. Yes, it can be managed with Vitamin E suppositories and other natural remedies, but it would sure be nice if it was just naturally like it use to be.
I welcome any comments. Did any of my answers resonate with you? Did my answers make you think of a question that you would love to ask? Do you have some suggestions that you would like to share with me? Or if you would just like to say 'Hello!' Please introduce yourself! Be sure to subscribe via email so you will never miss another 'Featured Mid-Life Mama' post or any of our posts! An easy sign up box is in the upper right-side column.
If you would like to be a 'Featured Mid-life Mama' too, just send me an email at anna@mid-lifemama.com with: "Feature Me" in the subject line. I will send you my complete list of interview questions. I would love to feature YOU!
Posted by Anna at Mid-Life Mama at 12/26/2011 7:30 AM 
Categories: Featured Mid-Life Mama, Empty-Nest, Aging & Mid-life, Menopause
Tags: Featured Mid-Life Mama
Categories: Featured Mid-Life Mama, Empty-Nest, Aging & Mid-life, Menopause
Tags: Featured Mid-Life Mama
I would be very interested in what you are doing to manage your peri menopausal symptoms!
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Hi Becky, thanks for stopping by to read my own Featured Mid-life Mama post. As mentioned in the post I first tried the hormone replacement recommended by my doctor and that went well for a while. Then after many months my hormones appeared to kick back in gear so it was like I had too much hormones which caused all kinds of other issues. The problem with peri-menopause is that our bodies really don't know how to act so one day, week, month, or even year it may not be producing enough hormones and you have terrible symptoms, then all of a sudden it starts working again and you produce enough on your own, then without notice it slows down again. I see it like a hormone roller coaster.
At this moment my symptoms are not too terrible (compared to what they were like a year ago). I am trying now to manage them with herbal and natural remedies. Still in the early testing stage of herbal part. I think I am doing really well.
I am currently working on a post to detail some of the things I am trying and how they are working for me. Every woman is different and not all things will work for all woman so it will only serve as an example of things to try. Basically that is what I recommend to all peri-menopausal women...try one thing at a time, starting with your worst or most troublesome symptom and see what works for you. If that is resolved, add a new thing for the next most troublesome symptom.
I see that you have subscribed so you will receive an email when that post goes live. I hope it will be beneficial to you, even if only in a small way
{{Hugs}} Hang in there...my friends that are now post-menopause all tell me that life is better on the 'other side' and no one has gotten stuck in this transition for ever, ha ha.
~Anna
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Excited to read your forthcoming post!
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