Abby’s Reviews > Hormone Repair Manual: Every Woman's Guide to Healthy Hormones After 40 > Status Update

Only humans and a few species of whales experience menopause and live past their reproductive years

Japanese word for menopause: kounenki, which translates to renewal years or energy

To cope with what British journalist Caitlin Moran calls the “ass-hattery of small children,” women are kept “tipsy and philosophical on shots of warm oestrogen” and are thus better able to cope with the “ass-hattery” of everyone else. Until menopause arrives, writes Moran, and suddenly, there’s no more “‘lady forgiveness’ left in the tank.”

More symptoms: fatigue from perimenopausal sleep disturbance, vaginal pain, dryness, and prolapse

…positive aspects to menopausal invisibility…you are less likely to attract unwanted attention from random men on the street.

Immune system remodels itself and brain recalibrates during perimenopause

FSH test may not catch perimenopause, only menopause

More symptoms: heart palpitations, night sweats, insomnia, memory loss, vaginal dryness, insulin resistance

Temporary symptoms: heavy periods, pelvic pain, sore breasts, migraines, night sweats, anxiety, depression

Perimenopause & early menopause are a critical windows for health: small health problems could amplify into larger and more permanent health problems later in life, but is also a window of opportunity to make small changes that could make a huge difference in your future health