So you think menopause isn’t funny? Think again!

Make text smaller Make text larger

I was asked to write a ‘side splitting article’ on menopause…. so I said to myself REALLY! Some women would be hitting me over the head right now at the thought of thinking being in menopause is funny.

You might be wondering who am I and who gave me the authority to write about something so painfully serious for so many women.

No, I’m not a medical professional. I’m just a woman who suffered through it, like many of my friends, and there was no resource for us. There we sat, sweating in our seats, experiencing weird cravings, generally losing our minds and thinking we were all alone.

I’ve been writing about menopause for ten years now in my newsletter ‘The Menopause Gang’ (website www.themenopausegang.com). I do the research, I talk to the doctors, I talk to the women, and in doing so, I’ve been able to develop a pretty comprehensive resource and support group for people like me.

But besides simply providing in-depth information and testimonials by women from all walks of life who are going through “the change”, this resource has been able to help women cope with it by making them laugh, and letting them know it’s okay not to take yourself too seriously.

Because you know, once menopause hits, one of the first things to go? Your brain. The perfectly thinking brain that you had before the one that helped you coordinate lunches, recitals, laundry and bills no longer works when you need it. And I’ll be the first to it admit it (my children will back that up).

Like I always say, ‘So you know you’re in menopause when…’

You want to take a shower in your hotel room. You get in, pushing the showerhead to the side so as not to get scalded and turn on the water. While picking up the soap you ask yourself, “How do I turn on the shower?” You run your fingers along the edges of this beautiful, brand new square, modern faucet, getting pretty annoyed when you can’t find the switch, all the while forgetting the water is already running. You say (out loud), “These fandangle modern things should come with instructions!” And then, you’re “Ah ha!” moment... You look up and the water is already running.

Or you put the dry dog food into your dog’s water dish and wonder why is it floating all over the place?

You have a huge fight with your spouse, convinced he has hidden the kettle from you, only to realise later that day instead of putting it on the stove, you popped it in the fridge.

Sound familiar? We’ve all been there. While going through menopause is a serious matter, sometimes we just have to laugh at ourselves and the silly things we do as we get older.

It’s good to share these moments with our friends so we don’t go crazy over it. Life is stressful enough as it is being in menopause just escalates the situation. So just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride as best you can.

Lise Fox, publisher of The Menopause Gang newsletter (which reaches women across the globe) is a devoted wife, mother and card-carrying member of The Menopause Gang since 2001.

Make text smaller Make text larger

Take Our Poll