Do You Really Know What You Should To Get You Safely Through The Next Phase of Life? I Didn’t

If you have trouble keeping up with your ten-year-old running beside you, there’s a problem — and it’s not only because you are out of shape. The reason you’re panting could be something much more serious. I was naive. You would think, wouldn’t you, that as grown, perceptive women of the 21st century, we’d be armed with all the information we need to enter menopause with our eyes wide open. Why wouldn’t we? After all, when we entered womanhood, we did it with free samples, “the talk” at school, and of course, whether we liked it or not,  our mother walking us through the whole thing, right beside us. Although we were not nearly as savvy and well-informed as many girls are today, there was still an abundance of information – too much, in fact. I remember wishing they would just go AWAY with all of this talk. It was, to be honest, more than I wanted to know. At the time. 

So, as we head into our 40s and 50s, we don’t even think to look for that information. Then comes the time when we need it. We try hard to put on the brakes and screech everything to a HALT! “Wait just a minute!” We are confused. We’d heard rumors of what to expect, but they were far different from what we are experiencing. Slow down. If you’re lucky, you can call your mom. But even she can’t supply all the answers. “Back then, they just took everything. I never had your issues.” 

Issues. 

But we are so sophisticated. Information is out our fingertips. How could we get caught “empty-handed” when it comes to getting the information we need about menopause?  

You call your girlfriend…and she “listens.” She’s had none of those issues, but most of hers are completely different. So, really, she’s no help either. I have no mom to ask. 

Prepare? I never thought I needed to prepare for this. I entered in without a hitch, so how hard could it be to transition? 

My advice here is to tell you this: talk to someone about what you are experiencing – whatever it is. Visit the Poise forums and get educated. I didn’t. Maybe it’s because I live with all these boys. I thought I was being “good” by not complaining about this natural evolution. Sure, I did tell my doctor, during my annual visits, that my periods were getting heavier. “To be expected,” she assured me. But before I even realized it, over the months, my hemoglobin dropped to 6. Twelve is a low normal. If I had waited another hour to call, I would have needed a blood transfusion.

Then, the pieces began to come together. Maybe the fact that I was out of breath when I tried to run was because I was running on dangerously low levels of iron. Maybe loosing this much blood every month was not normal. I could drink all off the Beet Kvass I wanted, and until I stopped the flow, nothing was going to help. And did you know that low blood levels hurts your calcium levels? At precisely the time when you need to be building up your bones? I get up in the middle of the night to turn off the heat (I am soaked in sweat) while everyone else wakes up freezing means there might be changes going on inside of me. So hard to pinpoint. How long will this last? 

But wait. This is the 21st century. We have social media, and online conversations – that can make a difference. That’s why Poise started The 2nd Talk campaign–to help make this life stage better for all women and to help them prepare them for this time in their lives.

So maybe, instead of freezing out my family, I should grab some Poise Roll-On Cooling Gel to cool things down. But that’s not all you may need of these products that you never thought you would:

– Body Cooling Towelettes offer instant cooling and refreshment.

– Panty Fresheners have a fresh and clean scent that lasts up to four hours. 

Get a free sample by clicking here or download a coupon here.

Now, here’s my question for you: How are you approaching life’s changes confidently? “Confidently” is the operative word here. I do want to make sure you are getting informed, so please consider this question and decide to find out how you will enter this phase confidently. Your response will enter you into giveaway for a $100 Visa gift card. 

Rules:

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4.         For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 120 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 1/22/13 to 2/19/13.

Be sure to visit the Poise brand page on BlogHer.com, where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!