by Elyse Williams

Created on: April 29, 2008

There is nothing more embarrassing than sitting in a client meeting and suddenly being covered with sweat- pouring out of every possible orifice. More embarrassing is the fact that its the dead of winter and the conference room is on the cool side.

Perhaps its even worse when in the middle of a job interview. The interviewer might attribute your sweaty condition to nerves. But we "older women" know better.

It's just the big M hitting hard.

I refused to accept my menopausal state. The hot flashes were not real, I would say to myself as I ran to put my head in the freezer. Memory loss was just a combination of nerves and being overwhelmed, and I cry all the time anyway so just because I burst into tears at the toilet paper commercial doesn't mean I am going through menopause.

Regardless of whether I accepted it or not, I needed to deal with it. So we are older and we no longer need to worry about getting our periods every month- think of all the money saved on sanitary products. We can use it now to invest in tissues to wipe away our tears, and washcloths to put cool water on when we are "flashing".

I save even more money on winter clothing. I can wear tank tops and shorts in the house in January and feel comfortable. My heating bills are lower because I don't need the heat blasting- hey I'm rarely cold. So what if I need to keep a fan on all the time at my desk?
I can close my eyes anytime when there is snow on the ground and feel like I am in the tropics.

The emotional turmoil we experience as menopausal women is concurrent with how much we let this affect our lives. Yes, I am getting older and perhaps suffering symptoms associated with my old age. I break down and cry, pick myself up again, have a positive outlook then break down again.

It's up to you- menopause can get the best of you, leaving you sweating and teary eyed, or you can vow to NOT let it overwhelm you and take over your life. We are woman and this is the natural course that we must take. And being women, we are strong and can overcome anything.

So I smile now as I rush down to my freezer for another head-cooling session. I know what to expect and best of all, I know that I will survive it!

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