I noticed that there has been one or two lovely folks visiting this space, and I am aware that I have not posted for such a long while. In fact, the gaps between posts have become a bit like the length of my cycles - longer and longer between each one.
As I write, I can say that it has been 4 month since my last bleed. It was in April - a time of great stress for me, as we were moving house, and my husband had injured his back. We got there - and he is better, so all is well. The body is a wonderful creation though. It knew that I needed to nurture myself and slow down. The exhaustion and long drawn out cold I had when we did arrive at our new home was typical of a flight and crash response.
The last period I had before that was in the previous August. Against my inner wisdom, I duly attended for the cervical smear test, after the summons from my GP. I don't know why I ignored the uneasy feeling, and succumbed to the Medical Man. Sure enough, my body reacted to the violation of it's sacred space by beginning to bleed. A lesson learned then...
Nonetheless, I am feeling so well! I have had no big symptoms - or particularly small ones throughout this change. In accepting it, I think I have barely noticed it. Some days I look in the mirror and see my Mother, and some days I see my 13 year old self. Most days it is just me - the result of all I have ever been and will be. I have started to lose some of the excess weight I was carrying and I am so much more physically active. Life in this clean sea air is certainly agreeing with me.
Ooh - do I sound a bit smug? I hope not - I certainly don't mean to be. I may be exceptionally lucky - I know I am, but I only want to reassure folks that The Menopause is not something to be feared, or medicated away. Embrace it and live it - you deserve it.
If you have dropped in either from my main blog, or if the universe has brought you here - Welcome - and feel free to read through my other posts - there are only 14 in total, so it won't take too long :) I hope you might find something that you find useful in your journey. I find that I am too taken up with the rest of life to maintain this space on a regular basis. I am not closing it down - I may feel like curling up here now and again, but the posts will be few and far between. I will still respond to comments and I am happy to continue the discussion there, but you can follow the bigger picture here - everyday life, menopause included - how radical!
Showing posts with label radical menopause. Show all posts
Showing posts with label radical menopause. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Something is burning!
There hasn't been a great deal to report on matters menopausal for some time. In fact, even now I am not sure why I am posting. Just to say nothing much - how radical! But it is really. My body is very slowly changing, like the slow uncoiling of that snake. Cycles are still erratic - just when I think it's all over - that ole trickster waves the flag again. But, it's not much of a problem really- just dig out the pads and slow down. I have not experienced any flooding or suchlike. Then, a few days later my womb goes back to sleep for a while.
I am incredibly lucky though. I am able to listen to my body - go for a nap, or get out in the fresh air, or just sit in the rocking chair if I feel the need.
If I was still working in the hospital, or in a call centre, shop or running the country for that matter, I would not be able to heed those cues. I would ignore them - push them aside as inconveniences and carry on regardless.
What would happen then? Would my body begin to ramp up those so called "symptoms"? Would the crone begin to shout louder - would there be lots of blood, sweat and tears?
Would I make haste to my GP and ask to be taken out of my misery? Cured of my disorder? A medical problem that was only discovered (read invented) by a male gynaecologist in the mid 1960s. Would I contribute to the ever open maw that is the bank account of Big Pharma?
Yes, I guess I might.
I could be facing a poverty stricken retirement and needing to boost my pension as much as I could. I could be struggling as a lone mother with teenage children to support, I could be at the very top of my chosen career - one I had sacrificed a lifetime for. I could be - well, fill in your own blanks. The point is, menopause is inconvenient in the workplace, as is pregnancy and motherhood, as is menstruation. It does not belong in this capitalist system and must be at best, ignored, or,more likely, treated as a deviance.
When did those witch burnings end? They're back! Women are burning each day, through having to ignore the cries of their own bodies. The disorder they call menopause -" the tragedy of menopause", as Dr Wilson, (that esteemed gynaecologist called it), - could be caused by - well - working for The Man.
Phew! I'm feeling pretty warm myself, now that I have thought through this. I have absolutely no evidence for any of it either - it just sort of flowed from somewhere within.
I do feel very thankful, every day, that I am able to embrace this time of life. I have known, since I began this journey, that if I welcomed The Crone, I need not fear her - for she is me, and I her.
Since I last posted here, I have lost my own Mother. I thank you all again for the support and love shown in other places. But now, I am here - the Head Woman of my small tribe. I am the keeper of those traditions and memories. It is an awesome responsibility, and I am glad She is with me.
As we head into a New Year, my wish for you is, that if you have heard that knocking, however timidly, rush to fling the door open and embrace Her who stands within you. Then you will be blessed.
I am incredibly lucky though. I am able to listen to my body - go for a nap, or get out in the fresh air, or just sit in the rocking chair if I feel the need.
If I was still working in the hospital, or in a call centre, shop or running the country for that matter, I would not be able to heed those cues. I would ignore them - push them aside as inconveniences and carry on regardless.
What would happen then? Would my body begin to ramp up those so called "symptoms"? Would the crone begin to shout louder - would there be lots of blood, sweat and tears?
Would I make haste to my GP and ask to be taken out of my misery? Cured of my disorder? A medical problem that was only discovered (read invented) by a male gynaecologist in the mid 1960s. Would I contribute to the ever open maw that is the bank account of Big Pharma?
Yes, I guess I might.
I could be facing a poverty stricken retirement and needing to boost my pension as much as I could. I could be struggling as a lone mother with teenage children to support, I could be at the very top of my chosen career - one I had sacrificed a lifetime for. I could be - well, fill in your own blanks. The point is, menopause is inconvenient in the workplace, as is pregnancy and motherhood, as is menstruation. It does not belong in this capitalist system and must be at best, ignored, or,more likely, treated as a deviance.
When did those witch burnings end? They're back! Women are burning each day, through having to ignore the cries of their own bodies. The disorder they call menopause -" the tragedy of menopause", as Dr Wilson, (that esteemed gynaecologist called it), - could be caused by - well - working for The Man.
Phew! I'm feeling pretty warm myself, now that I have thought through this. I have absolutely no evidence for any of it either - it just sort of flowed from somewhere within.
I do feel very thankful, every day, that I am able to embrace this time of life. I have known, since I began this journey, that if I welcomed The Crone, I need not fear her - for she is me, and I her.
Since I last posted here, I have lost my own Mother. I thank you all again for the support and love shown in other places. But now, I am here - the Head Woman of my small tribe. I am the keeper of those traditions and memories. It is an awesome responsibility, and I am glad She is with me.
As we head into a New Year, my wish for you is, that if you have heard that knocking, however timidly, rush to fling the door open and embrace Her who stands within you. Then you will be blessed.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
It's Radical!
I have been reflecting a bit about the title of my blog Radical Menopause. 'Radical' seems to be a very trendy word right now - Radical Parenting, Unschooling, Veganism, Dudes - everything just has to be 'radical'. And of course, here am I jumping on the bandwagon. When I conceived the idea for this blog, the title seemed to come instinctively to me, so I want to briefly explore the word and see how it fits in with me and the ideas I am writing about here.
The word comes from the Latin 'Radix', which means root. Straight away this brings to mind the idea that the Menopause is the awakening of the Kundalini - the snake that lies coiled up in the womb, or root chakra. This radical awakening seems to occur because the energy in a woman's body is changing from the focus on childbearing during the years since the menarche to a more spiritual, intuitive way of being. The serpent of enlightenment is rising in us and if we are open to it and embrace that energy we can only honour ourselves - and live healthier lives into our old age.
When I began this blog, I keyed in the title 'Radical Menopause to that well known search engine, to check that no-one else was using it for a business, book or whatever. Happily for me I could find nothing. Unhappily, however, the search turned up many sites talking about Radical Hysterectomy. Now, while no-one seemed to be advocating radical hysterectomy as a cure for menopausal symptoms ( I hope), it did make me reflect on the patriarchal desire to control womens' fertility, the peddling of the idea that menopausal women are something to be feared and if we take these hormones and we wont be one of them.
Erm - no thank you, I will just be getting on with it myself, and I quite like the idea of being feared by the patriarchy.
Radical to me means going back to the roots of our ancient mothers who accepted the change as a different phase of life - the crone - the Wise One. Older women are still 'The Disappeared' in this culture, but as more of us finally come of age, I can only hope this begins to change - that the spirit of those mothers and elders will be stirred.
I mentioned yesterday to my husband that I was thinking about this post and the word 'radical'. This morning he shared a dream he had last night about a long forgotten childhood memory. Growing up in a mining village in Central Scotland, he was a coal miner's son. His father was extremely active in left- wing and communist politics in the 1950s, and was a shop steward for the union. He was friendly with many well-known left wing politicians and academics at the time, and my husband remembered in his dream how one professor came down to stay with them and his name was Freeman.
I thought about this dream today - while 'radical' is fairly obvious in the political sense - the name Freeman has radical connotations too. A Free man, or woman is not bound by a system which tries to control them. They make conscious choices based on their own instinct or unbiased information - they are free and they are radical.
So there - I am a free radical menopausal woman - I will do it my way - watch out for my serpent rising!
The word comes from the Latin 'Radix', which means root. Straight away this brings to mind the idea that the Menopause is the awakening of the Kundalini - the snake that lies coiled up in the womb, or root chakra. This radical awakening seems to occur because the energy in a woman's body is changing from the focus on childbearing during the years since the menarche to a more spiritual, intuitive way of being. The serpent of enlightenment is rising in us and if we are open to it and embrace that energy we can only honour ourselves - and live healthier lives into our old age.
When I began this blog, I keyed in the title 'Radical Menopause to that well known search engine, to check that no-one else was using it for a business, book or whatever. Happily for me I could find nothing. Unhappily, however, the search turned up many sites talking about Radical Hysterectomy. Now, while no-one seemed to be advocating radical hysterectomy as a cure for menopausal symptoms ( I hope), it did make me reflect on the patriarchal desire to control womens' fertility, the peddling of the idea that menopausal women are something to be feared and if we take these hormones and we wont be one of them.
Erm - no thank you, I will just be getting on with it myself, and I quite like the idea of being feared by the patriarchy.
Radical to me means going back to the roots of our ancient mothers who accepted the change as a different phase of life - the crone - the Wise One. Older women are still 'The Disappeared' in this culture, but as more of us finally come of age, I can only hope this begins to change - that the spirit of those mothers and elders will be stirred.
I mentioned yesterday to my husband that I was thinking about this post and the word 'radical'. This morning he shared a dream he had last night about a long forgotten childhood memory. Growing up in a mining village in Central Scotland, he was a coal miner's son. His father was extremely active in left- wing and communist politics in the 1950s, and was a shop steward for the union. He was friendly with many well-known left wing politicians and academics at the time, and my husband remembered in his dream how one professor came down to stay with them and his name was Freeman.
I thought about this dream today - while 'radical' is fairly obvious in the political sense - the name Freeman has radical connotations too. A Free man, or woman is not bound by a system which tries to control them. They make conscious choices based on their own instinct or unbiased information - they are free and they are radical.
So there - I am a free radical menopausal woman - I will do it my way - watch out for my serpent rising!
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