Pause for menopause

Welcome to a new week!

Hope you had a great week! It was a busy one for me. Well, I’m not so sure if it was ‘busy’ or just me trying to function at full capacity with my not-so-high-performing ‘menopause brain’.

We will never know. But, either way, here we are ready for a LIFT! So glad you’re here with me!

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Welcome to The LIFT

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TAKE PAUSE

Part of what made this week seem especially busy is that there was a lot of excitement and chatter on the topic of menopause. The Washington Post ran several stories this week that had everyone I follow on Instagram throwing in their two cents and amplifying the message.

This all happened during a week when my own menopause experience had me reeling with frustrating symptoms - mostly just heightened anxiety and overwhelm.

On top of that, I had several doctor appointments due to a sudden case of capsulitis in my foot. It’s so interesting how our body talks to us, isn’t it?

Several years back, I experienced adhesive capsulitis (AC) in my shoulder. I went to the doctor, physical therapist, massage therapist, etc. No one knew what it was or what caused it. It came on suddenly out of the blue. And, it also went away just as mysteriously.

Today, AC (aka: frozen shoulder) is very commonly associated with perimenopause and changing hormones. It was interesting as I researched my new diagnosis of capsulitis on my foot to realize how similar they are. Who knows - maybe there is some connection?

Did you know that 80% of all women in midlife will experience musculoskeletal symptoms of menopause?

There is SO much for us to learn and understand about the connection between hormones and health. Not to mention, women’s health in general.

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THE CAUSE

There are so many different things we can talk about when it comes to women’s health - particularly related to menopause. It’s exciting that we are finally getting some attention on the lack of research, information and support when it comes to menopause. I’ll include links to a few articles from this week that you can dig into in the resources section below.

One thing that cannot wait, though, is advocacy.

This week, a $275 million bill was introduced in Congress to boost federal research, physician training and public awareness about menopause. The bipartisan Senate bill, the Advancing Menopause Care and Mid-Life Women’s Health Act, is led by Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and has support from Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and other lawmakers.

Maybe you saw Halle Barry lending her voice to the cause this week. If you didn’t, I want you to give just a of couple minutes to her message and her call to action.

If you’re a woman like me in the second half of life, you know that we have so much more to contribute and give to the world at this stage. We need our health to support our work and our impact in a world that desperately needs it.

You with me? Ready to LIFT this issue?

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YOUR MISSION:

This week, I challenge you to reach out to your Senators and let them know that you support the Advancing Menopause Care and Mid-Life Women’s Health Act. Your voice matters more than you realize. When multiple calls start to roll in from constituents, these issues get raised to the top. They get the attention and consideration they deserve. It’s also super easy. I just did it myself. Took 3 minutes.

If you don’t already have your Senators in your contacts, you can find their names, numbers and email addresses right here.

And, if you need a little help on what to say - something like this works great:

"Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I am a constituent from [Your City/Town]. I am calling to express my strong support for the Advancing Menopause Care and Mid-Life Women’s Health Act, which I believe is crucial for improving healthcare outcomes for women experiencing menopause and mid-life health challenges.

As someone who has personally witnessed the impact of menopause on women’s lives, I understand the importance of addressing this critical phase with comprehensive care and support. This bill has the potential to make significant strides in advancing research, enhancing healthcare services, and ensuring that healthcare providers are better equipped to meet the needs of menopausal and mid-life women.

I urge Senator [Senator's Name] jones to support this bill and consider co-sponsoring or voting in favor of it. By doing so, they will demonstrate a commitment to promoting women’s health and well-being across our community and beyond.

Thank you for your attention to this important issue, and I look forward to seeing progress on this legislation."

Feel free to customize the message to include any additional points or personal experiences you think are relevant.

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RESOURCES:

If you don’t have access to the Washington Post, you can do a little Googling to find related spin-off news stories and articles that will give you the same info, but these were the big three that came out this week.

• READ: Senators, Halle Berry unveil $275 million bill to boost menopause care | Washington Post

• READ: No need to fear menopause hormone drugs, finds major women’s health study | Washington Post

• READ: ‘Menopause brain’ is real. Here’s how women’s brains change in midlife. | Washington Post

• WATCH: Halle Berry helps unveil bill to boost women's health care | NBC News

• READ: Why Does Everyone We Know Have Frozen Shoulder? | Oprah Daily

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IN SUMMARY:

Like I said, I just made calls to both of my Senators (Senator Brian Jones and Senator Toni Atkins) here in California. I hope you will join me. It’s one simple thing we can do to help ensure better healthcare for women going forward - especially in midlife - a time when women are needed perhaps more than ever.

Plus, you can start your week knowing you did something meaningful from the get go.

See you next week?

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Meanwhile, reach out to me anytime!

Karen Friend Smith
Certified Health Coach & Environmental Health Specialist
Specializing in Perimenopause & Menopause 

karen@itmaybemenopause.com
www.itMayBeMenopause.com
Instagram: @itmaybemenopause