This post MAY cure what ails you!

When did reports of something that "could" solve your problems or "might" be helpful or "may" cure whatever, become a reason for many of us to hand over our hard earned money to buy products that have a list of side effects and risks a mile long? It just hit me how prevalent it is to put out basically a press release and the media uses this very shallow information as a news story!


What prompted this post today? I watch the "news" about menopause each day so I can share the info with my readers on my website, blog and on Facebook. Today I saw a headline that says, "Soy may ease sleep problems in older women". As I read through the article I kept seeing phrases like "small study", "disappointing results", well....here, read for yourself:

Reuters Health - The estrogen-like compounds found in soy could help postmenopausal women get a better night's sleep, according to a small study.

These compounds, isoflavones, have been tested for a number of menopausal symptoms as well as for treating health problems that become more common after menopause, such as high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and increased body fat. But so far, results have been disappointing.

Insomnia is very common in older women, Dr. Helena Hachul of the Universidade Federal de Sao Paolo and her colleagues write in the journal Menopause. Studies of whether hormone therapy helps with sleep problems have had mixed results, they add.

To investigate whether isoflavones might be beneficial, Hachul and her team randomly assigned 38 postmenopausal women with insomnia to take either 80 milligrams of the isoflavones or a placebo for four months. All of the study participants underwent polysomnography, which involves spending the night in a sleep lab so vital signs, sleep stages, and movements can be monitored; this is considered the gold standard for measuring sleep quality.

In the isoflavone group, average sleep efficiency (meaning the percentage of time that the women spent in bed that they were actually sleeping) went from 78 percent at the beginning of the study to 84 percent at the end; for the placebo group, sleep efficiency increased from 78 percent to 81 percent.

Among women given isoflavones, 90 percent reported "moderate or intense" insomnia at the beginning of the study, while 37 percent did after four months; in the placebo group, the percentages were 95 percent and 63 percent, respectively.

Between one-third and two-thirds of postmenopausal women have insomnia, Hachul and her colleagues note, but the causes underlying those sleep complaints may be varied. During the overnight observations at the beginning of the study, for instance, about a quarter of the women were found to be snorers, several had five or more sleep apnea events per hour, and a few displayed leg movements more than five times per hour.

Without knowing the source of postmenopausal insomnia, the researchers cannot say why soy seemed to alleviate it for many of the women taking the isoflavones.

In addition, because the study is small, the authors caution, it "does not permit the assumption that soy will act with the same efficacy for every woman." Nevertheless, they conclude, given that insomnia troubles so many women during menopause, "phytoestrogen treatment should be considered an option to improve patients' quality of life."

SOURCE: link.reuters.com/kum98n Menopause, published online August 19, 2010.

I realize that soy has been helpful in many areas, but first it was the cure all for hot flashes and now it's being touted for insomnia? Come on....the only thing way to get reliable information is by talking to other women and finding out what worked for them! Even then it doesn't mean it will work for you, but I feel opinions about a product from 4 or 5 women are more reliable than any of the commercials on tv or the press releases that pass for "news"! What do you think? Does this kind of report make you run out and buy anything that says it MAY help?

blished online August 19, 2010

Canadian writer is sick and tired....

Sick and tired of everyone blaming menopause for everything! I have to admit that seriously, she's right on the money, but from a humorous perspective I kind of enjoy blaming everything on menopause--even though I've been through it for many years!

Here's an excerpt from her article with a link to the entire piece. I hope you'll come back here and discuss it.


Use your brain and stop blaming your hormones
By Naomi Lakritz, Calgary Herald

Thanks, Colleen Walsh. It's not that you've set feminism back at least to pre-Betty Friedan days by partly blaming your air rage incident on menopause. Rather, you've set all women back by making us look like ditzes who are ruled by our hormones rather than by our heads. Walsh is clearly a disciple of the Christiane Northrup Progesterone-Made-Me-Do-It School of Thought, but more on that later.

Walsh, a former Toronto television broadcaster, was convicted of assault this week for an air rage incident on an Air Canada flight last March from London to Toronto, which was diverted to St. John's, N.L., due to a medical emergency on board. The sordid little scenario involved Walsh slapping another passenger, hence the assault conviction, and being found guilty under the Aeronautics Act of not obeying the flight crew's instructions to take her seat. She was ordered to pay $2,460 in fines and to remove nasty comments from her blog that she'd posted about the passenger she slapped.

Walsh blamed her behaviour in part on menopausal exhaustion. She said she took a pill as part of her hormone replacement therapy and was supposed to take another one soon; she'd also drunk two glasses of wine with her on-board meal, had taken a sleeping pill, hadn't slept in 30 hours and was in panic.

I'm sorry, but menopause does not cause women to breach the Aeronautics Act. By the same token, neither does the Aeronautics Act, which is a pretty dry and straightforward law, as statutes go, have an inciting effect on estrogen or progesterone levels.

Read full story

More sex helps with menopause symptoms?

January 9, 2010
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES STAFF

More sex is good for your health, studies have shown.

Now, a soon-to-be-published article in the Journal of Sexual Medicine details the health benefits, CNN reports.

The greatest benefits came from having more intercourse, rather than other types of sexual activity, Scottish researcher Stuart Brody said he found after reviewing decades of research.

Among the health benefits linked to frequent sex: longer life, a healthier heart, lower blood pressure, less risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer, pain relief, a slimmer build and fewer symptoms of menopause.

Uhhhhhh.....we need to talk about this. With so many women suffering with lack of sexual desire, how do you come to terms with this issue?

Weather and Menopause in Michigan

Or anywhere else for that matter. It's starting not to be a joke anymore! Here's my yard in May:

And here's the same yard in June:


THEN on the 25th of June:

That's some serious hail! I've got hundreds of dents on my car! (waiting for the insurance adjuster now)
We had about a week of VERY hot temps...I ran my a/c for 4 days straight and today, the last day of June....it's raining and the temperature probably won't hit 70°.

What's that mean to a menopausal woman???? PURE HEAVEN!! I love it!

Oh....by the way, I did get the petunias and a few marigolds for some color!

Don't squeeze the Charmin!!

Besides the clear message this cartoons sends about severe mood swings, I'd like your opinion on something else. Is it plain to see that 'Minnie' is in a grocery store? I drew this one several years ago and actually there was more detail (like a sign that says welcome to joe's market....or something like that). But when I needed to crop the size I cut out the sign and the cash register to the left.

Ok, second question...do you think it's funny? Usually if you have to ask, it isn't. Or if you have to explain the joke, it isn't. Personally, I think it is pretty clever. hahahaha.....but no one likes to laugh at their own jokes alone! :)

We had a severe storm front move through Michigan last night....about 11 pm the lights went out and the temperature plummeted to 20 or something. The wind blew hard and it rained hard, but the most incredible sight was the lightening. Weird, it was green!

Anyway, I called and reported it to the electric company at 3am because I was afraid no one else on the street did and because I was getting a bit worried since the furnace would not come on without electricity and it was starting to get cold. It was all automated, even the thank you for reporting this outage and I finally fell asleep wondering if I was going to have to go to my daughter's house today. Then at 6am my fan came on! Oh yes, I still use a fan every single night.... I was thrilled!

I came to my office and started the computer....everything went fine, as you can see. Then I turned on the tv in my office and all I get is a blue screen. :( I have satellite so I unplugged everything, turned it on and off, switched boxes, switched cards and nothing but a blue screen. Frustrating because now I know I'll have to go through the process of speaking with someone from India named "Bubba" and just hope his level of English is understandable. Didn't want this crap today and when I go out later to the store, maybe I'd better stay away from the toilet paper aisle!

FDA is overstepping responsibility.

At least in my opinion! For them to come down on compounding pharmacies, when they've been doing what they do for hundreds of years, is ridiculous! Now women who are taking "bioidentical" hormones will have to worry if they will not be able to get their prescriptions filled. Where is the power of the FDA going to end?

I hate to actually get in the middle of this, but it's pretty clear that the FDA has buckled under the pressure of Wyeth and their power to cause this kind of scrutiny over something that has been used without incident for years and years. Of course that's what they (the FDA) did when they allowed Premarin to be used for 20 years and then we found out it was causing more trouble than it was helping. When Premarin was taken off the shelves, the breast cancer numbers were reduced dramatically.

Here's what I wish would happen. Wyeth needs to talk directly to women about what happened and what changes have been made. They need to show women that they DO care about their health and that Wyeth is creating products that will help many women in the coming years. (They really should hire someone like "Minnie Pauz" to help smooth the road ahead)

Anyway, here's the link to the FDA report and there's more here, including comments from some prominent people and an audio from the FDA. In the meantime, I'm using cartoons to express myself on the topic.

Minnie Pauz Loves Snow!!

Need more traffic!! :)

Hey!! Did you notice I just posted YESTERDAY? See, I'm getting better already and there's still one more day before 2008!

So, I was looking back over my recent posts and now that I'm building momentum, I think I'm ready to tell the world about my blog. I really want some comments on what I'm writing each day!! It's hard to tell if anyone is out there, stopping by, reading my blog? Part of the challenge is to hit on a topic that resonates with one or two people and then have them tell someone else and on and on until it's VIRAL!!!

I realize I have to get focused first though. For the last several years I haven't been able to narrow it down. I've gone from menopause to Minnie Pauz and cartooning, to middle age to being a grandmother, to ...... well, it's just all over the place and until my main voice comes through or I say something really controversal, I'm just going to be another blah blogger.

That's it for today folks. Need to go cook dinner for my son and his oldest son, Tye, who is 12 1/2 and knows EVERYTHING! The one I gave a cell phone to for Christmas and he's since decided it's not what he wants regarding the type of phone or the program. Maybe I'll just put arsenic in his mashed potatoes...the little ungrateful.... Oh well, he's just a product of his environment, isn't he? Kids today feel so entitled.

Hormones out of whack? It may be your thyroid!

I wish Oprah's show had covered more about the thyroid instead of so much of Dr. Northrup's holistic views. Although I do believe in the connection of your soul and heart to your health, I also feel we need more specific info when it comes to this issue which can be found on her website. Thyroid problems can mimic menopause and with so many women going "on their own" because of all the confusion about hormone replacement, I don't believe checking out what "you've swept under the rug" is sufficient advice for making sure your hormones are in balance. What do you think?

Here's another issue someone wrote to me about today and I believe it all goes together:

The Anti-Estrogen Diet Could Change Your Life
Sylvia Hubbard Monday, Aug. 6, 2007

Plagued by a stubborn roll of belly fat that just won't disappear no matter how hard you diet? Worn down by the daily grind of life, but your doctor only issues the standard "eat less, exercise more, and get more sleep" advice?

Maybe you need to take a long hard look at the "anti-estrogenic" diet.
It's not really a diet at all in the usual sense, but more of a change in the types of foods eaten. The idea behind it, as the name suggests, is to eliminate foods high in estrogen, which create a condition called "estrogen dominance," according to Ori Hofmekler, author of The Anti-Estrogenic Diet. Read this article here

Advertising to babyboomer women

I got this picture in an email for a menopause website last week and I just felt discouraged that they wouldn't take more time to find an image that more closely depicted someone my age. Here's what I put in my newsletter and then go here to see the numerous responses:

Most of you know that I don't make much of an issue out of my age (I'll be 60 in April) or the fact that I'm not the pretty young thing of my youth (I'd say until I hit about 40?), but I'm finally at the point where if someone is going to claim they are speaking to ME as a middle aged woman who is NOT a model, they really should try to use age appropriate photos so as not to send me over the edge like this one did.

I tried to let it go unnoticed, really I did, because it was in one of the fairly reliable, interesting, and as they say, "trusted" sources for menopause information, but my eyes kept going back to the smooth face on this lovely girl, the smokey, sultry eyes and that sunlit, slightly tossled mane of blond hair. I've got to be honest, I have no idea what is in the rest of the email. This really deflated my energy level today for some reason.

After nearly 11 years of running my website, I'm fully aware that the woman in the picture could very well be suffering with symptoms of peri-menopause and her looks have nothing to do with the need for information, but how do we get it through to these people who are trying to sell us something that we need to feel represented, understood and taken seriously. I may be wrong, but what do you want to bet that it's a man who put this particular email together? I really doubt if it was a woman, or if it was, it was a young woman who probably thought "this woman looks like she's wondering why she pee'd her pants as she was getting down off her horse." I just want to have the opportunity to review a product or information that is truly made for my benefit without feeling like whoever is pushing this or that, assumes they know what I need or want. And trust me, there are millions of women who feel the same as I do. Your comments are welcome.

How to approach a birthday!

Every year I hear the same thing from friends and family....they start talking about their upcoming birthday like it was something that had never happened before! My Mother is the worst and she's 77 as of April 3! I keep wondering, has she forgotten that she says the same thing every year? "I'm not having anymore damn birthdays!!" At least she doesn't say she's "39 and holding". I get kind of tired of that one too. I think my daughter has taught her daughter to say "29 and holding". She's going to be 34 in September.

Fortunately, most of the people that I talk to are between 50 and 63 and strangely enough, they're not moaning and groaning about their age! I know it's the way our generation (the babyboomers) have taken on every segment of their lives that has prevented them from falling in that "deny your birthday, deny your existance, deny your mortality" frame of mind. All we really want to do is celebrate our one special day of the year and would really love to have our friends and family feel cheery WITH us, but NOOOOOOOO....if we mention our birthday, it sends most people off to their deep, dark thoughts about their OWN dreaded unhappy day. :(

I like it when women throw themselves a birthday party!! How cool is that and since they're in charge they can kick out anyone who is not acting like the proper 4 year old at their party! I would also kick out anyone who did not bring a gift!! That seems to be the biggest disappoint when MY birthday rolls around (coming April 27, by the way...heheheh)....how can people who KNOW it's your birthday, NOT buy you a gift???? But they do it (or DON'T do it). I can't remember the last birthday gift I received. It might have been a pair of gold earrings from my cousin, Sharon...yep, I think that was it because I said, "ahhhhh, you didn't have to do that, especially since I never even remember YOUR birthday!" I have to say though, Sharon is not one of the age appropriate ones I mentioned who are taking their birthdays gracefully...no, she's more like my Mother in that she would rather not even mention the horrible day!

This year I'm going to let it all slide....the comments, the e-cards (instead of real cards), no cake, no presents from the kids (and they're all old enough and make more money than I do, so there's no excuse), and anything else that makes April 27 seem like just another day. That's because this year I'm turning 59. You see what I'm getting at, right?

Oh, but I pity the person who doesn't make SOME kind of special effort next year!! I'll be working on becoming healthy and good looking again!!
:) No more excuses about forgetting, Sister! No more 6pm phone call from the kids saying "Happy Birthday".....and I mean literally, that's it! I have had more heartfelt greetings from my minniepauz.com subscribers who I've never even met!

So this year, from 4/27/07 to 4/27/08, I'm going to be working on myself and secretly working on everyone around me to help me make my 60th birthday the best one ever!! So that's my advice on how to approach a birthday!

1. Start a year early!

2. Tell everyone you know!

3. Write out a birthday wish list (just like a Christmas list)

4. Plan your own party (so they HAVE to show up and are obligated to bring a gift! :)

5. Let your inner kid come out!

And for those of you who have been single for a long time, even if you haven't met anyone in the last 10 years, find yourself a date for that night! Either get someone to do you a favor (like the 28 year old neighbor-with a sense of humor) or spend a few bucks to rent an escort! What better way to say, "hey, I'm still celebrating life!!"

What are some of your suggestions for making birthdays fun again?

Mixing menopause and business...

There are so many babyboomer women who are running their own businesses these days, so I thought it was high time for us to talk about the challenges we come up against and how we deal with them. They are certainly different than what men deal with (and many times they, the men, have a rougher time than we do), but I believe it's different than younger women starting businesses too.

I kind of "fell into" my business over 12 years ago. You can hear my story here. I didn't know diddly about running a business (and I'm not sure I know NOW by the way that my taxes look!) back then, it all "just happened". What I'm saying is, it wasn't a concious effort to start a business. I was blessed with this crazy idea for a cartoon character who suffers with every single symptom of menopause and I had at least a tiny bit of hope that maybe I could make something out of it.

10 years is a long learning curve, don't you think? People keep telling me I should be proud of what I've done, but I keep thinking I should be MUCH further along in the game. I look at other women who have started businesses at the same age and within the same niche, with the same target market and they're going gang busters! Look at the Red Hat Society or Menopause the Musical! They're HUGE and able to capitalize on their talents and on this time in their lives. I can't help but wonder what I've done wrong to not reach the same level of success.

We've all had our handicaps, like doing all that we do at a time when our bodies seem to be working against us! Just like millions of other women, we have to figure out what is best for us individually so we can cope with the stresses and complications of running a business. I feel part of the reason we are able to do it is knowing we can do anything....that's one of the benefits of being middle-aged, we gain a lot more confidence in our abilities, plus we know what we want.

One of the unexpected issues that came up after I had been in business with Minnie Pauz Enterprises for about 2 years was the competitive nature of many of these other women. At times when I thought we could help each other by partnering on projects, I saw a lot of pulling back and mistrust between business owners. It even got to the point where I quit offering to give free publicity and advertising because the other party wasn't living up to their side of the bargain. There's a lot of talk about what women can accomplish together, but in business the "sisterhood" doesn't really hold much water.

If you have a business related to women, menopause, babyboomers, let us know how you're doing it in the midst of the hot flashes, insomnia and depression. Are you going it alone or do you have a partner? Do you prefer how you're doing it? How's business? :)

Dear Minnie Pauz Fans,
Ahhh yes, the month of LOVE! I think I remember what that's all about. Those of you with spouses or sweethearts can really appreciate the upcoming holiday, but I really think those of us who are not in a relationship should consider February 14, GIRLFRIEND'S DAY!! Actually the card companies have designated August 1 for that day, but we all know that at this age NOBODY can tell us what to do, right? So, August 1 is not big enough. Not to worry, we'll just hijack Valentine's Day for our own purposes! It's already got most of the elements that women love anyway, right? There's red and pink decorations everywhere, cuddly little teddy bears that say I love You (or anything you like...just contact me), LOTS of chocolate, cards that express so much of what we want to say to our gal pals....I'm so glad we can hug and kiss our girlfriends and tell them how much they mean to us without worrying about what people say! So now that we've redefined a national holiday, let's seriously appreciate each other!

Go Red For Women is the American Heart Association’s nationwide movement that celebrates the energy, passion and power we have as women to band together and wipe out heart disease. Thanks to the participation of millions of people across the country, the color red and the red dress have become linked with the ability all women have to improve their heart health and live stronger, longer lives.

By joining the Go Red For Women movement, you become part of the fight against heart disease, the No. 1 killer of women in America. Your involvement can help save lives of mothers, sisters, aunts, daughters, grandmothers, best friends, and other women just like you! Join today and get a free red dress pin. Most of all, do what you can to bring awareness of heart disease.

Still not getting here daily.

I must really have a mental block against posting each day. I'm still struggling with the definition of what I'm doing here....is it a journal? To me that means PRIVATE, so this cannot be a journal for me. I kept a daily journal for 22 years, but when I go back and read them (notebooks), I realize that I was depressed the entire time. Whoa!! That's really sad, but it was true. I stopped writing in my journal when I started reaching outside myself. I've tried to get back into it, but I have the same problem that I have with posting here daily. Very strange.


Ok, so what's going on this week? I can't resist mentioning that a writer from Forbes magazine contacted me on Friday (then a "fact checker" called today to verify the info). He said it's a very small article about how people (women?) are making money from menopause related businesses. I sure hope it does better for me (traffic wise) than the TIME article did last year! I got NOTHING from that because they didn't even use the interview and didn't put the web address in the side bar next to my picture. It still irritates me. That could have been such a great opportunity...I'm sure it was for the ones that made it into the article. Let's all just hope the Forbes piece does better.



The other news is that I'm in the countdown for getting my new dentures. Tomorrow is step 2 of a 5 step plan to finalize the making of the dentures, which includes bottom ones that attach to the implants I got nearly 6 months ago. This has been such a long process and sometimes I still can't believe that I have no teeth! (That always reminds me of what guys used to say was their "dream girl"...hahahah.....can't imagine why! Oops, got off track there.) Then I finally found the humor in my "condition" and was able to make a cartoon (for my dentist) out of it.



Well, that's not bad for today! :) If I can get here tomorrow (after my dentist appt.), that will be an accomplishment. There's still a lot I need to figure out on using this. I'd love to hear from anyone who has dentures in their 50's and early 60's. I've got all kinds of concerns...like how do you get back into dating???? Oh My!!!