What are we DOOOOING?

Like a State of the Union minus the napping Supreme Court justices

For those who have gotten distracted by life – shout out to everybody– this newsletter is for those of us who are prancing like dainty unicorns through the enchanted forest of perimenopause (or those who support dainty unicorns or expect to be dainty unicorns one day – all are welcome).

There are a lot (like “number of Diddy accusers” a lot) of physical, mental, emotional, and social aspects to this major life transition and the research keeps changing. We’re revisiting all of last year’s newsletters to make sure we’re up to date cuz whatever was a poop show last year is probably an even more confusing poop show now. Increased awareness of perimenopause has inevitably been followed by the marketing of products to “cure” it. <tiny vomit>

But believe it or not, even after 52 newsletters there are things we haven’t covered. A sampler of the physical stuff:

You are not eating enough protein. No, we don’t have to check. You just aren’t.

Phantosmia. It’s smelling things that aren’t there which can drive you BatShItCrAzY. Actual stinky socks aren’t enough, you’re also smelling the Ghost of Chili Hot Dog Past.

Itchy ears. Like, come on, they are the last things that weren't itching. Jaysus.

How effective are naturopaths for treating peri symptoms? Acupuncture? Hypnotherapy?

Hearing loss. A scary sign of aging that many of us want to deny (why is everyone mumbling all the time? Turn on the subtitles!) but, if we ignore it, is linked to loneliness and dementia.

And the thing that will get this newsletter sent to your spam folder: sex, baby. Low libido, painful sex, don’t-come-sniffing-around-here-buddy tactile exhaustion.

And then there’s the non-physical stuff:

Dissociative episodes when you don’t recognize yourself (physically or emotionally).

How to break up with your old self and embrace a lane change (aka you can change your damn mind about whatever you want).

How to handle your new best friend, Rage.

Many of us are becoming empty nesters and the transition is bumpy.

Is “Meno Tiktok” an oxymoron? (Nope, it isn’t - which is great and horrible news.)

Shameless Action

So the action this week is merely a question: what would you like to talk about? Is there something you’ve read or heard about that you’d like to understand better? We’ll find a way to add it in. Or something you’d like us to make fun of? No, no, we would never do that. Unless someone wants our opinion about RFK Jr and then it’s On Like Donkey Kong.

And if you want us to continue along as we are, that’s fine too. It’s just good to check in with ourselves and our people. We’re here to make things better, whatever that looks like.

Don’t like to click on buttons or be bugged by Substack to look at these other newsletters you might enjoy? We hear ya. Copy and paste our email: hitpauseshameless@gmail.com. Hee hee, it’s practically snail mail.

Next time: We’re back in the scary acronym saddle with GSM and UTIs