I would never have thought that I was old enough for this book to apply to me, let alone the fact that I now think this book has been applying to me sI would never have thought that I was old enough for this book to apply to me, let alone the fact that I now think this book has been applying to me since my late 30s. That's because women's health is so poorly researched and valued. Sure, I got some basic sex ed as a kid to prepare me for puberty (sort of), but in talking with friends and colleagues, it is clear to me that I am not alone in not really having the first clue about what perimenopause was/is. And oh hey, in typing perimenopause, my computer/browser seems to never have heard of it either.
If you don't know, perimenopause is basically the few months to FIFTEEN YEARS in the life of a person with ovaries and a uterus prior to menopause. Oh and I thought menopause was that years long process - nope! Menopause is the single moment in time when a person is considered done with monthly cycles forever. Perimenopause can include the cliched hot flashes (something I have yet to experience and so therefore thought that anything menopause had nothing to do with me) but also a myriad of disconcerting symptoms and changes that can easily be confused for many other syndromes.
This book taught me a lot, and I appreciate how the author took in consideration gender identity, sexuality, race, disability, and class. You can tell from the title that the book takes a certain dark humor stance, which I also appreciated. However, I felt that the author tried too hard to be jokey, and while trying to be accessible, I think they failed somewhat in this by including some very specific references/jokes that not everyone will know.
I recommend this to anyone with a uterus/ovaries who is under 40. You may be really far away from this being relevant to you, but it's better to know what might be coming than be totally at sea, especially because the medical community can be so woefully unhelpful.
Oh, and do yourself a favor and watch the Baroness Von Sketch video titled "Is it Perimenopause?" The book recommended this and it was the single most validating thing I didn't know I needed....more
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