Facing up to the menopause

My take on the menoapuse, books and laughter

I am a middle-aged woman. I must be because every time I put on my glasses and look in the mirror, a middle-aged woman looks back at me. I admit, I don’t look in the mirror very often these days. I prefer my fuzzy world where I deliberately leave my spectacles off and pretend I am the thirty-year-old I feel inside. Periodically, I have to put them on and check that my eyebrows haven’t mysteriously migrated to my upper lip again, or worse still, to my chin.

The menopause can be an anxious time for women but it really needn’t be. I don’t mean to be flippant as indeed there are many women whose lives have been, and continue to be blighted by menopausal symptoms, but there is help and there is hope.

My writing on the menopause

I wrote Grumpy Old Menopause following many emails from readers of my novels that are also aimed at Boomers. They associated themselves with my main character, Amanda Wilson, a desperate housewife who is facing 50 and all that entails, while juggling her humdrum life, an outrageous mother, a completely selfish teenager and a grumpy old man, her husband, who has taken early retirement and is driving her to distraction.

Readers loved the characters and wrote in their hundreds, claiming I was writing about them. I had captured their lives and hopes in my books. It was a natural progression after completing the third novel, to write a couple of light-hearted guides to help women and men who are going through menopause. Oh yes, don’t look amazed, men can go through what I like to call ‘Irritable Male Syndrome’.

My first non-fiction book (that is also a finalist in the People’s Book Prize Award 2013-14), How Not to Murder Your Grumpy is essentially a guide for women who live with a grumpy old man. The idea is that they read it, then get their other half to take up some of the suggestions, or read the guide too. Men who have read it, have thoroughly enjoyed the trivia, jokes and ideas in it. If all else fails, you hurl the guide at your grumpy and take up a hobby yourself.

Grumpy Old Menopause is the companion book to the aforementioned guide. It offers advice, help, amusing suggestions, jokes and strategies to help you transit the menopause without suffering any of the symptoms we hear so much about.

As a teacher, comedian, physical trainer (not all at the same time), I have discovered that laughter helps educate people. It also helps you during times of stress and illness, so I ensure my books are served with a large dollop of humour. I like to think that reading Grumpy Old Menopause is like sitting down with a close girlfriend and a glass of wine, then having a proper ‘girly’ chat about all those things that worry you about the menopause. There is sensible advice mixed in with amusing anecdotes and—dare I say it—funny jokes.

Facing up to your menopause

Life expectancy has increased over the years, so we can expect to spend almost half our life, post menopause. It is important to become well-informed and transit this change as effortlessly as possible. Then we can move onto the next phase of our lives. There is huge amount of information available, forums, Facebook support groups and websites like this one. There is no need to feel embarrassed about asking someone face to face because we can hide behind our laptops and ask away preserving our anonymity. There should be no more whispering about it, or playing it down.

Following the menopause, women will often enjoy a surge in energy and confidence. There is much we can achieve and experience with that sort of energy. Consequently, instead of being anxious and feeling we have reached some sort of end of our lives, we should be rejoicing and celebrating a new beginning.

Grumpy Old Menopause offers you all you need to get you motivated, prepared and aware of what is happening to your bodies. Take up some of the challenges or hobbies I propose. Who knows, it could lead to new and exciting beginnings. After all, as my octogenarian party-loving mother likes to say, “We are here for a good time, not a long one—enjoy it!”

About Carol E. Wyer

Carol E Wyer is a humorous blogger and author of best-selling novels including Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines, Surfing in Stilettos and Just Add Spice. She also blogs for the Huffington Post at Huff/50 and you can find out more about her from her website www.carolewyer.co.uk

Links to reviews for Grumpy Old Menopause: http://grumpyoldmenopause.com/reviews-for-grumpy-old-menopause/

About Grumpy Old Menopause: http://grumpyoldmenopause.com/grumpy-old-menopause/

Want to know what Eileen thought about Grumpy Old Menopause? Read Eileen’s review here and find out why it had her nearly falling off her seat with laughter!