Will Menopause Ever END???

This might be a stupid question, but will my symptoms of menopause ever end?

I realize menopause itself is literally an ending: the end of over forty years of menstruation for me. The end of fertility. The end of making babies. The end of buying tampons and pads. The end of my cycle that ties me to the moon and the tides. The end of the curse. No more Aunty Flo.

Yes, I have come to the end. So why do I still have so many strange symptoms?

The answer is: menopause is a very long, seemingly never-ending, process. The reality is that it takes women about ten years to go through menopause. In that decade, our bodies slowly and gradually change. Our hormones shift. Our weight goes up and down. Our breasts get bigger then smaller then bigger again. We sweat and turn the thermostat down. We wake up numerous times during the night. We cry and get angry and lose our train of thought. What was I saying...?

And just when we think the coast is clear, when we should finally be able to relax, something else changes.

I haven't had a period in more than a year. This should mean that I am DONE. Finished with all the fluctuations. Ready to settle into a steady state of lowered estrogen levels. Boy, am I ready for that!

But no. For some odd reason, my estrogen seems to be surging again. My breasts are suddenly bigger and more tender than ever. Is this one final fling for my hormones? Who knows.

All I can say about this phase is HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS! There is no telling what comes next. You may crave a settled and stable life, but that's not what you get. This ride has lots of ups and downs. It's freaking unpredictable.

But the good part is: you're still alive. Gotta give thanks for that.