Some women (like my mother and grandmother, who had hysterectomies in their late 40s) have no symptoms during their menopausal journey. Lucky them! In the U.S. (because research shows that cultural attitudes about menopause correlate with the types and frequency of symptoms), one of the most common symptoms of "the change" is hot flashes. We've seen commercials for medications that claim to help ease or avoid them, we see sitcoms make fun of women having them, and did you see the short video...

Menopause is finally having its moment…despite the fact that women have been going through this journey since the beginning of time. I could lament as to why it has taken so long for us to be able to honestly and openly discuss this phase of a woman’s life, or I can just be grateful that I am fortunate enough to be a woman in my 50s during this time. That being said, it is still disheartening how behind we are in understanding women’s health and how so many of us go through an obstacle course...