Customer Reviews

This Is Not Your Mother's Menopause: One Woman's Natural Journey Through Change

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

The recent front page article in The New York Times questioning a major reason for hormone replacement therapy threw me into a panic yet again. A week later I read "This is Not Your Mother's Menopause." Trisha Posner's book was a god send for me as every passing day seems to bring another contradictory warning about breast cancer and hormones. Whether you are wondering if you should start HRT or go the natural route, or if you can't imagine being off hormones but can't deal with the uncertainty of being on and are rethinking or reassessing, this is one terrific book. A chapter called "the Vitamin and Herb Shop" was most informative. Homeopathy, an area I know nothing about, terrifies me almost as much as hormone replacement. Ms. Posner is very specific in her descriptions of the various herbs and vitamins that she uses, simplifying the task of planning an individual regime. This is a wonderful book, formidably researched yet full of charming personal anecdotes and very savvy girl talk. For those looking for a real alternative to HRT, read Trisha Posner's book.

I have read over a dozen books about menopause, including many I've liked including John Lee's book, and Susan Love, and Gail Sheehy, and I've learned a lot. But THIS IS LIKE NO OTHER BOOK ON MENOPAUSE I've ever seen. I got the book yesterday, started it last night expecting to read a chapter or two, and blew my night of sleep by being unable to put it down until I finished it (thank God it's small!)

I love the fact that instead of some celebrity or a doctor telling me what I should do with my body, this is by a regular woman who has been through the same thing I'm going through. There were plenty of moments when I just wanted to shout, "Yes, I've been through that." I love Posner's honesty in describing the problems we confront with menopause and the indecision she faced when it came to HRT. It's the same problem we all have - the conflicting studies and the worries about possible increased risks of breast cancer. We all resolve this in different ways depending on our tolerance for risk, but with her family history of breast cancer, she resolved it by embarking on this rather incredible research binge that resulted in her trying just about every natural remedy out there, ones we are all familiar with. And in the end she developed a program of supplements, a healthy diet, and exercise, that worked for her.

This personal account is so informative, because you get to see these natural cures not just in theory, but actually how they work with someone. When she stops taking her double dose of Vitamin E and Black Cohosh to see whether they really eliminated her hot flashes, there is a hysterical scene where she runs into a friend's kitchen over a Thanksgiving feast and sticks her head into a freezer. Sound familiar for any of us! There are plenty of scenes in here that made me laugh, and many that made me quite emotional. When she and her husband burn her remaining supply of tampons in a local hotel's fireplace, it's a sign of passage that makes sense. And when at the end of the book, she finds herself on the outside of a Paris landmark in a downpour, embracing the changes of menopause, it is impossible not to feel invigorated and inspired.

Not only did I pick up bundles of useful information that I intend to incorporate into my own routine (the chapter called "The Vitamin and Herb Shop" is worth the price of the book on its own!), but I feel so much better about myself and menopause after reading this book. Now I've given it to my husband who must read it, so he will better understand exactly what is happening now at this stage of our life (I loved the way Posner's husband became her partner in searching for a natural way through menopause).

DO YOURSELF A FAVOR. READ THIS BOOK!

I've been around long enough that I can remember when women's health issuse weren't! Thanks to other women, prolonging our good health and successfully navigating menopause is getting easier. Now that the paramenopausal stage has been identified and is being written about in books like Posner's, "One Woman's Natural Journey..." we have more reliable information and we can choose to suffer less. Our partners can also welcome our enhanced sexual selves instead of also being expected to just accept our mood swings and physical tribulations. I'm working at enjoying my changes because books like this have allowed me to no longer be a victim to "the change". Posner's information on natural and herbal supplements can be coroborrated in various books and I have found a particular site, iHerb, that offers many links to these sources. I have also found iHerb to be a wonderful and cost effective source for my supplements. Check out their section on Women's Health and see what I mean.

After reading lots of books on menopause (I'm in it!), this is completely different. Instead of just an advice book, it's a personal story of someone going through it and there were plenty of incidents that I could completely relate to. Her approach makes sense, and her program that works instead of hormones is completely fresh. Actually, I found this easy to read book very uplifting. It's the first time I've ever felt good about being in menopause. Way to go Girl!

According to Posner, reducing fat intake, running, and weight training are a really great way to lose weight and reduce menopausal symptoms. She expresses great suprise about this, which makes me think that she slept through the 1980s. Who wants to pay for yet another book that discusses this subject in great length without adding a single new thing?

I found the author's perspective rather difficult to take. She repeatedly makes reference to her wealth, yet make no reference to how expensive her herbal recommendations are. She repeatedly makes the point that men are attracted to her still, that everyone is shocked that she's old enough to be going through menopause, and that her husband is the most supportive man on earth, which, frankly, he seems a bit creepy in the book.

If you're not bothered by her narcissicm and ignorance of excercise and diet information popularized in the 70s & 80s, you might find value in her herbal recommendation, so long as you can afford the hundreds of dollars it will cost you each month.

Instead, I recommend: New Menopausal Years : The Wise Woman Way by Susun S. Weed.

I have read 4 other books on menopause and find this to be by far the most practical and helpful. The author has done a fabulous job of condensing a monumental amount of research into a very readable and easily digestible form. Each aspect of menopause is treated separately and followed by practical, natural alternatives to hormone treatment therapy. It is a wonderful resource which gives the specifics of "what to take, "how" and "why", recommended doses, and the doses that the author found to be effective. This is the first book that I have read that is actually encouraging about menopause and does not make me feel as though I'm going to deteriorate irreparably if I don't take hormone replacement therapy. I am grateful to the author for sharing the results of her own personal experience and research.

After hearing about Trisha's book here in the UK, I rushed to the local library to request my copy. The book was great, there was plenty to enjoy, especially the occasional humourous episodes, which made me feel that the menopause is not such a terrible thing after all. Every woman should read it, whatever their age. It is well worth the effort!!

Anyone facing menopause either directly or indirectly (you men out there could benefit from reading this book, too) should read Trisha Posner's account of her own battle with the changes being forced on her, and how she dealt with them. From the most common - hotflashes - to the least - auditory hallucinations (one which I have experienced) - Posner lists the symptoms and side effects of menopause in a highly organized and informative way.

Posner's own interest in a less clinical approach to menopause arises out of her family's history of breast cancer. She had a very real fear that hormone replacement might trigger cancer in her own body, and so she went out to research the alternatives. She's a professional researcher, and has done the research for her husbands books on history and current events. She is meticulous in her work and it pays off for her readers here in the assurance that she has thoroughly investigated the available information on each aspect of menopause.

While she never prosletyzes for any regimen, she does outline her own program very throughly (exercise, nutritional supplements, particularly soy; dietary changes) explains the thinking behind each point, and gives the reader an honest assessment of her progress. It is not her intention to persuade any of us that this is the right way, only to show that there are always alternatives to medical intervention for treatment of menopausal problems.

Her research is persuasive, her plan of action one that virtually anyone could follow. That doesn't mean that everyone will be won over to her way of doing things, but that's okay, too. The benefit of this book is in its wealth of information, not in any plan or magical formula. I recommend it for anyone who wants to understand this life passage a little better, and recommend it highly for those who want to take more control over that passage.

After reading Trish's book, I look forward to this transitional cycle with pride and gratitude (sure beats the alternative!). Her kind and enthusiastic spirit leaps from the pages of her well-researched, easy-to-understand book. I feel the information she has shared regarding vitamins/minerals and herb supplementation would be beneficial to women of all ages. Ditto to the importance of physical activity and healthy eating. It's all about honoring ourselves...take care of our bodies, and our bodies will take care of us. To all women who are brave enough to admit that things are different, this book's for you. Don't waste your time being in denial...rejoice!...there are many choices out there. Trish's book will point you in the right direction. To keep the good karma going, I've decided to make this book a "must give" gift to my 23 year daughter, three sisters and several friends. Sounds like a great stocking stuffer (holidays are fast approaching). Thanks again, Trish, for your inspiration and guidance. Surely, the goddesses are smiling!

Finally a book that takes the dread and misunderstanding out of a less than popular subject. You'll love this book! Its advice is invaluable and the book is written in a snappy, down-to-earth style. This book is NOT just for women in menopause but for any woman who wants to look and feel her best. I'd give it to the men in my life too!