Stress Busting Angels  Volume 2, Number 1 Feb 2009

Hello to you all from Stress Busting Angels
 You may have wondered why we missed our last Newsletter. We have not been idle over the last few months and have been busy writing a book about the menopause.  We are doing the last tweaks with the publishers and hope to have the book in print in the next month or so.
 
 
The book will be called
 
A little less dragon a little more angel
                 
Unless someone at the publishers tries to change it.
 
I think the pair of us have been through a few learning hoops this last six months and writing a book and trying to publish it has certainly been another steep learning curve. 
 
As soon as the book can be purchased we will let you know where and how.
 
The menopause visualization CD is now ready for purchase it is priced at £4.99 including PP.  If anyone would like a copy please let us know.  At present we will have to sell it to you via cheque as we are still setting up an e-commerce shop.
 
Living with the menopause
When a woman is peri, menopausal or post menopausal negotiating the health service can sometimes be a tricky business.  Coping around irregular periods, heavy bleeding, hot sweats/flushes, forgetfulness and weight gain can be difficult.
When Chris had to see surgeon consultant he  was so rude about her weight.  He did not praise her for having lost weight and kept it off - no he bemoaned the fact she had been bigger.  He talked down to her about the weight around her waist; however Chris pulled herself up to her full height towering over him and said “This is my stomach where I store my hormones now that I am menopausal.” I don’t think he quite understood about menopausal women but at least informed him tactfully but assertively.
There seemed to be a lack of understanding about going into hospital and having treatment, that this would bring about menopause related concerns.  This could be things such as getting the bed pan quick enough as menopausal women can have weaker bladders, Concerns about irregular and heavy bleeding, older brittle and dry skin and the worry about healing.
When seeing health professionals Information often seems to come out very fast inconsistently and contradictory.  For the menopausal women this can be an ordeal.  It is hard enough to cope with forgetfulness, distraction due to overheating however when you become ill or have to take in a lot of information this can make things more difficult and make you feel that you are losing your marbles.
A number of times during Chris’s recent hospital  treatment I felt I was able to support her because between the two of us we had an adequate memory.  Things I remembered she forgot and visa versa.  The memory part of the menopause can be quite disconcerting and finding ways to cope.
This episode of engaging the NHS as a menopausal woman has certainly focused two main aspects for Chris and I.
Communications – This is important; do not assume that the people in front of you understand that you may be menopausal.  Basically if you do not ask you do not get.  If someone is rude, uncaring or not telling you what is going on then do something about it. You become stressed, frustrated and this will affect your recovery
 
Support – Women can be very self sacrificing and sometimes don’t always take the support that is offered to them.  It is very easy to say “no I’m fine” however in reality it is not ok.  To be honest Chris and I are very good at saying we are ok when we are not.  Over the last few years Chris and I have learnt to recognize in ourselves and each other when support is needed.  In the last few months there have been times when Chris has said she was ok I knew she was not and in the end she was glad I was there. 
The menopause can make women more emotional, distracted and sometimes confused so a good support network can certainly help to navigate this time of life.  

Chris and I were asked to give a presentation about Reiki to the South West Branch of International Stress Management Association in January.  It was a very interactive session and as a result of this session we have been asked by a few people to put on Reiki level one workshop. 
Numbers are limited on this workshop as we believe that for this type of workshop it should have no more than six participants.  The Reiki Workshop will be run over two days.

Axbridge Venue
We are lucky to be able to run workshops at the Rising in Axbridge.  The Rising Studio is set in the beautiful garden of the Rising.  As the name suggests the garden is on an incline with an ancient pond that has crystal clear water being fed by the Mendip Hills.  Visitors are drawn to stand and watch the water as it flows through on its way to the Moore.
 The Studio offers a light and comfortable room that helps workshops to be run in a relaxed and informal way.
 
We look forward to speaking to you in the next Newsletter
Maggie and Chris