Post By: Claudine Aitcheson | Founder, Flourishing Through Menopause | Healthcare Administrator | Surgical Menopause Advocate, September 11, 2025

Menopause: Am I Doing It Right?

I once had a healthcare professional tell me they wouldn’t increase my HRT dose because it’s “just to tide me over until I’m out of this phase.” As if I were doing something wrong by advocating for myself, by sharing my symptoms and asking for an adjustment to my medication.

What “phase” was she referring to? The one where I magically grow my uterus and ovaries back?

💭 The Comparison Trap

Then there are the women who proudly declare, “No, I don’t have those symptoms. I’m doing well with menopause.” But in the next breath, they mention their upcoming knee surgery or their struggles with diabetes… both of which are linked to menopause.

Comments like these used to make me wonder if I was doing something wrong. Should I be tougher? More stoic? Less vocal?

I don’t blame these women. I remember when I was younger and barely thought about menopause. I probably would’ve said the same thing.

🌿 There’s No “Right” Way to Do Menopause

Here’s the truth: There is no right or wrong way to go through menopause. It’s no different than menstruation… some women have debilitating cramps every month, while others feel nothing at all. Everybody is different. And it’s okay to struggle. It’s okay to seek help. It’s okay to want relief. It’s okay to just be.

📉 The Link Between Menopause and Health Conditions

🦵 Knee Surgery & Menopause

Claim: Declining estrogen levels contribute to bone density loss and weakened joints, increasing the risk of knee osteoarthritis and the need for surgery. Updated Source: Journal of Orthopaedic Research, March 2023

The study Estrogen Deficiency Accelerates Knee Osteoarthritis Progression in Postmenopausal Women confirms that estrogen plays a protective role in joint integrity. Its decline post-menopause correlates with increased cartilage degradation and bone remodeling, leading to higher surgical risk.

🩸 Diabetes & Menopause

Claim: Hormonal changes during menopause affect insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism, raising the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Updated Source: Diabetes Care, September 2023

The article Effect of Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy on Glucose Regulation in Women With Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes found that estrogen therapy improved fasting glucose and HbA1c levels in postmenopausal women, highlighting the role of estrogen in maintaining glucose homeostasis.

❤️ Other Health Risks

Claim: Menopause is linked to higher risks of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and metabolic syndrome due to hormonal shifts. Updated Source: The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, June 2022

The review Menopause: A Cardiometabolic Transition outlines how estrogen decline leads to multisystemic changes that elevate cardiometabolic risk, including increased vulnerability to heart disease and osteoporosis.
Additional Source: The Lancet Menopause Series, 2024
This infographic series emphasizes the need for multidisciplinary care and highlights the increased risk of cardiovascular and bone health issues in women experiencing early or natural menopause.

🧘‍♀️ Help Yourself Through It

If you’re feeling the weight of menopause, don’t let anyone make you feel like you’re doing it “wrong.” Help yourself through it. Navigate it in a way that works for you. Embrace menopause, it’s a unique and transformative season in our lives. You’re not failing. You’re evolving. And that deserves care, not criticism.

📝 Let’s Rewrite the Narrative Together

What’s your experience like? Drop a comment below or share this with someone who needs to hear it.

Let’s rewrite the menopause narrative together one story at a time.

If this post spoke to you, you’ll love my new book: Rebirth at Midlife: A Menopause Survival Guide. It’s packed with stories, strategies, and a whole lot of truth.

Menopause isn’t just hot flashes and hormone charts, it’s a full-body, full-life transformation. This quick, heartfelt read is designed for women who are tired, foggy, frustrated, and just need someone to tell the truth.

In six short, powerful chapters, you’ll explore:

The physical toll of hormonal shifts and how they reshape your identity, confidence, and daily life.
The hidden financial costs from missed work to mounting healthcare bills, and why menopause is more than a medical issue.
The emotional rollercoaster that’s often dismissed or misunderstood, and how therapy, medication, and self-compassion can help you reclaim balance.
The mental fog and fatigue that cloud your clarity, and how to adapt, communicate, and stay grounded.
The rediscovery of self-worth, purpose, and power because menopause isn’t the end. It’s a rebirth.
The little things that helped me through a gentle chapter filled with everyday tools, rituals, and reminders that made survival possible and healing real.

This book is easy to read, even when your brain feels scrambled. It’s not clinical, it’s companionable. It’s not overwhelming, it’s affirming. Whether you’re in the thick of it or just beginning to feel the shift, this is your reminder: You’re not broken. You’re becoming.

Author’s Note

I’m not a professional writer. I’m a woman in midlife, navigating the hormonal minefield with a pen in one hand and a heating pad in the other.

This book isn’t polished by experts. It’s shaped by experience, laughter, and the occasional late-night Google spiral. I wrote it because I needed it. And maybe you do too.

This isn’t a glossy wellness guide or a clinical breakdown of menopause. It’s real. It’s raw. It’s what I wish someone had handed me when the hot flashes hit and my memory started playing hide-and-seek.

If you’re looking for perfection, this isn’t it. But if you want honesty, humor, and solidarity, you’re in the right place.

Let’s Share: Through our experience, we can write our own manual.