When I decided to create and propose the idea to establish Menopause Medicine as a boardcertified specialty, I had someone telling me that no one cares about menopause.
They told me that no one is going to listen to some girl who thinks she is grown and going through surgical menopause and I am just wasting my time.
They told me that if anyone read the proposal, they won’t even acknowledge me. If they like it, they won’t even give me credit. That person kept yelling negative things at me, telling me to stop.
The person was me. The negative voices in my head kept giving me excuses as to why I should not move forward. But I am doing it anyway.
The first proposal that I sent was to the University of Central Florida and guess what? I was acknowledged.
The Dean met with me on a Zoom meeting on to discuss my proposal. I sent two more proposals to other medical schools, awaiting response.
And then on , I mailed my proposal to HHS, FDA and ACGME. And guess what?
The voice is still yelling, still telling me that no one wants to hear from me, they don’t care about black women, minority women, aging women, or women in general.
I remember how lonely it felt at the beginning of my menopause. Struggling with symptoms, feeling scared, and wondering why no one seemed to understand menopause, especially surgical menopause.
Some days it felt like I was carrying it all alone. I could see the worry on my husband’s face, and I knew he felt it too, even if he couldn’t fully help me carry my experience.
It wasn’t just the physical changes. It was the isolation, the fear, and the constant uncertainty. I wanted answers, not just for me, but for all women who go through this life stage feeling alone, unheard, misunderstood, and invisible.
My fear became a vision and a mission. I realized that what I was experiencing wasn’t just my story. It was the story that millions of women share. And if no one else was stepping up, I could. I could use my experience to push for change.
So, I started taking action. I wrote a detailed proposal calling for the creation of Menopause Medicine as a boardcertified specialty where menopause specialists are medical professionals trained specifically to guide women through this transition.
I sent it to major health agencies, carefully preparing each submission, knowing the work and the cost involved, even staying up late at night after work to make it happen. Working fulltime, sometimes 9 or 10hour days, and still keeping my blog alive, some days it gets heavy, especially when my patch is dipping. But I keep going in spite of it.
It is not easy. It is not cheap. But I am doing it because it’s not over until there is Menopause Medicine and because this mission is bigger than me.
Even now, I still carry some low moods. I still feel moments of loneliness. I still have days when the weight of it all feels heavy. But what keeps me going is the knowledge that every step I take matters.
Every agency I reach, every person I raise awareness to, is a step toward making menopause care better, more understood, and more accessible.
This journey has taught me something powerful: progress doesn’t require perfection. It doesn’t require that you never feel doubt or fear. It requires courage, persistence, and the willingness to turn your struggles into action.
I’m still learning. I’m still navigating my own menopause journey. And I’m still pushing this cause forward. Because if my experience can help even one woman feel seen, understood, and supported, then every late night, every worry, and every challenge is worth it.
About the Author
I’m not a doctor.
I’m Claudine Aitcheson: Author, Writer, and Menopause Advocate. Founder of Flourishing Through Menopause, I champion wellness, empowerment, and education for women in midlife.
Writing keeps me sane, and it’s also how I build legacy, through stories, proposals, and advocacy that push the cause forward.
I hold a Bachelor of Science in Health Services Administration from the University of Central Florida and have over 20 years of healthcare experience spanning frontline mental health, facility administration, and health insurance operations.
My mission is simple but urgent: to push for systemic change so that menopause care is recognized, respected, and resourced as the medical specialty it deserves to be.