By: Pam Wright, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Chatham Voice
Every woman faces it, but most feel alone in their menopause journey.
Author Michaela Cummings is hoping to change that.
The Chatham-based writer, who has penned a book called “The Meno Change Diary,” is looking to bring a message of fact-based hope to women dealing with the challenges menopause can bring.
“I was prompted to write the book because of my own menopausal experience,” Cummings said in a recent interview with The Voice. “It was a very difficult and challenging time.”
Prior to writing the book, Cummings, 56, said she had a hard time coping with what’s been referred to in the past as “the change,” as she couldn’t find accurate information. It made her feel isolated and when she turned to social media for answers, she discovered that much of what she found turned out to be disinformation or sales pitches for products.
“I struggled for five years with symptoms,” Cumming stated, noting she was plagued by poor sleep, low mood and frequent urinary tract infections.
“It was like my world had ended.”
The timing wasn’t ideal either. Cummings began to experience menopausal symptoms during the pandemic which added another layer to her isolation as restrictions increased the difficulty of accessing health care.
Plus, said Cummings, menopause continues to be a taboo subject in society, which leaves women to struggle through it alone.
“It’s a natural phase in a woman’s life,” the author explained. “We talk about puberty, we talk about pregnancy, but I think there’s a resistance to talking about menopause. People think menopause is just a hot flash, but there’s so much more to it. Changes were taking place in my body but I had no idea what was going on.”
Cummings points out that the menopause experience is as individual as the women themselves. Some females have few, if any symptoms, while others experience hot flashes, insomnia, mood swings, vaginal dryness and erratic menstrual cycles.
Others feel tired, out-of-sorts and out-of-tune, and some experience cognitive decline.
According to the Menopause Foundation of Canada, there are three stages of menopause, including peri-menopause; menopause and post-menopause, as well as 34 symptoms. Most women will experience the cessation of their menstrual cycle between the ages of 45 to 55, but one in 100 will begin menopause before age 40 and one in 1,000 will face it prior to age 30.
Three out of four women will experience symptoms that will affect them daily, the foundation said, and one in four of those will have severe symptoms.
As well, statistics say menopause costs the Canadian economy millions as it prompts some women to leave their jobs.
“The Meno Change Diary,” which took Cummings four years to write, began with journal entries about what she was going through. She decided to become an advocate for women, launched a website called themenochange.com and began speaking at events. The book was published in 2024.
Cummings will soon be offering online support and Zoom sessions for women seeking answers.
She said it’s also been an uphill climb dealing with health-care providers, as menopausal symptoms are often downplayed.
“A lot of the time, clinicians and doctors have no skills,” she said. “Women need evidence-based information and care. I think it’s very important to share my knowledge. I don’t want to see women suffer. Women suffer because of embarrassment and shame.”
Born in England, Cummings moved with her husband to Toronto 20 years ago, before relocating to Chatham-Kent two years ago. The couple was drawn to the area by affordable housing prices and the quiet pace of life.
“It’s a very pretty place and we like it,” Cummings said, adding she was happy to leave the chaos of the big city.
Education about menopause and sharing with others is key to changing the conversation around menopause, Cummings stressed.
“If you are informed you can prepare for this time of your life and this transition,” she added. “Menopause is not something to fear…we have been conditioned to fear aging.”
To kick off the new year and spread her educational message Cummings will be leading a “Menopause Social” at Mrs. Bell’s Tea Room in Chatham on Jan. 27. The free event, running from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., is open to all women looking to share with others.
“My menopause experience was a very difficult experience,” Cummings concluded. “I want to shine a light on this for others because there needs to be so much more information out there. Knowledge is power.”
