The View From Here – Broken Bones, Menopause, And Empty Nesting

It’s been a minute since I shared life with you so I wanted to catch up.  How are you doing?  Hanging in there? Elbows up?  Standing tall. Standing strong.  Standing proud.

I won’t talk politics – nobody wants that – but it is an incredible thing that has been happening across our country.  Canadians are coming together.  We are standing together, standing strong and standing proud and all I can say is that I am so proud to be Canadian.  Keep supporting and loving on our local businesses.  They need us.  Shop local.  Shop Canadian.  It’s how we take care of each other.

7 days.  That’s how many days left I have left in this walking boot.  7 days until I sit face to face with my doctor, fingers crossed, hoping for some good news.  Hoping and praying that this walking boot can be removed and I can start walking on my own two feet again.  Truth be told, I’m a bit afraid of it coming off and it not being healed and ending up back in this boot for even longer.   If you have ever had a broken bone, especially a broken foot – let me ask you – were you afraid to walk on it again?

This isn’t my first fracture.  Not even my first fracture on my left foot (smile).   But I’m much older this time and a little more uncertain.  And I never before wondered just HOW the body heals?  I Googled it.  Actually SEEING how the body repairs itself is pretty cool.

Pretty cool, right?  Our bodies are amazing machines.  I can’t wait to get out of this boot and get back to normal everyday routine.

Maybe it will help with the mood swings, and weight gain, and brain fog that has been happening since perimenopause came into my life.  (smile)

Ladies – can we take a second to talk about what not enough people talk about?  Perimenopause.  Menopause.  Hormones.  When I hit fifty (in a pandemic, in a lockdown) something changed in me.  I didn’t feel like myself.  I was hot all the time, especially at night.  Mood swings.  Anxiety has been noticeable for me.

I didn’t know that I was IN perimenopause until years later.  I started researching the subject, reading all the books, listening to all the podcasts (Mel Robbins and Mary Claire Haver are incredible!).

Oprah Winfrey brought the conversation to the table with some very special guests in the special that aired last night “An Oprah Special – The Menopause Revolution” and it was so good!!!!  I stayed up late to watch, while eating a bowl of ice cream (it’s self care at it’s best -lol).  So good.  We need more specials.  More conversations.  More connecting with other women like that.  If you get the chance to watch it – I believe it’s available for streaming on Disney+.

And this all comes in a season where the baby birds have flown the nest.  My husband and I are navigating life without kids at home and it’s been hard to adjust, but now, we are really enjoying our time.  I miss our kids.  The energy of the house.  The busyness.  But I’m learning to enjoy time together – just the two of us.  Meal planning is so much easier and cheaper! lol  The shampoo and conditioner lasts a lot longer and nobody is stealing my stuff. lol

As always – would love to hear from you.

Send me an email anytime (cbuchanan@blackburnmedia.ca) – or join the Afternoons With Carrie Facebook community.

Categorised in: Afternoons

This post was written by Carrie Buchanan