There were no diagnosed medical/endocrinological reasons for my being late to menopause.

I have taken birth control pills since age 17, and in my early 50s contraception strategy was switched to estrogen patches and progesterone pills. Since two years ago, the progesterone comes from an IUD, and I have continued using estrogen patches.

Considering that my mother had severe hot flashes (despite hormone replacement therapy) after undergoing hysterectomy at age 48, I was and have remained very determined not go through that experience, ever. Just a few times hot flashes occurred when I had forgotten to change to a new patch on time; so I keep a calendar to stay on schedule; that also applies to the vaginal estrogen cream I started on 2 years ago.

My husband calls me a "professional sleeper"; I have always been a night-owl and like to sleep-in in the morning (my chosen career allows me that flexibility).

My hair doesn't grow as long anymore, so that is my chief complaint about after-menopause (I am now 64).

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