ðŊThree Content Types · One Force Field
Every square belongs to one of three content types — not three levels you climb. Track progress in your Course and Skills Lab.
ð Learn It Content type
Concepts to absorb.
ð Live It Content type
Daily skills and habits.
ðĢ Share It Content type
Teach, advocate, carry forward.
ðĄïļYour Force Field — 16 Squares
Deeper detail lives in the Prepared Patient Menopause / Perimenopause course.
What Menopause Actually Is
12 months without a period. Perimenopause is the transition — can last years.
Learn ItHRT Today
Modern HRT (estrogen Âą progesterone) safer than older versions. Individualized.
Learn ItPostmenopausal Bleeding
Always needs workup. Could be endometrial cancer.
Learn ItSymptom Triggers
Stress, alcohol, caffeine, spicy food, hot environments.
Learn ItSymptom Spectrum
Hot flashes, sleep, mood, brain fog, vaginal, urinary, joint pain, weight.
Learn ItMeds + Tools
HRT, SSRIs, gabapentin, fezolinetant (Veozah), vaginal estrogen, lifestyle.
Live ItBone Health
Bone loss accelerates. DEXA, vitamin D, calcium, exercise.
Live ItCardiovascular
CV risk rises. BP, lipids, exercise become more important.
Live ItSleep Strategies
Sleep disruption common. Treat the cause, sleep hygiene, sometimes meds.
Live ItMake Every Visit Count
Bring symptom log, mood, sleep, period tracking if perimenopause.
Live ItYour Care Team
OB-GYN, PCP, sometimes endocrinology, mental health, PT for pelvic floor.
Live ItApps + Tracking
Menopause apps for symptom logging. Period trackers in perimenopause.
Live ItInsurance + Coverage
HRT generally covered. Newer non-hormonals variable.
Live ItTeach & Mentor
Generations of silence. Sharing changes outcomes.
Share ItAdvocate
Push for menopause research, workplace policies, education.
Share ItResearch & Trials
Non-hormonal therapies, cognitive effects, microbiome, longevity research.
Share ItThree things to learn before you actually need them.
Workflow lives in the Prepared Visit Tool. Trackers in your Course.
Which door do I use?
Menopause itself isn’t an emergency. The ladder catches unusual bleeding and complications.
Handle at home
- Manageable symptoms
- On HRT or non-hormonal meds as prescribed
- Following preventive care
Log it. Cycle tracking still useful in perimenopause.
Call the office / message the portal
- Worsening hot flashes, sleep, or mood
- Running low on HRT or other meds
- Side effect on a new med
- Sexual health concerns
Same day. Many treatment options exist.
Urgent / Acute care
- Heavy or prolonged bleeding (perimenopause)
- Postmenopausal bleeding — any
- Severe mood drop
- New unusual symptoms
- Bone or joint pain trend
Urgent care or gyn. Postmenopausal bleeding always needs workup.
ER NOW / call 911
- Heavy bleeding — soaking pad/tampon hourly >2 hours
- Postmenopausal bleeding needs prompt evaluation (not 911 emergency, but don’t delay)
- Severe chest pain (CV risk rises after menopause)
- Stroke signs
- Suicidal thoughts with plan
Call 911 for severe bleeding, chest pain, stroke signs, or suicide risk. Otherwise prompt gyn workup.
How to describe a new symptom in 30 seconds
What is it?
Plain words.
How bad?
0-10.
When did it start?
Time + what you were doing.
What made it worse?
Movement · food · meds.
What helped?
Even a little.
What else was new?
Fever · med · supplement · stress. The forgotten detail often shifts the diagnosis.
“Hot flashes and night sweats for 6 months, a 6 worst, started about a year ago, worse with stress and wine, cooling fan and breathing help a little, and I’ve been gaining weight despite same diet.”
Questions worth asking
Four for every patient, every condition, every visit:
- “Could this be a side effect of one of my medications, a supplement, or something else I’m doing — and should we change that?”
- “Would any non-drug therapy help — physical therapy, meditation, rest, ice or heat?”
- “If I can’t afford this medication or this test, can we talk about samples, alternatives, or a social worker who can help?”
- “What should I be watching for between now and my next visit — and when do I handle it myself, when do I call your office, when do I go to urgent care, and when do I go to the ER?”
Questions specifically for Menopause / Perimenopause:
- “Is hormone therapy right for me — benefits and risks for my situation?”
- “What non-hormonal options exist for hot flashes (gabapentin, SSRIs, newer agents like fezolinetant)?”
- “Bone health screening — DEXA and prevention?”
- “Cardiovascular risk — how does it shift after menopause?”
- “Genitourinary syndrome of menopause — vaginal estrogen, lifestyle?”