Menopodcast Season 2 Episode 5

We have a guest! Betty Goldberg. We discuss the coincidence that Sarah and Betty were both Script Supervisors in the movie and TV shows. Small world! Betty worked on movies like Beverly Hills Cop and TV shows like The White Shadow.

Betty became a writer after having a child because she didn’t want to be on a set for 10-14 hours per day. She sold her first script she ever wrote, is still writing, and now teaching, too. She teaches people the craft of Script Supervising.

Talking Menopause. “The most Homicidal Time of my life”, Betty calls it. She was either filled with rage of felt overwhelmed by Tenderness. Her emotions were out of control. Her 2nd child was born just before her 46th birthday, and that’s when things changed. She felt patience with her kids, but had none when it came to adults, including her now ex-husband.

She says this time lasted about 5-7 years, and she was still menstruating. She started getting night sweats, losing quarts of water at the time. Her Grandmother had a bad time with menopause and ended up taking her own life. Betty notes about how it’s not a topic people could be open about, until pretty recently. Podcast, anyone?

Betty’s DR once said “Your menopause is coming along well,” which she thought was a crazy thing. Menopause used to mean putting a woman out to pasture, but she was still man-crazy and wanted to have sexual relationships again. Her DR felt she might have a challenge of making sure her vagina didn’t end up feeling like an emory board. UGH.

There was a book called “It’s Time You Knew” about getting your period, but what about menopause? That’s why we’re here! At first she didn’t get hot flashes, just the night sweats, but then she DID get them. Menopause is not a linear process.

Betty wonders what Native people did for menopause? And we know people died younger, so menopause was not a thing in the same way.

Sarah thinks the Baby Boomers won’t allow it to be so verboten, not to mention the Gen X ers. So many people fear age because it’s the harbinger of death.

Betty was told she didn’t “ACT 70”, which she thought is so interesting. Betty’s students are surprised that she told them she has a crush. But she’s here to tell you it’s NOT OVER. We need great post-menopausal role models - and really, we have them.

Last Fuckable Day - skit. Julia talks about how men don’t look at her the same way anymore - and it’s a little sad about it. Betty likes a long, rangy guy - wishes she could see Beto O’Rourke naked.

Betty was told to use some hormone vaginally to keep her vagina from being emory-board like. She has seen friends turn into thick rectangles during menopause, and she thinks focusing on being fit helps you stay looking like the you you want to see when you look in the mirror. Julia has lost 13 pounds this year so far. Alcohol is so unhelpful on so many levels. Betty is a marijuana smoker and she keeps cut veggies around for when she gets the munchies. Interesting idea about using Marijuana instead of wine, but it will probably still give you the munchies. Betty bemoans how little education people seem to have out there in the world.