In this episode of Soundbit's podcast, host Kim engages in a candid conversation with Donna Jennings, a former educator turned physician assistant, about her transformative journey through menopause and self-discovery. Donna shares her experience of facing burnout, overwhelming responsibilities, and the physical and emotional challenges of menopause. The two women discuss the importance of taking responsibility for one's well-being and making intentional lifestyle changes. Donna reveals her personal struggle with weight gain, mood swings, and the impact on her intimate relationship. Kim, drawing from her own experiences, explores the role of intermittent fasting and self-awareness in managing health. The conversation touches on the societal pressure around body image, the significance of communication in relationships, and the power of taking charge of one's life. Soundbit's podcast offers valuable insights into navigating the complexities of midlife and embracing personal responsibility for a fulfilling journey.
**Episode Notes: "Navigating Midlife: A Candid Conversation with Donna Jennings"**
Welcome to Soundbit's podcast, hosted by Kim, a platform dedicated to exploring the unspoken and unraveling misconceptions. In this episode, Kim sits down with Donna Jennings, a former educator turned physician assistant, for an insightful conversation on navigating midlife challenges.
Donna opens up about her life at the brink of 50, facing burnout, and the toll it took on her physical and mental well-being. Candidly sharing her struggles with weight gain, mood swings, and the unexpected challenges of menopause, Donna highlights the importance of taking responsibility for one's health and making intentional changes.
The discussion delves into Donna's holistic approach, touching on her experiences with holistic nursing and the proactive measures she took to manage her health. The women explore the impact of societal expectations on body image, the significance of communication in relationships, and the transformative power of self-awareness.
Donna's journey of adopting intermittent fasting becomes a focal point, illustrating the role of personal responsibility in reshaping habits and reclaiming control over one's life. The conversation unveils the complexities of midlife, emphasizing the need for open dialogue, self-reflection, and intentional choices.
Kim and Donna's exchange serves as a valuable resource for listeners navigating their midlife journeys, offering insights, encouragement, and a fresh perspective on embracing personal responsibility for a fulfilling life.
Tune in to Soundbit's podcast for more enlightening conversations that challenge perspectives and uncover the nuances of the unspoken aspects of life.
**Podcast Episode Transcript: "Navigating Menopause with Donna Jennings"**
**Kim:** Welcome to Soundbit's podcast, an exploration of what's not said or clearing up what's misunderstood. Hi, it's Kim. Let's go ahead and get started. Welcome, everyone. I have Donna Jennings here. I'm so excited to chat with you, Donna.
**Donna:** Thank you. It's a delight to be with you as well. I am a former educator turned physician assistant who, at the peak of my life, knocking on door 50, was facing burnout, overwhelmed, overweight, and going, going, going, just churning, very doing whatever. I really do not want boundaries, not taking any time, really, not no time to be still. And that's when I was like, enough is enough. I am post-menopause. And what I have dealt with, so I don't, I have been, well, one time I don't go to the doctor much. The reason why is that I'm very holistic. I mean, I go to a holistic nursing practice. Okay. And she always proactively tests my blood and stuff. And so the reason why I'm bringing that up is because in my late 30s, I was probably pre-menopausal. Because I ran a heck of a lot. I used to run half marathons almost every weekend because I was doing this half marathon in every state. And I was a big fitness person doing yoga and all kinds of things. And so at night, I would do that, I would actually get night sweats. And I had this for years. And it's not a hereditary thing because my mom couldn't believe it like I was sitting next to her for a birthday. And it was like, I was sweating. And I had. I was wiping my forehead, just going, what the heck's going on? And I said, I, didn't you go through this? And she goes, no, she said, never had that. What's going on? Interesting. Yeah. So I struggled because I've always been really good at taking care of my body. And then I did the Ironman, and I blamed it on the Ironman and I blamed it on this, uh, thyroid, this thyroid thing, which, you know, my thyroid is 85% functioning, which is fine still. And you know, you take, um, what do you take? Would you happen to know what all that stuff is? Anyway, you take armored thyroid. Yeah, those things. I don't take it, but I, I don't, that's it. I don't know all those, but you know, better things. So when you said, I get where you are, wait, you actually, right, right when you said about, um, this, this transition, I was so, all of a sudden, I don't know if it was my 50s. I got bloated, and I control like, it's like, it didn't matter if I did need her eight like I always had, I was, I was fine. I was eight, normal. And I just struggled for, I would say, five years, you know, handling that, the eating, taking care of anything, health, my mind, sometimes I mean, I think my husband thought that I was nuts. I, yeah, probably. Yes. Could you tell me what you went through?
**Kim:** Well, I could switch on a dime. And what's interesting is for me, um, I even by the time I was knocking on the door 50, I was very postmenopausal. My mother, uh, had surgery, but by that time, she had also passed away. So we didn't talk about, uh, had no idea about that in her life. Also by that point, my grandmother passed away. We never talked about women's issues. And then my sister had issues and had a, uh, hysterectomy at like 33. So there was no, no women in my family to discuss that process with. Mine was really kind of relatively sort of painless. Uh, I would think compared to what I hear about a lot of other people, um, because I sort of like spurred it out, shorted out, if you would. And then suddenly it was gone. Like, I love that how you actually explain that because that's how I felt. I zipped out. I love that. And it was almost like you couldn't. There was something about, like, I mean, you couldn't control it. I don't know if you're a controller. Absolutely not. No, there's no controlling it. Like, um, I'm answering going through it. And it's like, whoa, you're going to throw it. You're like, oh, why got this? I think I get to give this out now. And we're done. We're figuring it out. And we're through going through it. And so by the time I am knocking on the door 50, um, I have, uh, it's not earlier in my life. I was very athletic. And, um, and so in my mind, I'm still very capable, very flexible, but I'm more sedentary. I am now working in medicine and working 12-hour shifts. And I'm just kind of there whenever they call me to be there. And it's sort of like you just throwing yourself out there for what, wherever you're needed, your servant, heart person, and doing what it's ever required. Um, my husband and I, had dogs, not children. Again, I got married at 40. I was short-circuiting at 40. So that just, so how did that work? I mean, because, you know, my, so here's a, before you answer that, I've been married for 45 years. And my husband, he knows what he can say, but he can't say. And we can't say right. So when you marry like that, in your 40s, how did he like it? How did that work for you?
**Donna:** So, um, it was interesting. I was in my second marriage, my first marriage. And so we're just, you know, figuring stuff out. We had decided, hey, if I, if I get pregnant, I get pregnant, that's fine. And if I don't, don't, we'll have a good time being aunts and uncles. And so we, according, we didn't take any precaution because it'd been fine if it had happened. And then that never did occur. And then what you might say, what is it that, uh, that factory shut down, so to speak, or at least that part of the factory shut down. And, uh, then I'm going along, but yes, like, literally, and trying to be delicate about this, right? You come home and literally, we'd have a moment like, uh, and you're like, ooh, la la. Yeah, this is going to happen. Okay, give me just a minute. In the minute, in the minute of turning down the hallway to go get a glass of water and come back to the bedroom. I