HelloPause
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Help us create new episodes raising awareness about Perimenopause—the Last Taboo.
4 women enter perimenopause every minute—over 6,000 a day. We need to have the TALK, but for 40yo’s. How is #thefutureisfemale possible if the biggest issue in women’s health is a taboo subject?
Perimenopause is the transition period leading up to menopause - the day when a woman ends her period of fertility. It can start as early as 35, and lasts anywhere from 5-10 years.
Our Story
Producers Brandi and Lisa were comparing notes about the crazy, debilitating symptoms that had rocked our worlds. We had independently realized that what we were dealing with was perimenopause. We were in disbelief that two educated, informed, feminist, modern women could experience issues so severe, and yet be so completely blindsided. How is it that not one person, including our doctors, gave us any inkling that in our 40’s life could change so dramatically?
As it turns out, thousands (maybe even millions) of other women are having the exact same conversation, and they’re turning to private forums to ask the same questions – “Are we crazy? Is anyone else experiencing this? But we’d never even heard of perimenopause before we looked it up.
This is a profound, potentially life-altering and unavoidable subject that is simply never discussed. Imagine if no one ever acknowledged publicly that women have a monthly cycle.
When we look at menopause in the media, it either promotes products for hot flashes or makes jokes about sweaty, fan-wielding women. Occasionally, a TV or movie personality will acknowledge on-screen that they are in menopause, usually in some slapstick, comedic way.
This is NOT our mother’s menopause. Today’s women have a lot to say - and a lot at stake - and we want to give them the mic. It's long past time women have the chance to speak out and be heard.
The Project
HelloPause is a new web series that brings women together to talk openly about perimenopause.
"(Menopause) was a crash off a cliff into sudden insomnia and depression. It took about a year of peeling skin, sore tendons, poor sleep, awful sadness, inexplicable weeping and various other symptoms of menopause that you can find listed if you look beyond the hot flashes and insomnia, for me to understand that I needed the maximum amount of estrogen. Estrogen is more powerful and more wide-ranging than is assumed, and its removal or diminishment brings effects ludicrously understated by the change."
- Rose George, The Guardian
Whether or not you've heard about it, every woman on the planet will go through perimenopause. Today’s women are working, playing, dating and traveling well into their 70’s. But, as they are reaching their peak in their early 40’s, perimenopause can take over (for up to 10 years) causing a host of issues from the annoying to the debilitating. Brain fog and other cognitive issues, joint pain, inflammation, digestive problems, frozen shoulder, hot flashes, insomnia and exhaustion - the list goes on to include over 38 poorly-understood symptoms. Today’s women are too busy breaking glass ceilings to notice the rug being pulled out from under them.
Only 7% of women say they get the help they need to manage their symptoms, and how women respond during perimenopause will have a lasting effect on their long-term health and quality of life. Changes in hormones effects bone density, heart health and cognition.
Women 40-60 are the fastest-growing segment of the American & European populations.
This isn't just a critical health issue, this is a gender-equality issue. Perimenopause hits most women just as they are reaching their career goals. There are 3.5 million women over 50 in the workplace, and 62% of them say they have suffered perimenopausal symptoms difficult to deal with; many have considered leaving work. Talking openly and demanding research, resources and accessible solutions is how we'll tackle one of the most challenging issues women over 40 confront today. Our mission is to de-mystify, de-stigmatize and de-toxify perimenopause so that ALL women can be prepared for the challenges and joys of a third act well-lived.
We want to hear from women directly about what they are going through and how it’s been affecting their lives. An intimate setting affords the opportunity to illustrate that the experiences of perimenopause, aging and femininity are a broad spectrum of strength, fragility, beauty and power.
Because we believe in reaching women where they are, we will be distributing episodes on our Youtube channel, Hello Pause, for free.
Episodes will focus on a particular perimenopause theme, like Perimenopause at work, or Navigating the healthcare landscape.
Our goal is a new episode every month. We want to hear from women everywhere, from all walks of life and from other cultures to learn about perimenopause around the world.
Ep. 2, The Healthcare Funhouse – you'll want to check it out HERE .
Jill Angelo, Detra Payne, Dr. Lisa Savage, Brandi Andrade
What's Our Experience?
Lisa Kaselak is an award-winning documentary producer/director with an MFA in film. Her last film, Tomlinson Hill, aired nationally on PBS. She is also the co-founder of Beak Labs, a boutique experiential media company.
Brandi Andrade holds a Ph.D. in Theatre and American Women’s History from UT Dallas, and taught for many years in both the Theatre and Gender Studies departments at UT Arlington. She has worked at a number of theatres over the years, as performer, director, creator, dramaturg, administrator, and producer. She also does commercial, broadcast, and voiceover work.
How Will Your Donation Be Used?
1.Production expenses including research, camera, audio, locations, lighting,
and travel.
2. Post-production expenses including editing, post-audio, graphics, music, etc.
3. Digital and social media expenses to promote the series so women know about it.
With your help, we can get our first season of six episodes completed. No amount is too small, and please feel free to forward this campaign - sharing is the most effective way to reach our goal.
Thanks so much for your support - we can’t wait to bring this critical conversation to the forefront of women’s health and gender equality conversations.
4 women enter perimenopause every minute—over 6,000 a day. We need to have the TALK, but for 40yo’s. How is #thefutureisfemale possible if the biggest issue in women’s health is a taboo subject?
Perimenopause is the transition period leading up to menopause - the day when a woman ends her period of fertility. It can start as early as 35, and lasts anywhere from 5-10 years.
Our Story
Producers Brandi and Lisa were comparing notes about the crazy, debilitating symptoms that had rocked our worlds. We had independently realized that what we were dealing with was perimenopause. We were in disbelief that two educated, informed, feminist, modern women could experience issues so severe, and yet be so completely blindsided. How is it that not one person, including our doctors, gave us any inkling that in our 40’s life could change so dramatically?
As it turns out, thousands (maybe even millions) of other women are having the exact same conversation, and they’re turning to private forums to ask the same questions – “Are we crazy? Is anyone else experiencing this? But we’d never even heard of perimenopause before we looked it up.
This is a profound, potentially life-altering and unavoidable subject that is simply never discussed. Imagine if no one ever acknowledged publicly that women have a monthly cycle.
When we look at menopause in the media, it either promotes products for hot flashes or makes jokes about sweaty, fan-wielding women. Occasionally, a TV or movie personality will acknowledge on-screen that they are in menopause, usually in some slapstick, comedic way.
This is NOT our mother’s menopause. Today’s women have a lot to say - and a lot at stake - and we want to give them the mic. It's long past time women have the chance to speak out and be heard.
The Project
HelloPause is a new web series that brings women together to talk openly about perimenopause.
"(Menopause) was a crash off a cliff into sudden insomnia and depression. It took about a year of peeling skin, sore tendons, poor sleep, awful sadness, inexplicable weeping and various other symptoms of menopause that you can find listed if you look beyond the hot flashes and insomnia, for me to understand that I needed the maximum amount of estrogen. Estrogen is more powerful and more wide-ranging than is assumed, and its removal or diminishment brings effects ludicrously understated by the change."
- Rose George, The Guardian
Whether or not you've heard about it, every woman on the planet will go through perimenopause. Today’s women are working, playing, dating and traveling well into their 70’s. But, as they are reaching their peak in their early 40’s, perimenopause can take over (for up to 10 years) causing a host of issues from the annoying to the debilitating. Brain fog and other cognitive issues, joint pain, inflammation, digestive problems, frozen shoulder, hot flashes, insomnia and exhaustion - the list goes on to include over 38 poorly-understood symptoms. Today’s women are too busy breaking glass ceilings to notice the rug being pulled out from under them.
Only 7% of women say they get the help they need to manage their symptoms, and how women respond during perimenopause will have a lasting effect on their long-term health and quality of life. Changes in hormones effects bone density, heart health and cognition.
Women 40-60 are the fastest-growing segment of the American & European populations.
This isn't just a critical health issue, this is a gender-equality issue. Perimenopause hits most women just as they are reaching their career goals. There are 3.5 million women over 50 in the workplace, and 62% of them say they have suffered perimenopausal symptoms difficult to deal with; many have considered leaving work. Talking openly and demanding research, resources and accessible solutions is how we'll tackle one of the most challenging issues women over 40 confront today. Our mission is to de-mystify, de-stigmatize and de-toxify perimenopause so that ALL women can be prepared for the challenges and joys of a third act well-lived.
We want to hear from women directly about what they are going through and how it’s been affecting their lives. An intimate setting affords the opportunity to illustrate that the experiences of perimenopause, aging and femininity are a broad spectrum of strength, fragility, beauty and power.
Because we believe in reaching women where they are, we will be distributing episodes on our Youtube channel, Hello Pause, for free.
Episodes will focus on a particular perimenopause theme, like Perimenopause at work, or Navigating the healthcare landscape.
Our goal is a new episode every month. We want to hear from women everywhere, from all walks of life and from other cultures to learn about perimenopause around the world.
Ep. 2, The Healthcare Funhouse – you'll want to check it out HERE .
Jill Angelo, Detra Payne, Dr. Lisa Savage, Brandi Andrade
What's Our Experience?
Lisa Kaselak is an award-winning documentary producer/director with an MFA in film. Her last film, Tomlinson Hill, aired nationally on PBS. She is also the co-founder of Beak Labs, a boutique experiential media company.
Brandi Andrade holds a Ph.D. in Theatre and American Women’s History from UT Dallas, and taught for many years in both the Theatre and Gender Studies departments at UT Arlington. She has worked at a number of theatres over the years, as performer, director, creator, dramaturg, administrator, and producer. She also does commercial, broadcast, and voiceover work.
How Will Your Donation Be Used?
1.Production expenses including research, camera, audio, locations, lighting,
and travel.
2. Post-production expenses including editing, post-audio, graphics, music, etc.
3. Digital and social media expenses to promote the series so women know about it.
With your help, we can get our first season of six episodes completed. No amount is too small, and please feel free to forward this campaign - sharing is the most effective way to reach our goal.
Thanks so much for your support - we can’t wait to bring this critical conversation to the forefront of women’s health and gender equality conversations.
Fundraising team: HelloPause (2)
Lisa Kaselak
Organizer
Austin, TX
Brandi Andrade
Team member
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