"Your hormone levels are normal," the email said. Which, of course, was good news. But it still didn't explain the mood swings, the irregular periods, the night sweats, the bloating, the weight gain. I asked the doctor, "then why am I feeling this way?" Perimenopause ICYMI, Perimenopause is (according to WebMD) "the time when the ovaries gradually begin to make less estrogen. It usually starts in a woman's 40s, and lasts up until menopause, the point when the ovaries stop rel

When I was a kid and people would ask me where I lived, their reaction was usually: "New York City? Ohhh, isn't it scary growing up there?" Admittedly, the Upper West Side in the 1970's and 80's probably was more dangerous than the suburbs where most of the people asking me this question lived. But despite the muggings and the drugs and the gunshots, I always felt safe. New York was more than just my home; it was my friend, my confidant. Fiercely loyal yet moody, the city was