When my wife first told me that she thought she might be perimenopausal I was shocked and confused. I demanded to know who the hell this Perry character was and why Bridget was self-identifying as him. It was only when she explained that the perimenopause referred to the time during which women’s bodies make the transition to menopause that my shock turned to relief.
I had noticed that my wife had recently been even more irritated and impatient with me than usual. I had assumed this was because I had become even more irritating and annoying — that had been her explanation — but now I could happily blame it on something other than my own failings. I would be lying, however, if I claimed I only felt relief. I have always associated the menopause with middle-aged women, but in my mind Bridget is forever the young woman I met on a train in the summer of 2008. It can be a little jolting to be reminded of the march of time but just as I have learnt to become familiar with blood pressure readings, cholesterol levels and glucose numbers my wife is starting to have to think about the menopause.
