Please bear with me as I ask what may be annoying questions.

I understand the concept of this 12 month marker. But what percent
of the time is it valid?

I know no one may know an "actual" statistical percent but, from personal
expeience on this board, does it hold true?

I hate to point to my personal experience on everything as truth but it's
all I know as this point. And it seems like an awful lot of my family/friends
got past the 12 mo. and then had periods again. You could almost hear the
"d'oh" resonate through the building as they went to the bathroom! :)

I'm getting the cart before the horse as I'm still a monthly but I deal with
change by educating myself in advance and I feel the meno train coming!

Please bear with me as I ask what may be annoying questions.

I understand the concept of this 12 month marker. But what percent
of the time is it valid?

I know no one may know an "actual" statistical percent but, from personal
expeience on this board, does it hold true?

I hate to point to my personal experience on everything as truth but it's
all I know as this point. And it seems like an awful lot of my family/friends
got past the 12 mo. and then had periods again. You could almost hear the
"d'oh" resonate through the building as they went to the bathroom! :)

I'm getting the cart before the horse as I'm still a monthly but I deal with
change by educating myself in advance and I feel the meno train coming!

I was just wondering myself the other day, whether the medical profession is going to have to revise the definition and associated characteristics of menopause based on having this huge number of baby boomers now entering or in the midst of that stage. I have to agree and say that of the women I know (including myself!) more than half of us have had a period after the 12 month mark. I'm beginning to think that the whole process of hormone shift takes a very long time to settle down. As there are now many more women doctors than when our mothers were going through this, who will now be experiencing this phase themselves, perhaps that will help to redefine how menopause occurs. Because I'm sure despite the data, the male doctors will stay rigid in their beliefs, i.e. menopause = hot flashes and is over at 1 year of no periods.

Nornie

I had a period almost exactly at one year: one year and one week to be exact. It was like a regular period with ovulation symptoms 14 days before. That was the last one so far. It has been two years now but I still feel as if I cycle.

After 14 months without a period, along came one more. It was totally unexpected though, with no warning signs, (pms symptoms). It's now been 18 months since that last one, and so far so good, no period or spotting or anything. But I still keep a small package of tampons and mini pads underneath my bathroom sink, just in case... ;)
50 and not missing 'em...
Deda