Confronting Menopause In A RV On The Way To Burning Man

We've all done it — that crazy RV trip to Burning Man. It leads to all sorts of problems. In hindsight, maybe not a great idea, but you make the best with what you've got, right? Well, perhaps, if you’re anything like our guest this week. Her trip proved to be the start of an arduous journey, but it makes for a great story.

Sandra Tsing Loh’s new book is “The Madwoman in the Volvo: My Year of Raging Hormones.” In it she takes on her experience of menopause.

She writes, “At 47, I began experiencing not just varying periods, hot flashes, worsening insomnia and bloating but terrifying inky moods I started to call 'attacks of the darkies.'"

Loh refers to women such as herself as Generation Triple M: middle-aged moms in menopause. As she relates, their numbers are growing. Middle-aged women 45 to 60 are America’s largest demographic group. And by 2015 almost half of American women will be menopausal.

Loh is many things: a writer, performer, mom, care-taking daughter and the host of two radio series: The Loh Down on Science and The Loh Life. And she’s a natural comedian. She knows how to make what happened to her seem hysterically funny, but also make clear that it’s not all a joke. Her research and probing gets to the heart of things, uncovering troves of helpful coping advice.

Loh was interviewed at Town Hall Seattle by KUOW’s Marcie Sillman on May 6. Town Hall and Elliott Bay Book Company presented the event as part of the Arts & Culture series sponsored by City Arts.