Tamsen Fadal, HOW TO MENOPAUSE: Take Charge of Your Health, Reclaim Your Life, and Feel Even Better Than Before

Summary

Podcast Summary: Totally Booked with Zibby – Episode Featuring Tamsen Fadal

Release Date: March 25, 2025

In this compelling episode of Totally Booked with Zibby, host Zibby Owens sits down with Tamsen Fadal, the author of “HOW TO MENOPAUSE: Take Charge of Your Health, Reclaim Your Life, and Feel Even Better Than Before.” Tamsen, an Emmy Award-winning journalist, documentary filmmaker, and passionate menopause advocate, shares her transformative journey from a newsroom to becoming a leading voice in women’s health.

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1. From Journalism to Menopause Advocacy

Zibby Owens welcomes Tamsen Fadal to the show, expressing excitement about her book and advocacy work. The conversation kicks off with Tamsen recounting the pivotal moment that redirected her career path.

Tamsen Fadal describes a life-changing incident:
“I was in the middle of a news broadcast when I suddenly collapsed in the ladies' room. My heart racing and a severe flush of fever hit me out of nowhere” ([04:32]). This alarming event led her to seek medical help, ultimately resulting in a menopause diagnosis at 49—a revelation that sparked her mission to educate and support other women navigating similar experiences.

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2. Creating a Documentary and Writing a Book

Determined to shed light on the often-overlooked topic of menopause, Tamsen teamed up with fellow documentarians to produce “Shredding the Silence on Menopause.” Over the course of three years, they conducted interviews with doctors and women nationwide, unearthing raw and personal stories. The documentary’s success with PBS affirmed the public’s hunger for this discourse.

Expanding her reach, Tamsen authored her book, which delves deeper into aspects like sleep, nutrition, and wellness, providing actionable insights for women. She emphasizes the communal aspect of menopause, highlighting how shared experiences foster understanding and support.

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3. Insights into Menopause and Its Impact

Zibby probes into the common themes and profound stories Tamsen encountered during her research. Tamsen reveals the diversity of experiences women face:

“I heard some of the rawest stories—changes in relationships, shifts in self-image, and the profound impact on daily life” ([08:05]). She underscores the psychological and emotional dimensions of menopause, where women often grapple with feelings of invisibility and irrelevance.

Tamsen points out a crucial mindset shift:
“Menopause doesn’t have to be a season of dread and suffering. It can be a time of freedom and self-nurturing” ([09:14]). She advocates viewing menopause as an opportunity for personal growth and rediscovery rather than an end.

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4. The Importance of Community and Self-Advocacy

A central theme in Tamsen’s advocacy is the significance of community support. She notes the lack of adequate medical training on menopause, leaving women feeling dismissed and uninformed. Her advice centers on self-advocacy:

“You have to be your biggest advocate. Ask direct questions and seek out healthcare professionals who specialize in menopause” ([19:59]). Tamsen emphasizes the necessity of finding knowledgeable doctors and building a supportive network to navigate the complexities of menopause effectively.

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5. Embracing Change and Overcoming Fear

Transitioning from a stable career in journalism to health advocacy posed significant challenges for Tamsen. She candidly shares her fears and the steps she took to overcome them:

“There was so much fear involved in stepping out of my comfort zone, but seeing the positive impact on women kept me moving forward” ([12:00]). Her approach involved meticulous planning, seeking partnerships, and gradually building a platform that addresses women’s needs comprehensively.

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6. Branding and Outreach Strategies

Tamsen elaborates on her branding efforts, which are integral to her mission. Collaborating with Sky High Interactive, she built a user-friendly website that consolidates vetted resources, making information accessible and actionable:

“I wanted to create a clear and clutter-free space where women can find all the information they need in one place” ([22:05]). Her active engagement on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok ensures she stays attuned to her community’s evolving needs, allowing her to address relevant topics promptly.

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7. Personal Reflections and Future Goals

Reflecting on her mother's battle with breast cancer and its influence on her advocacy, Tamsen shares a heartfelt perspective:

“I hope my work prevents other women from suffering in silence as my mother did” ([26:55]). Looking ahead, Tamsen aims to expand her efforts to ensure broader access to menopause-related healthcare and support, partnering with organizations to create comprehensive solutions for women across different environments.

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Conclusion

Tamsen Fadal’s journey from journalism to menopause advocacy exemplifies resilience and dedication. Through her documentary, book, and ongoing efforts, she empowers women to take control of their health and embrace this significant life transition with confidence and support. This episode of Totally Booked with Zibby not only highlights the importance of addressing menopause openly but also inspires listeners to advocate for themselves and seek the community they deserve.

Notable Quotes:

• “Menopause doesn’t have to be a season of dread and suffering. It can be a time of freedom and self-nurturing.” – Tamsen Fadal ([09:14])
• “You have to be your biggest advocate. Ask direct questions and seek out healthcare professionals who specialize in menopause.” – Tamsen Fadal ([19:59])
• “I hope my work prevents other women from suffering in silence as my mother did.” – Tamsen Fadal ([26:55])

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Connect with Tamsen Fadal:

• Website: zibbymedia.com
• Instagram: @tamsenfadal
• Book: HOW TO MENOPAUSE

Stay Informed: For more insights and discussions on the latest and most impactful books, follow Zibby Owens on Instagram and visit zibbymedia.com.

Transcript

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[Zibby Owens]

Hi, this is Zibby Owens and you're.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Listening to Totally Booked with Zibby, formerly.

[Guest Host]

Moms don't have time to read books.

[Zibby Owens]

In my daily show, I interview today's latest best selling, buzziest or underrated authors.

[Guest Host]

And story creators whose work I think.

[Zibby Owens]

Is worth your time. As a bookstore owner, publisher, author and.

[Guest Host]

Obviously podcaster, I get a comprehensive look at everything that's coming out and spend.

[Zibby Owens]

My time curating the best books so you don't have to stay in the know. Get insider insights and connect with guests like I do every single day. For more information, go to zibbymedia.com and follow me on Instagram Ibbeowens Tamsen Fadal is the author of how to Menopause, Take charge of your life, reclaim your life and feel even better than before. Tamsen is an Emmy Award winning journalist, documentary filmmaker and menopause advocate. Known as social media's midlife mentor, her candor and relatability have established her as a leading voice in the menopause space. With a passionate, loyal social media audience of three plus million, Tamsen is the creator, producer and co executive producer of the PBS documentary the M Shredding the Silence on Menopause which is the first documentary of its kind. Confronting the neglect menopause crisis, challenging societal and medical shortcomings, and advocating for a revolutionary approach to women's health. From the boardroom to the south by Southwest stage to Capitol Hill, she advocates for policies that eliminate the stigma of menopause and foster a work environment where women feel comfortable discussing and managing their midlife health journey. After more than three decades as a television news anchor, Tamsen made the bold decision to pivot her career towards women's health advocacy. She's the best friend guiding women through midlife and beyond. A one stop resource. Everything they need to know to live their best lives. Equally passionate about health, Tamsen holds a certificate in holistic health coaching from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. By the way, so do I. I did that like a hundred years ago. Serves on the national board of let's Talk Menopause and is a strong voice in the fight against breast cancer. After losing her mother to the disease in 1990. Her regular appearances in media outlets include Oprah Daly, the Today show, the New York Times, and the Harvard Business Review. Tamsen lives in New York City with her husband, Ira Bernstein.

[Guest Host]

Welcome, Tamsen. Thank you so much for coming on. Moms don't have time to read books to discuss how to menopause. So excited. Thank you so much for writing this book and thank you for being here today.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Thank you. Thanks for having me.

[Guest Host]

So you are a total expert. You've already done a whole documentary. You're like just here to help everyone talk about when and why you pivoted your career. You've changed your whole branding and you've gone into the menopause life. So talk about the whole thing.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Yeah, I don't even know. I don't even know when it all happened. If I look at it, I look back and I'm like, oh my gosh. I feel like, you know, I've been a journalist forever and I had an incident one night in November of 2019 that landed me on the floor of the ladies room while I was in the middle of a news broadcast. I used to broadcast the evening news in New York with WPIX tv and I did that forever and I thought I was gonna do that forever. And I landed on the floor not knowing what was wrong. One of my coworkers brought me there. I had had this severe an. And what felt like just a flush of fever all over my body and my heart racing out of control. And the heart was the thing that scared me the most. I wound up going to the. I recovered after not too long, went, went to the doctor within the following weeks. And I ended up eventually with a note in my patient portal, because I didn't originally go to a gynecologist. I originally went to a therapist. I said, maybe it's anxiety, maybe you need some antidepressants. I wound up going to my gynecologist and I got a note and it had four words in it. It said, in menopause, any questions? That was what was in my patient portal. And I went, what? I'm too young for that. But I was 49 at the time, so obviously not too young, but I had no idea. And that sent me down this, this kind of rabbit hole of trying to figure out what was going on, how this, how this happened to me, because I hadn't heard very, anybody talk about it and finally realized that, you know, half the world was going to be in menopause by the year 2025. And this was 2019, 2020, when I got the, got that news. And so I started, you know, with people I didn't get a lot of information, started asking questions, questions, questions, and that, you know, that's where we are today. Constant questions led me to this really with very few answers.

[Zibby Owens]

And so what did you do next?

[Guest Host]

How did you start learning and taking what happened to you to be science and all of the rest?

[Tamsen Fadal]

Yeah, you know, I took those and I said, like, I need to do something with this information. I was getting a lot of it. I talked to a friend of mine who was going through the same thing, who had been a producer on the Today show, Joanne LaMarca. And she said, we need a put this together somehow to help women. And so we ended up saying, like, all right, let's see if we can just put a film together. We can throw it up on YouTube just to give women some answers. But luckily we ran across two women in LA who were documentarians and we joined forces together. And that's how the documentary was born. The End Factor. Shredding the silence on menopause. It was about a three year journey of putting that together, interviewing doctors all over the country, interviewing women, sharing their stories from all over the country. And then PBS picked it up, which was super exciting, and let me know that there's a real audience for it because I Had gotten a lot of. There's no audience for this from menopause. No one wants to talk about menopause. It's kind of a, you know, just not a word that people want to bring out. Just be a little quiet with it. So we were working on the documentary at the same time. I realized I had so many interviews that I was doing and wanted to do that I approached a publisher about a book. And so I said it's kind of the what to expect when you're expecting, but it's how to menopause, how to parent, like what to do. And that's how the book came about. So while the film has a number of interviews and at the book has 42. And I was able to, you know, go a little bit deeper with the book and go into sleep and go into nutrition and wellness and talk about our bodies and how they change and how everything kind of changes during this time. And I think I found some women that were just really my. My. The community has helped me, has helped guide me to understand what they want to talk about and what we all want to talk about together. So it's been an incredible journey, an incred journey.

[Guest Host]

And when you opened up and asked women to talk, what did you hear?

[Tamsen Fadal]

Oh, my gosh, you know what? Some of the raw stories I've ever heard before, you know, being a journalist, I've heard thousands and thousands of different type of stories. But this one hit me personally, and I think that that's why I dove so deep into it. But I would hear things that were going on with their partners, how, you know, their sex life is different, how they went from having children to going right into perimenopause or being in perimenopause at the same time trying to understand, you know, what. What to do at this stage when feels different, how to dress different, how their skin is different, their hair. Very vulnerable stories. But I think the one through line is the mindset, you know, I think that that is the one through line of saying, wow, this is this different season in my life. And I think a lot of us feel maybe we're not so relevant anymore. Maybe we're feeling a little invisible. Maybe we want to do something different than what we were doing before. So I feel like their questions have led me down these different paths that I didn't think had anything to do with menopause. But I realized all I wanted to be part of the book because they were all part of the journey that all of us have been on together and are still going on together.

[Guest Host]

And so how do you menopause? Like, what was your. What were the findings that you.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Very careful. You know, I think that the biggest thing that I learned that I've. I've known all along, community was important. I. And we've all heard that in any season of life that we're in, I don't think I've ever seen it quite so important as this one of having community, having other women to talk to, being aware that doctors or don't get a lot of training when it comes to menopause. So women feel very dismissed. They feel like they don't know what's going on. So I think, you know, when you say, like, how do you menopause? You have to be your biggest advocate. And I hate to put that onus on women, but unfortunately that's the case. There's not a ton of research out there that makes women feel comfortable. There are not large amounts of education going on with doctors. So doctors have to learn a lot on their own. And so I think you have to. How to menopause. You know, you have to be your advocate first. Then you have to also know that this is a season that can be a really beautiful one. It doesn't have to be all dread and pain and suffering. And there are ways to not suffer. And that's what. That's what I wanted to get across in the book more than anything else. Because, you know, a lot of us go through that. A lot of us think we have to just suck it up and it'll all be okay, and that's not the case.

[Guest Host]

And wait, explain. What is the beauty? Where does the beauty come in?

[Tamsen Fadal]

Oh, the promise. There's beauty. You know, that's what I said at first. I was like, what now? Are you just saying that so I don't feel so scared about it? But you know what I think? I think there is quite. There's a bit of freedom, you know, that comes in this time in life. I think we all hear the phrase, like, oh, I don't. I don't care what I say anymore. I'm not even filtered anymore. Age has done this to me. But what I think really does it is there's this bit of time that you have to take a pause and take care of yourself finally. And I think as women, we don't really spend a lot of time doing that. We almost ask for permission to have that time to take care of ourselves. And I think this is the time that we have no choice but to do that. I found an Incredible freedom in feeling okay to step away from the only job that I'd ever known for, you know, decades of being a journalist, thinking that was the only title that was going to make me relevant, and not knowing that there was this whole other world out there. And then I also think that, you know, helping educate women and helping take that part of my voice, of asking questions and teaching them, has made me feel just so whole. Whole like I've never felt before. So there's some beauty that comes with that. I mean, you know, a lot of people are like, oh, there's beauty. You don't have your periods anymore. And of course, that's. That's one of them. But I think for me, that the bigger part of it is that freedom of my mindset, of knowing that, like, this is my time to really. To nurture myself.

[Zibby Owens]

So in those moments when you were.

[Guest Host]

Changing careers, not to keep jumping around, but I find that's very empowering. And I know so many people, especially at this time of life, are ready to take something else on, or they're like, wait, I'm smart and I'm motivated, but what do I do and where do I go? Like, how did you manage that transition? And were you ever feeling like, oh, this is a mistake. I'm too scared to go this direction.

[Tamsen Fadal]

As I was signing off, I was saying that the same thing. They were, like, throwing a party for me in the studio that day, and to say, you know, tams has been here how many years and here's your old videos, and. And I was like, oh, my gosh, am I do. Do I. Do I need to take this all back? Is it too late? No. You know, I. I think that that fear just comes with that. I mean, I think it just does. Like, anything new, anything different, anything that is makes you step outside of your comfort zone. And I'm sure I'm certainly outside of my comfort zone. You know, I'm not a doctor. I'm. I'm a journalist. That's what I am by trade. I'm a storyteller. And so I knew that I was going to carry that part with me. And, yes, came with a lot of planning. It came with a lot of, you know, back and forth. My mom always used to say to me, like, do the list of the pros and cons. And I thought, really, for something this important, like, this feels more important than just the pros and cons list. But, yeah, it came with a lot of fear. And there's some days I wake up and I go, gosh it would have been a lot easier just to go into the studio today and know what, what I was going to do at the end of the day versus the documentary. I didn't really, I'd never done one before. I wasn't sure what the reaction was going to be. And it turns out that it's now been in over 35 countries and I, I, I was, now, I'm not in any way prepared for, for what's happened, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. And when I'm stopped on the street by somebody that says, like, I, I went to the doctor and I asked questions or I'm feeling better or thank you, then I know I'm on the right path. It's almost like, it's almost like just when I get a little bit nervous about what I, you know, where I am, I get something sprinkled in my path to let me know. It's, it's like little breadcrumbs. Let me know I'm going the right way. And so, you know, I would never say to anybody, like, just be fearless because I don't know how to do that. But I definitely do know how to take one step at a time and that's what it took.

[Guest Host]

And so in the book, what should women do when they're ready to take care of themselves and make themselves a priority? Pay attention to the signs.

[Zibby Owens]

Then what?

[Guest Host]

Like, what is the most? And also, how do you tell the difference between the fact that we're aging versus a hormonal shift? Like, where is the line between just like how to menopause versus how to age gracefully?

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[Tamsen Fadal]

Well, you know, I, I told you I threw out my back over the weekend. So I'm like, oh my gosh, maybe that's age, that's not menopause for sure. It's a really good question. You know, I always say if a woman is in their late 30s, into their 40s, they should start looking for some of these different symptoms that you will normally see. So you're not playing, playing whack a mole with them. Because all women are going to go through the perimenopause and then into menopause. Menopause, really only one day. It's the one day that you haven't had your period for 12 months. And so anything up before that is perimenopause. So if you are seeing hair loss or dry skin, if you are, you know, feeling like you don't have any libido, if you are feeling this increasing, you know, heat come over you at different weird times, if you're in night sweats, if you used to be the person that would fall into bed and go to sleep and that's not happening anymore. If you are feeling like you're gaining weight in different areas even though you're eating the same and working out the same, you know, many of those are the symptoms of perimenopause and it really, it doesn't mean anything except that your hormones are starting to fluctuate a bit. I would say this, I would say that I wish that I had known earlier so I could have gone, oh, I got it, that's what this is. And now I can start addressing some of those things versus oh my gosh, is there something seriously wrong with me and what do I do about it? Because I think the fear comes with the not knowing.

[Guest Host]

So true. So what advice then? If you have somebody who has a lot of symptoms, do they go to the doctor? Do they, how do they know they have the right doctor? Because I've gone to, I've Gone to a lot of like, events and things about this. And one advice is like, advocate for yourself. And. But it's so hard to know when you're in your doctor's office. Do I have the right doctor? How do you even know?

[Tamsen Fadal]

Yeah, you know, I actually did a script in the book because, because I live my life by scripts, but also because I think it's really important that you feel empowered because I don't think it's so easy to say to a woman or anybody, go advocate for yourself and you're not feeling 100% or go advocate for yourself when this person's had 15 years of training and you haven't, you know, in this, in this area, I think it's important to ask really direct questions. Like, you know, I'm, I'm 43 years old. I know that at some point perimenopause and menopause are going to be something I'm dealing with. Could this be it? I think you have to ask really direct questions. We get seven to 15 minutes with our doctors. At some point I would even start with a nurse practitioner or somebody who's in that room. So you're setting it up. I would make, I would make sure to ask a very direct question. Are you comfortable talking about options for me, Are you comfortable talking about hormone therapy if that's an option that you would want? If it's not an option, are you comfortable talking about other options that I have? And I, I, you know, the doctor I was going to, I'd gone to for 20 plus years. It was somebody, I'd been through everything, through endometrium polyps or every everything. And I was really sad to leave them because it was such a comfort level. And I just thought like, you know, had to. Cell phone, you know, I was very comfortable with my, with my doctor, but I wasn't comfortable with what was happening to me, that I was still having to go figure it all out and feeling like I was being crazy by continuing to ask these questions. So I found a doctor that was, you know, that specialized in menopause and really understood it and not only understood hormones and how to talk about them, but understood the lifestyle changes. Because I'm not one that says just get on hormones and, you know, it'll all work out. I think you have to know your options. My mother died of breast cancer, so if she had survived breast cancer, most likely wouldn't have been able to do hormones and she would have had to have another option out there. So that's really important. That Women that are in that area are part of the conversation. But most important to me, that women in their late 30s, 40s don't suffer because those are awesome times. And you should be feeling amazing and not feeling like, you know, you've got to just sit there in silence.

[Guest Host]

One more thing I'm wondering about is how you have done your branding, because I'm kind of obsessed with all of it.

[Tamsen Fadal]

You.

[Guest Host]

It's, it's from the website to the Instagram. And I've been following. I've been getting your newsletter forever, right? Like every week we have another, like, question or what are we tackling? Or whatever, something inspiring. And then you even have all these workshops that you can add on and this new bonus campaign. And it's, it's really smart marketing. So tell me about that.

[Zibby Owens]

Are you working with a firm?

[Guest Host]

Are you just a marketing genius? Like, what do you.

[Tamsen Fadal]

I'm not a marketing genius. Tell me about it. No, I don't have a marketing firm or anything. I have somebody that does my website, and it's Sky High Interactive. It's a woman named Becca who I adore. I was working with her before I was even into all this. And we had put together a website, just. It was just a, like a personal website. And then I said to her, I think we've got to make some changes on all of this because we are going into another area. And she goes, okay, that's really different than being a news journalist. But I think what was important to me with all of it is providing information that I couldn't find anywhere in one place. And so for me, and you know, constantly changing it because I, I want to add more stuff and more stuff, and I would be adding stuff every single day if I, if I could. So it's important to me, two things, for it to be clear and actionable. Because there's nothing worse when you have brain fog. Oh, brain fog. Another big one that I didn't mention before. When you have brain fog or can't remember things like what to do. And I don't think it's fair to tell women like, go here, go here, go here, here, Google. Because you can find a lot when you Google. So I wanted to make sure I put as many vetted resources that I could on the website, and I'm still trying to build that out the best I can. And then with social, I don't know, we. We really have a good time with it. You know, I do have some people that help me with the social now because we're going from event to event and want to get interviews with the women that are there. And that's been fun. And so we just try to set out and really look at what the community's talking about, whether it's on Facebook or Instagram or TikTok, and then say, how do we address some of those things as we go forward? So we don't have, like. Like, I don't know, calendars way in advance and planning, I don't have any of that because I couldn't even think that far in advance. But we just try to move. I just can't. And everyone's so annoyed with me about it right now. Like, we need. We need a plan. And I said, I don't have a plan. My plan is tomorrow. But we have a really good time with kind of moving those things out. And so if we, you know, shoot content, we'll, you know, we'll do, like, stuff in the kitchen for a few days in advance to make sure that's, like, done. But I can't say, oh, in March 15th, here's what we're going to put on the calendar. I just, I think we have to go with the flow of the. Of the community and what we're, you know, what we're here hearing. And. And once we did the documentary, that was like, a source of so many women talking about what they wanted to know and what was confusing to them. So every time I see a lot, then I try to put together one of those PDFs to kind of put it all in one place. I'm glad. I'm glad you noticed.

[Guest Host]

Oh, my gosh. No, I love it.

[Tamsen Fadal]

I love it. Thank you. I just try to do what's easy in my brain. I really. I can't get it. I can't be in clutter because then I can't process anything. And the brain fog made me, like, like.

[Guest Host]

Yeah, no, it's helpful, but I'm happy.

[Tamsen Fadal]

To pass all those names along.

[Guest Host]

All of it. It's. It's really.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Yes, it's good. Try it.

[Guest Host]

It's really good.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Thank you.

[Guest Host]

Do you ever wonder, like, if women, particularly at this stage, stopped worrying about all of this stuff? Right. If there was a solution, if they knew and could, like, put it in a box, sort of like you're saying, because they understand the symptoms and just can put it aside, or stop worrying about their bodies really in any way and focus on other stuff, like the power of that, to have all that extra mind space freed up.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Oh, my gosh. I. You know what? I. I do think about that a lot, because I always think of where we are at this time in life. Like, you know, we're in this place where we're, we're at the peak of so many things. We've got that wisdom, right, and we're thriving. And like, my 40s were an awesome time. My 30s were an awesome time. And I, and I want things to not feel so scary. And I would like that. I'd like you to know that, like, hey, we're going to do this and this is where it's going to happen. Which is why I think there should be some kind of baseline in women's health care, because I think a lot of times we don't have it. We don't have time to go to five different doctors or means to go to 20 different doctors to figure out what's going on. And if we knew that it was that, and then we had five solutions. Whatever it is, this person can do this, this person can do that. It would be nice. I mean, I know that everybody comes by differently. The intensity of symptoms are differently, the length of time you're going to have different symptoms than I'm going to have. And I understand all that stuff, but I think there is some kind of comfort in knowing what you're dealing with and then so you can. We want, we're solution oriented, right? Women are like, tell me what the problem is and we'll solve it. Like, that's, that's what I think. I, When I talk to men, oftentimes it's like, what's the problem? All right, well, let's see. And a woman's like, let's get to the source and figure it out. And so I would love to see that in time with, with research. And that's what we're, you know, that's what we're fighting for all the time. Because I think it's, you know, we have to take charge of our own health. Nobody else is going to do it for us. Right.

[Guest Host]

I was so sorry to hear about your mom. What do you think she would make of your whole career? What would she say if she could see it?

[Tamsen Fadal]

I don't know. I think she'd be kind of shocked. I don't know. You know, she died when I was in college, and so she never knew, you know, what I, what, what I ever did. But. Well, I hope she does, you know, I hope she looks down and knows, but I hope that I do it so nobody else suffered like she did. You know, she went through chemotherapy and during that Time, she was, like, sweating all the time and hot. And we'd go into a restaurant and out of a restaurant, she couldn't stay anywhere. And we'd all kind of laugh it off together. And when I. I look back now, it was a few years ago, and I said, wow, she must have been in menopause. And then I got more information that a lot of women that go through, you know, she had a double mastectomy and chemotherapy and radiation. She obviously went through a surgical menopause, but Ned never said the word. And I don't even know if she knew she was in it. And maybe she did, but she never told me. I. I even asked my. My dad. He was 82 at the time. And I said, did mom ever say that she was in menopause? And he said, I had no idea until I started listening to some of your videos and interviews. Isn't that unbelievable? So all these. We had no idea. So I hope that she would be grateful that, you know, maybe there's another woman out there or millions of women that don't. Don't have to suffer not knowing. I hope so. Thank you for that question. That's a really kind question.

[Zibby Owens]

What.

[Guest Host]

What is left for you now? What is on your wish list? Are we starting the Tamsen Fadal center for Women's Health? Like, where. Where are we going with this?

[Tamsen Fadal]

Gosh, I wish. I would love that. I would love to be helping more women. Yeah, I think that my. My goal is to advocate for more women, find not only the education now, but the. That that's really important because we can talk about it forever in panels and have these conversations, but now we have to get women the real help, you know, And I think that that's what's most important to me is. Is figuring out ways to partner, to do that. Because I think that none of us can do it by ourselves. And I do really think that there's got to be an answer for women. There's got to. There's got to be something that they can go to so they're not like, hey, thanks for that. Now what do I do? You know, because we're talking about women in all different areas, not just women in New York and LA and in these big cities. We're talking about women that don't have access to an OB GYN or travel miles for it, or don't have the time to take off and go see a doctor, take up five hours off of work. So that's really the next part that I'd like to focus on is that access? Because I think it's critical and workplace, too, because each one of us work in a different kind of environment. And I think it's important for employers to know what's going on and, you know, figure out if there's ways, depending on the work environment, to help these women.

[Guest Host]

I want to do like a screening. I know it's too late. It's already out. But still. Do you still do this?

[Tamsen Fadal]

No, no. They're going on everywhere. Yes, we. Yes. We have hundreds coming up, like, across the world. I would. I'd.

[Guest Host]

Okay, I'm going to.

[Tamsen Fadal]

I would love to do that.

[Guest Host]

Set something up.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Yeah, please do. I'll get it set up with you personally. Yeah, absolutely. I would love that. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. The documentary has been an. Interesting to hear women talk and react to what they didn't know. And so it makes me feel really good. Really good.

[Zibby Owens]

Well, good for you.

[Guest Host]

Thank you for helping so many people. It's really amazing.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Oh, gosh. Thanks for. Thanks for what?

[Guest Host]

You're.

[Tamsen Fadal]

You're the, like, you're the woman that lifts up all women, so thank you for that.

[Guest Host]

Thank you.

[Tamsen Fadal]

All right. You do well.

[Guest Host]

Congratulations. And I'm so excited to see all the places this book will go.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Oh, thank you so much. Okay.

[Guest Host]

Bye, Tansen. Thank you.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Bye. Feel better with your back. Thank you so much. Bye. Bye.

[Zibby Owens]

Thank you for listening to Totally Booked.

[Guest Host]

With Zibby, formerly Moms don't have Time to read Books.

[Zibby Owens]

If you loved the show, tell a.

[Guest Host]

Friend, leave a review.

[Zibby Owens]

Follow me on Instagram, ibbyowens and spread the word. Thank you. Thanks so much. Oh, and buy the books.

[Tamsen Fadal]

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[Tamsen Fadal]

This is just how my voice sounds.

[Unidentified Crew Member]

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[Tamsen Fadal]

Okay. Plus, enter to win up to $10,000 and double your tax refund.

[Unidentified Crew Member]

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[Tamsen Fadal]

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