Who is the Menopausal Bride?
Stan-‘ess’ is the feminine version of Stan-‘ley’.  An original name created by my parents when I, the first-born, was not a boy, but a girl.  I have spent my entire life trying to live up to my parents expectations that I should have been a boy until menopause reminded me…I’m no boy.

And it is just as well, being one of the original executive producers to launch Oprah Winfrey’s television network for women, Oxygen Media, I have since devoted most of my career to women’s issues. I proudly co-created the Be Fearless campaign at Oxygen Media, as well as executed produced and directed Inhale a daily yoga exercise show to rock and roll music, Who Does She think She Is?! profiling powerful women, Just Cause featuring celebrities and their causes, Oxygen Women’s Forum with Vice President Al Gore, and Worth the Risk partnered with WITNESS, a Peter Gabriel organization committed to global human rights.

But, before my wonderful experience with Oprah Winfrey’s Oxygen Media, I produced for MTV’s Road Rules (earning a Prism Award for episode #407), Lifetime TV ’s Speaking of Women’s Health with Florence Henderson, A&E’s LA Detectives, WE’s Savvy, and wrote for Travel Daily starring Peter Greenberg.

My recent TV hit is VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club (season #1) which I co-executive produced for Granada USA. During these successes, I launched my own production company, Krystal Productions  (www.krystalproductions.com), which earned a total of 12 Telly Awards for corporate clients such as America West Airlines and the Hilton Hotels, a Cindy Award for the State of California ‘anti-smoking’ campaign, and an ADDY and SIVA for Technicolor.

Many years ago, shortly after graduating UCLA from the theater arts department, I appeared on-camera in The Love Boat, Falcon’s Crest, Young & Restless, Donald Trump’s Game Show pilot, feature film I Was a Teenage Vampire, and numerous commercials.

I live in Los Angeles, and am happily married to my Prince Charming who is happy I am not a boy.

The Menopausal Bride dares to redefine the menopause experience.  She is a crusader for “the change”.

Why did the Menopausal Bride launch a website?
It took 30 years of dating to find the man of my dreams, and it took 30 days to find out that I was smack dab in the middle of menopause.  Being a forty-something, first- time engaged woman, I was enjoying all the traditional celebrations that go with being a bride-to-be. With the exception excessive sweating from hotflashes during wedding preparations, dry itchy skin during make-up trials, being so bloated I couldn't get my new shiny diamond ring off to do dishes, having breasts that were swollen they entered my bridal shower before I did, laying in bed awake all night because the sheets were soaking wet and not from a wild night with the my Prince Charming, and let's not forget to mention, ahhhh what was I going to say? Oh, I forgot! I have lost my mind.

Unlike the romantic experience I was having being engaged to Mr. Right, menopause felt like being engaged to Mr. Wrong. I became desperate to find answers quickly before I scared off my future groom with seriously cranky irritable moods, before I out-grew my wedding gown, and there was no way I was going buy a gallon of lubrication for my honeymoon night. I searched bookstores, on-line sources and spoke to doctors begging for a 12-week plan (that's all I had before the wedding day) to get back to feeling and looking the way I used to.

There were no books, or on-line guides with the action plan I needed. There were countless of books, and other sources on menopause by doctors with vast amounts of medical information, but they merely just explained and confirmed my current menopausal situation. I needed information that was brief, to- the- point with a clear-cut map as to what direction to take. So I created a 12-week plan that changed my life.

Why does she look so happy?
Going through terrible menopause symptoms, frustration at a lack of answer that worked for me, gaining weight so fast I was going broke buying larger clothes, and driving everyone crazy with my cranky moods, I was far from happy. I was miserable and depressed for a long time. After extensive research and finding my own answers I created a plan that worked.
• A plan where I got my health back
• A plan that balanced my hormones
• A plan that changed my life
I feel a responsibility to menopausal women everywhere to share this information. And I am having a lot of fun along the way meeting remarkable women going through the same experience. Your stories have inspired me to continue being a crusader for the change!

• Read more about Marriage & Menopause

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