As I begin to ponder how my own personal philosophy has been shaped regarding female menstrual alternatives, I have to thank my mom for bringing to my attention early on in life the joys and sorrows of the menstrual cycle, as well as the menacing and fearful “phase” of menopause.

As I blossomed into womanhood on September 10, 1992, at approximately 4:20, the only person I wanted to talk to was my mom. Unfortunately she was away on business so I resorted to telling my sister who promptly told my dad, who then declared that we were going out to dinner to celebrate. Completely humiliated, I was out in public (remember grade 8!), eating dinner with my Dad and my sister, and to top it all off, I had just gotten my period!

As I was adventuring into this new phase of my life, chin up, and ready to take on the world, my Mom was experiencing the exact opposite and encountering new challenges relating to her body and attempting to understand the complex process called menopause.

All throughout high school, the fluctuations of my mother’s moods, resulting from the hormones raging in her confused body, would either leave our house in fear of June- Cleaver-gone-psycho, or have us on the floor laughing at her newly discovered sense of humour. I can specifically remember one dinner when we were all sitting at the table, mostly as a joke, in our wool hats and scarves. The hot flashes and night sweats would never go unnoticed because my mom would perpetually blame one of us for her unfortunate “condition” as we would call it. As the years progressed the occurrences became few and less frequent and our house dynamics came back into balance.

Retrospecting upon these events, I only today realize the significance and impact my mother’s “menopausal misfortunes” had on my personal understanding and respect for my own body. As traumatic as some of the events were surrounding my mom’s menopause, she would always describe how she felt throughout the few years that it affected her mind, body, and spirit. The communication lines were always open and this helped me discover and discuss the important issues with which I was also struggling.

These discussions helped me make decisions about my own body. Over the past little while I have been using the keeper as a result of the exposure and negative attention drawn towards tampons and pads. Aside from the health risks, I am especially concerned about the impact they have on our environment.

So, I thank you mom, for all that we went through together, the distinctly different phases in our lives that complemented each other. Though we were struggling with different aspects of our lives, we helped each other out every step of the way!!!!!!!

Bell-shaped and made of natural gum rubber, The Keeper is worn internally during your menstrual cycle. It is about two inches long and can hold up to one full ounce of menstrual flow. The entire average monthly flow is about three ounces. And, it's easy to use. Empty the cap as required, every 4 to 12 hours, depending on your flow. The keeper can be safely worn overnight; it is not necessary to remove it for urination or bowel movements.

There are two styles of The Keeper. Order style "A" if you have ever had vaginal childbirth; order style "B" if you have not. It comes with detailed instructions and a discreet, 100% cotton draw string pouch.

Health Keeper Inc. 83 Stonegate Dr. Kitchener, Ontario Canada N2A 2Y8 519-896-8032 519-896-8031 fax 1-800-663-0427 www.keeper.com info@keeper.com

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