I must be lucky in a lot of ways. I was never able to get pregnant, and suffered from horrible entrometriosis, resulting in a hysterectomy when I was 42 years old. I believe my total menopause symptoms lasted all of 3 days, and since that time, never had any. also, i do not take estrogent replacement becuase of all the bad things I hear about it. I am now 64 years old, have been happily married for 17 years and have an active life with my husband. AS I said, I was lucky, except for never being able to have children.