Circling the Drain

A podcast about the period BEFORE you stop getting your period. The concept of a woman "circling the drain" conjures up negative imagery for some, but the origin of this as the name of the podcast has a story. A friend, in her 30's at the time, was listing her ailments to a male physician who clearly had a terrible bedside manner, because he responded to her complaints by shrugging his shoulders in a dismissive fashion and saying something like, "I don't know what to tell you. From now on, you're basically just circling the drain!" Co-hosts Ellie and Julia have been laughing at the audacity of this tone-deaf interaction ever since, and when they decided to start this podcast about the plight of the aging woman, they chose to reclaim and repurpose the phrase in the spirit of humor. Every human on the planet is circling the drain from the moment we are born. The question is, how slowly and gracefully can we spiral? And can we minimize the discomfort while we whirl? Perimenopausal co-hosts Ellie and Julia take a deep dive into the sometimes embarrassing, often hilarious, and always bewildering issues of the hormonal changes that take place in midlife. Through honest accounts, thoughtful interviews, and group panel discussions, their mission is to make you chuckle, make you nod your head in recognition, and hopefully make some scientific progress.

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Circling the Drain

Age Out Loud with Katie Fogarty

February 21, 2024 • Ellie Dvorkin Dunn & Julia Granacki with Katie Fogarty • Season 3 • Episode 67

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Katie Fogarty will make you feel like turning 50 is the best thing that could ever happen to you. She is the host of A Certain Age, an age-positive podcast that helps you live your best evolving midlife—loud and proud. She is also the creator of the Age Out Loud movement, a platform which aims to spotlight as many stories of midlife awesomeness as possible. On top of all that, she is the founder and CEO of The Reboot Group, helping professionals build great careers, which includes encouraging reinvention in midlife. We talked about the stupidity of lying about your age, the importance of finding doctors who get it, and Julia's definition of "trash panda rage". We also talk about how Ellie may not be able to hit the high notes anymore, but she can still do the high jumps in ballet class. If you need a boost of inspiration, look no further than this episode.

Topics and timestamps
9:40 - Not realizing you are in perimenopause until you are on the other side
13:00 - Launching A Certain Age podcast right before turning 51
21:10 - The art of career reinvention
26:11 Working as a board member of Let's Talk Menopause
29:45 - Children's awareness of menopause
33:35 - The Age Out Loud movement

Handles and sites
A Certain Age Podcast
A Certain Age Insta
A Certain Age facebook
Age Out Loud Insta
The Reboot Group

List of Resources Mentioned
School Spirits
Why Ballet Might be the Best Exercise for Midlife
Let's Talk Menopause
Support the Menopause Research and Equity Act of 2023
Dr. Helen Fisher

Other Links
Erin's Faces Affiliate Link
Julia G Wellness

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People on this episode

Ellie Dvorkin Dunn

Co-host

Julia Granacki

Co-host