So Grateful for You!

This is my quiet moment—the pause between the years, the time of taking-stock. One thing I know for sure—I have a lot to be grateful for this year!

It’s been more than ten years already since I decided to specialize in the sexual needs of women in midlife—women like you and me. As I mention here, I wanted to provide clinically sound, research-driven information to women who are caught in the throes of the menopausal transition. I wanted to address our sexual issues head-on, without embarrassment or beating around the bush. I also wanted to provide a safe, tasteful environment in which you could actually buy the products I was recommending—vibrators, lubricants, moisturizers, dilators, vaginal weights.

That was the rationale behind MiddlesexMD. I envisioned a space in which to communicate with a lot more of you than I could see in my clinical practice. A place where you can ask questions or start a conversation and where I can discuss whatever’s on my mind—from research on new drugs and therapies to tips on maintaining sexual intimacy. And we did put together a shop, where you can find those safe, tested, high-quality products, and have them mailed to you in discreet packaging.

It’s been a journey, that’s for sure—rewarding, challenging, busy, and sometimes unexpected. In 2013, the North American Menopause Society awarded me the “Certified Menopause Practitioner of the Year.” Late last year, I published my book, Yes, You Can: Dr. Barb’s Recipe for Lifelong Intimacy. The book uses my recipe for sexual health and draws from the accumulated wisdom on MiddlesexMD—your questions, the blog posts, and my own thinking.

Response to the book has been wonderful. It was a banner year for interviews on various media outlets about the book and my work. I’m grateful for these opportunities to communicate to a broader circle of midlife women that they have options, that sex can still be rich and fulfilling, and more importantly, that they are not alone.

When I began this endeavor, I couldn’t have anticipated how gratifying it would be to meet such resilient, independent, inquisitive women who are tackling life’s challenges gracefully and well. I’ve been honored to share this journey with you and to provide some support and information that may make the experience easier and, I hope, more joyful for you.

So, my friends, here’s to good health and good sex. Thank you for sharing your journey with me.