My mom had a hysterectomy at 51, so have no idea when it would have been normal for her.

I finally realized that I was going through menopause at the age of 53-54 but I didn't realize what was going on. I had gone through a trauma in 2004 & ended up seriously anorexic & my period had stopped then (I was 51).....so I just thought that it was the anorexia.

Then I left my bad marriage after 33 years. Wt the age of 54 & moved from the dry hot desert of Southern California to the humid heat of KY. I was still dealing with anorexia recovery & I just thought that the sweating had to do with the horrible humidity that I was then dealing with. It finally dawned on me that he was menopause. Hot flashes lasted on & off for about a year & them poof, they were gone. LOL, we had another really hot humid summer this year & it almost felt like I was going through hot flashes again. I don't use my AC unless it's over 90F so obviously it had to have been the heat & the fact that I was sick & running a temp that kept breaking.....felt just like when I had the hot flashes but only lasted for the few summer months that were extremely miserable this year.

Can't imagine how bad it is for some people....just like with everything else, I usually just blow it off as something else. LOL...I thought my labor pains were indigestion from eating a whole bag of BBQ potato chips after eating no junk food at all for 9 months. I am definitely NOT a good indication of NORMAL.