I'm no boy

The first question most people ask, “What kind of name is Staness?”

Stan-‘ess’ is the feminine version of Stan-‘ley’. An original name created by my parents when I, the first-born, was not a boy, but a girl. I have spent my entire life trying to live up to my parents expectations that I should have been a boy, until menopause reminded me…I’m no boy.

It is just as well, being one of the original executive producers to launch Oxygen Media, television network for women co-founded by Oprah Winfrey, I have since devoted most of my career to women’s issues. I proudly co-created the Be Fearless campaign at Oxygen Media, as well as executed produced and directed Inhale a daily yoga exercise show to rock and roll music, Who Does She think She Is?! profiling powerful women, Just Cause featuring celebrities and their causes, Oxygen Women’s Forum with Vice President Al Gore, and Worth the Risk partnered with WITNESS, a Peter Gabriel organization committed to global human rights.

Before my wonderful experience with Oprah Winfrey’s Oxygen Media, I associate produced MTV’s Road Rules (earning a Prism Award for episode #407), post produced Lifetime TV’s Speaking of Women’s Health with Florence Henderson, field produced A&E’s LA Detectives, as well as WE’s Savvy, and wrote for Travel Daily starring Peter Greenberg.

One of my latest credits, VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club (season #1) which I co-executive produced for Granada USA. During these successes, I launched my own production company, Krystal Productions (www.krystalproductions.com), which earned a total of 12 Telly Awards for corporate clients, such as America West Airlines and Hilton Hotels, a Cindy Award for the State of California ‘anti-smoking’ campaign, and an ADDY and SIVA for Technicolor.

Many years ago, shortly after graduating UCLA from the theater arts department, I appeared on-camera in The Love Boat, Falcon’s Crest, Young & Restless, Donald Trump’s Game Show pilot, feature film I Was a Teenage Vampire, and numerous commercials.

I now live in Los Angeles happily married to my Prince Charming, who is thrilled I am not a boy.

Now I am a crusader for “the change.”

It took 30 years of dating to find the man of my dreams, and it took 30 days to find out that I was smack dab in the middle of menopause. Being a forty-something, first-time engaged woman, I was enjoying all the traditional celebrations that go with being a bride-to-be. With the exception excessive sweating from hot flashes during wedding preparations, dry itchy skin during make-up trials, having breasts so swollen they entered my bridal shower before I did, laying in bed awake from night sweats and not from a wild night with my Prince Charming, and let’s not forget to mention, ahhhh what was I going to say? Oh, I forgot! I have lost my mind.

Unlike the romantic experience I was having being engaged to Mr. Right, menopause felt like being engaged to Mr. Wrong. I became desperate to find answers quickly before I scared off my future groom with cranky moods, and before I out grew my wedding gown. I searched bookstores, on-line sources and spoke to doctors begging for a plan that would help me return to feeling normal and looking like myself.

There were no books, or on-line guides with the action plan I needed. There were numerous books, and other sources on menopause by doctors with vast amounts of medical information, but they merely explained and confirmed my current menopause situation. I needed information that was brief, to-the-point with a clear-cut map with the direction I needed to take. Going through terrible menopause symptoms, gaining weight, driving everyone crazy with cranky moods, I was far from happy. After extensive research and finding my own answers, I created an 8-step 12-week plan that changed my life, balaned my hormones, and helped restore my health and beauty…. all in time for my wedding day, whew!

I feel a responsibility to menopausal women everywhere to share my solutions so I teamed up with leading menopause expert, Dr. Wendy Klein, and wrote The Menopause Makeover. I am having a lot of fun meeting remarkable women going through the same experience. Your stories have inspired me to continue being a crusader for the change!