Odds & ends for the weekend

• FIVE WEEKS to the day after my colonoscopy, the doctor's office FINALLY called me with the pathology results for the three polyps that were removed. All negative/clear, thankfully. The doctor will call me for a follow-up phone consultation -- in September (?!! -- I blame covid for the lengthy timelines...) and I will return for my next colonoscopy in five years (not 10), which I understand is the standard protocol when they've found polyps (even if they're benign). (Hopefully by then they'll have invented a better prep drink...??)
• If you're looking for something nice to do for yourself on what can be a very difficult day for most of us in this community, Sarah at Afterward Honesty is offering a free yoga class for CNBC women on the afternoon of Sunday, May 8th (You-Know-What Day). 
• I was one of several CNBC bloggers who test-drove the class with Sarah recently. It's been quite a while since I hit the mat (and I've gotten decidedly more creaky since then -- erk!!)  -- and I've never tried doing a yoga class on Zoom before -- but Sarah was a great and accommodating teacher, and it was lovely to be in the same (virtual) space with some old friends and put together others' names & faces. :)   
• Katy, the Pleasure Anarchist (who is mostly on Instagram), shared how she made peace with a CNBC life in a great article on the Today Show website. 
• Sample passage: "I think a lot of people get really caught up on the on the idea of like, “Well, if I’m not a mother, then I’ve got to be extra cool and travel the world and have all these incredible experiences.” Don’t put that pressure on yourself. I’m just living a normal life! It’s OK to stop your fertility journey and just continue living, and that’s something I really want to stress. You don’t have to do anything spectacular. You can just drink a beer and lay in your hammock."
• Jill Filipovic interviewed Laura Carroll for her Substack newsletter about Carroll's recently released longitudinal study of childfree women, "25 Over 10" (which is in my to-read pile).  The study followed 25 childfree women over 10 years to see whether they changed their minds about having children (as many around them predicted they would). There's still some interesting and relevant content for those of us who didn't choose this life.
• Carroll is also the author of (among other things) "The Baby Matrix," the definitive manifesto about pronatalism and a must-read for childless and childfree people -- and parents, too!  
• Carroll talked about the book and about how childless and childfree people need to unite to build a shared movement for change on the New Legacy Radio podcast in March. 
• "America lost its way on menopause research. It’s time to get back on track." said The Washington Post in an opinion piece this week. (Hopefully not paywalled?)  
• I was blown away by these stats quoted: "More than 1 billion people worldwide will be in menopause by 2025. Today, there are 55 million in the United States alone, nearly 75 percent of whom report not receiving support or treatment for its effects." 
• And: "While one third of American women are at any time in some stage of menopause, most doctors don’t even know how to talk about it, let alone treat it. According to the Mayo Clinic, only 20 percent of postgraduate residents reported their programs had a formal menopause curriculum, and fewer than 1 in 10 residents in family medicine, internal medicine and gynecology told the clinic they felt “adequately prepared” to manage the care of patients in the various stages of menopause." 
• "As a new generation enters menopause, we are demanding change." It's about time...!  (The Brits, as usual, are miles ahead of North America on this front.)  
• Also in the Washington Post: "Google is letting you limit ads about pregnancy and weight loss" (and other sensitive topics). (Subhead: "When you’re fed up or grieving, targeted ads about sensitive topics can be hard to shake.") There may still be some ads that slip through:  "That’s why the company says the controls help you see “fewer” ads you don’t want to see, rather than “none.” " 
• To opt out of ad categories, go to myaccount.google.com. Select “Data & Privacy” from the menu on the left, then go to “Ad settings” and look for “Sensitive ad categories.” (Worth a try...!)