Introducing the Peri Princesa
The Peri Princesa is the tale based on me, elicia, the Passion Doula. Several years ago, I started noticing changes - or actually my wife noticed them before me. Each month, right before my period, I would get a debilitating cold, headache, and extreme fatigue. I asked my very feminist doc at the time if I could be perimenopausal.
Her: Are you having night sweats?
Me: No.
Her: Are you having hot flashes?
Me: No.
Her: Then no, you can’t be.
Well then what is going on with me?! Cut to me a few years later. I felt like I was losin’ it! Really mentally and emotionally disregulated to the point I asked my wife “do you think I have bipolar disorder?” I convinced myself it was due to COVID, the fall of empire, genocide, this damn fraud government, polycrisis that is our world.
Yes. It is also that. AND it’s also… duh. Perimenopause.
Then came the heavy bleeding. It got real bad to the point I was going through tampons and pads like I owned stock in Kotex. (which, I do not). I asked my then doc about it and that set me on a long journey of discovering I have fibroids (like MOST other folks who have a uterus). I got an IUD - hated it for me ‘cause it only increased the days each month I’d bleed. No bueno.
The doc suggested a hysterctomy. It was scheduled for Jan 27, 2026.
I was going to have a hysterectomy y’all. (Kept my uterus. Lost my job. Their loss, actually. But I digress.)
Around this time (Aug 2025), I stopped eating meat. Cold turkey (pun intended). In listening to The Way Out is In podcast and Tara Brach everyday, I gave up the 50-year-old practice of consuming meat because I couldn’t reconcile with eating another sentient creature. Then in January, I stopped drinking alcohol. It was long overdue and something that, quite honestly, an inner knowing I had felt for many moons. I also deepened my somatic, mediation practice and grew more in tune with my body. At 51 - I began to finally grasp the true meaning of self-love.
And I felt seen and a sense of both belonging AND outrage in talking with others around my same age. Women in their 50s on down to early 30s is saying the same thing! We are experiencing:
brain fog
fatigue
loss of libido
skin and hair changes
extreme mood swings
sensory sensitives (I have an even deeper appreciation and respect for folks with neurodivergence)
even psychosis (yes. I unplugged everything in our house and demanded our family move to Signal because I was convinced the FBI was watching. Turns out it was just ICE. Fuck them & ICE OUT PHILLY!
I had the privilege of attending the Creating Change conference in Jan 2026 and met the brilliant BADASS Lasara Fox. Actually, I purchased their book Genderqueer Menopause before I stalked met them in a Desire Mapping workshop. Mind. Blown. Not only are we NOT talking enough about perimenopause. But we sure as shit ain’t being gender inclusive!
So I dubbed myself the Peri Princesa, made a shirt (like I DO), wore it to the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and made a short reel about it! Peri Princesa was official.
This is where my brilliant ass wife comes in.
She said - “boo, we need to make Peri Princesa into a children’s book.”
OHMYGAWWWWWWW. We had just met the brilliant BADASS Syreeta (Reeta Beeta) who created the beautiful book Welcome to the World Warrior - to teach folks about sickle cell anemia (scheduled storyteller for the Dearly Beloved (un)pod!). From there - we went into full production mode and already knew the cast of characters:
Mama Sophia based after my beautiful, resilient, courageous mom who shared her own woes dealing with menopause back in her day. The “Boomers” suffered in silence. Peri Princesa is here to ensure we do NOT. Mama Sophia is living her BEST life now that she found her love for pottery! (sold here)
Aunt Flow based on my lovely “Auuuuntie Nae” (IYKYK). Without QUESTION, she created the Aunt Flow Peri Pads (sold here) for perimenopausal folks who are sick and tired of buying expensive (and unsafe…another time) pads for periods that may or may not even make an appearance. When Aunt Flow arrives. the Aunt Flow Peri Pads save the day!
Buddy Trav is Peri Princesa’s best friend and homie for life. No one knows Trav’s gender. They don’t care to share ‘cause “ain’t no one’s business anyhow.” Trav is always there to help Peri when she flies away, gets scared, confused, or unsure of herself. Trav dusts off her tiara and mini-pad cape, and the two of them frolic on the beach or take a NASA robot to the moon!
COUSIN Rebecca is Peri Princesa’s curious, silly, dance-till-you-drop older sister. She warns Peri Princesa of what life has in store as she wanders around soaking up the sun from the crispy air on the Ben Franklin Bridge. The famous Philly Bridge is OLD - but NOT as old as the tired antics that make us feel like we are losing our minds!!
Peri Princesa - like all of us - is a work in progress. She will come to life:
during conversations with badass women and femme leaders, healers, creatives, and entrepreneurs on the soon-to-launch Dearly Beloved (un)pod (4/30/2026)
kid-friendly educational goodies that are practical. For example: big/little water bottles (‘cause hydrate, y’all) AND educational. Big: #MamaTired; Little: “I love my hot mama”) Sold online (soon) and in a neighborhood gathering near you! Follow along on IG!
out and about Philly, the U.S., and who knows where else! She is in her #UNSTOPPABLEera!
in a 3-part children’s book series (currently in production) and subsequent story shares. Email to find out how to bring Peri Princesa to your children’s group (or grown folks gathering, too)
Ok ya’ll. Gotta go rest. No but like for real. Go slow to go far.
We are goin’ to be alright. Better than alright. We are gonna SHINE bright like the diamond on Peri Princesa’s tiara!