I am 44 years old and I am 2 weeks late on my period, I have taken a pregnancy test and it is negative. Do periods just stop dead if you are going through the menopause or is it a progressional process?

It's a lucky dip! Some women find that their periods just stop and that's it, they never have another one ever. Some women get longer spaces between their periods, over a random amount of time (2-3 years would be average for the menopause to work itself through). Some women get their periods coming thick and fast before they stop. And some women get first one thing and then another - basically a very erratic cycle that pleases itself.
 
So this may be the last period you ever get, or it may just be a 'heads up' that your menopause is hoving into view. You may go back to a regular cycle or continue with something less regular. There's no way of knowing until it happens, although we can sometimes make an educated guess depending on what else is happening depending on if you are experiencing other symptoms.

Eileen Durward