Menopause. On the average, how long?

So I stayed on the pill until from 16 to about 55.

I went off and immediately kicked into full-blown Menopause.

I said, "Screw this!" and went onto HRT. Whew.

This summer, my prescription expired and being on vacation, I again said, "Screw it."

At 61, I was pretty confident I'd be through it.

Well, I am to a degree. I still get this flashes, that although are intense, are also short-lived.

How long should I probably plan to have this continue?

I had really hoped I'd gone through Menopause while on the pill and my body just wouldn't notice, but no such luck.

Thanks for your info.