Health & Well-Being Pre-Menopause and Beyond

A recent Associated Press news story had me despising the media once again. It claimed that Gardasil, the vaccine that protects young women against cervical cancer, has a reputation for being one of the "most painful of childhood shots"  – noting reports of pain and fainting from the shot.

This has to be one of the most ridiculous wastes of time in printing such an article, and of my time in reading it. I won't even bother to post a link to it here!

First of all – hello… IT'S A SHOT! As with anything else, it all relates to tolerance level. We're talking about a vaccine that is recommended for girls between the ages of 9 and 26 – not little children. Most selecting the vaccine are in their teens and early 20s.

We all know that some people are babies when it comes to a needle of any kind, whether it's a vaccine, or blood sample. I have two daughters, one has zero tolerance to pain (she has had to be restrained for a simple TB test!), and the other is "normal" – both had the Gardasil shot and both survived just fine.  The nurse warned them of the rumors, which didn't help for my "baby" (now age 20)- so of course, she said it "stung" and my other daughter (age 16) didn't even flinch.

The article noted a rise in reports of vaccine-associated fainting. Hype has a lot to do with the hysterics, which has a lot to do with teenaged girls fainting. Not to mention the fact that teens faint more than any other age group.

Even if it hurts for a second, it should not deter any young woman from protecting herself. Gardasil is the first and only vaccine I know of that specifically targets the human papilloma virus (HPV), responsible for cervical cancer.

I was watching Oprah the other day, when an audience member asked Dr. Oz this question (how long will hot flashes last without HRT), explaining that her night sweats were driving her crazy.

For those of us trying to find out more about our menopause symptoms and treatments, he gave a very easy-to-understand explanation of hot flashes, akin to misfiring ovaries. He said that during this time, ovaries are intermittently secreting estrogen. Estrogen dilates arteries – arteries open, therefore causing the 'rush of blood' to areas such as the face – hence the hot, flushed sensations. Just as suddenly, the flow of estrogen shuts down.

He said that the whole process usually lasts less than five years – then they got into a discussion of hormone replacement therapy. He seems to be pro-HRT and wanted to get into the different forms, but it sounded like that would be another show altogether. He seemed to be waiving a caution flag regarding alternative herbal therapies, saying herbal was not necessarily better – pointing out that it is an unregulated area and the tendency for herb's potentcy to variate, among other things.

It will be interesting to see the show on that subject.

 Way back when my mother, her friends and my aunts were discussing the types of hormone therapies they were trying for their menopause symptoms, I really did not pay too much attention. It all sounded foreign and was too far off into the future for me to be concerned about it then. Boy, does time fly!

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) has come a long way since those days and with continuing research and education, it will remain a viable option for some women.  After doing some research on the subject, I have posted a page with a general overview – here.

As a woman who is not one for taking drugs (besides over-the-counter pain reliever), in my research into menopause symptoms and treatments, I have been looking into alternative therapies, and will have a page for you on that soon (it's almost done).

The choice is a highly personal one, as every woman is different and each person will have differing levels of physical and emotional experiences when it comes to menopause.

I just happened to find this bag the other day, maybe you have heard of it. It is called the Butler Bag, designed by a   busy mom after she discovered a way to organize a diaper bag using the utensil bin from a dishwasher, of all things!  She carried the idea over to designing the world's first compartmentalized handbag!

 This bag is a lifesaver! I mean, it really could be for some women. Think about the stories you have heard involving women's safety in parking lots and garages where valuable time is lost searching for their keys at the bottom of a purse. Besides being maddening, an unorganized bag can be dangerous.

 As soon as you open the handbag, everything is in plain view – no more searching for the keys, cell phone, money etc. There's even room for my water bottle!

 It comes in two sizes, a Classic style and the larger (my favorite) Hybrid style, which is large enough to hold a small notebook computer and file folders. You don't even need a wallet with this purse, since your cash and credit cards stand up straight in one of the compartments – fumble free!

I was very impressed with the quality of the bag. It is very spacious without being bulky and the leather is of the same quality as a designer bag that cost me a few hundred dollars more.  And what's more important, the stress of being unorganized was instantly lifted!

Click here for the Butler Bag Sample Sale!

Even at my busiest, I have always considered myself to be extremely organized – remembering appointments and schedules without the need of a PDA, notepad, calendar or any other mind-aid. Heck, I remembered every family member's schedule! My nickname was 'the human filing cabinet.'  However lately, over the past year or so (I can't remember )  it seems that I am tripped up by things that I never had to think twice about – can't begin to tell you how many times in the past six months I have had to turn the house upside down looking for my car keys. I mean, it is absolutely ridiculous how stupid and unorganized I can be on any given day. Lost keys, lost cell phone, forgotten appointments – I even forgot my own birthday! Then when asked, I had a hard time remembering my age.

I will be in the middle of speaking and forget the point I'm trying to make. It is especially frustrating because my daughters cannot understand why mom (who has always been so 'together') is loosing her mind. When she says, "..having another senior moment?" – I want to scream! I have more than ten years to go before I'm an 'official' senior (that's 55, right?). That is almost as bad as brain fart. Whatever the label for absent-mindedness -  brain fog, burnout, scatter-brained, etc. it is very frustrating and takes a real effort to overcome.

At first, sticky-notes became a way for me to keep-it-together, but that did not last long. They would either fall down and get lost under my desk, or become lost in the sea of other sticky-notes. Hanging a key rack next to the garage door has solved the lost key problem – as long as I remember to hang them immediately!

One thing that has helped a great deal is keeping a large dry-erase calendar up in our laundry room, right next to the garage door. The blocks are large enough for everyone in the family to log their appointments along with any additional notes or phone numbers on an adjacent note section.  As the month progresses, the days past are erased and filled in with the next month's information. Everyone (including me) can glance at the calendar on their way out of the house.

Reading through some women's message boards, foggy memory seems to be a common thread of perimenopause or pre menopause symptoms. It was somewhat comforting to know how common this is even among women in their mid to late 30s. Do you have any successful techniques to share? I would love to know what has worked for you!

A menopause diary. Well, we all have to start somewhere, right?

This is the first of many posts I'm sure, since at 44 years old, I have just begun to experience a little bit of the fun and games that are about to start happening to me and the body I have grown to love. I am hoping that in sharing my "stuff" with you – maybe I will help to alleviate some of your worries. And maybe you will be able to help with mine!

I view this whole Menopause thing with a positive outlook, as I truly feel that I am entering the best years of my life. The kids are just about grown, one in and one almost out of college – my husband and I are really starting to enjoy ourselves. We finally have more time to do the things we want together, now that we are not involved in the everyday grind of kids in school, sports, meetings and such.

My symptoms so far? Not really too bad, irregular periods, yes. Hot flashes? Not yet – although I do tend to freak out if I feel warm, since I am usually the coldest one in the house. I find myself checking the thermostat more often. Hormones seem to be doing a number on my skin and I feel like a teen again (and that's not a good thing) facing zits in the bathroom mirror. Ugh.

Besides that, everything else seems fine.