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Menopause Goddess Blog gets voluminous amounts of mail – while we have tried to answer everyone, sometimes it just isn’t possible. So we will endeavor to pick out pertinent letters and answer them right here on the blog. Likely, lots of our goddess sisters out there are asking the same questions.
Q: Losing my ovaries
I’m starting radiation for cervical cancer and even though they spared my ovaries during my hysterectomy I will lose them with radiation. I don’t know where to begin about menopause. I just turned 43 Saturday.
A: Whew. That is a lot to deal with. It’s helpful to remember that some women have very few, if any symptoms with menopause. Let us hope you are one of them. However, if symptoms should show up: hot flashes, insomnia, thinning hair, mood changes - then tackling them as they appear can be your best option. If/as a symptom appears, type it in the search box here on Menopause Goddess Blog for more detailed information on alleviating it. (Write us if you have any trouble finding info.)
The other recommendation I have for you is to visit hystersisters.com. This site is chock full of information and support post hysterectomy. We wish you rapid healing and an easy Pause. And we are always here if need be.
Q: Bleeding for 6 months
I have been bleeding since Feb 13, 2012. I have been to the doctor and had a d&c . She put me on a med that would stop the bleeding. Started the meds after 3 days it stopped. I took my last dose on a tuesday,but come Friday it started up again. I have been to 2 doctors. Im so tired of dealing with this. I started going through menopause around 6-7 yrs ago. Im 51. Yes i have been tested 4 times to make sure. PLEASE HELP ME!
A: First of all, heavy bleeding can be a normal variant. (See previous blog entry: Heavy or Prolonged Bleeding in Menopause – Dangerous or Normal? That said, if this is driving you crazy on a day to day basis, you might want to ask your MD about endometrial ablation, a newer technique for eradicating heavy bleeding. Here’s more info on the procedure from an interview we did with a menopause specialist: Perimenopause Q & A With Whitney Pollock MD
During my own perimenopause, I bled heavily for a year and a half, 3 weeks out of every month. I had a couple of ultrasounds and ultimately an endometrial biopsy to rule out something more serious than menopausal heavy bleeding. All were normal, so I opted to do nothing – except eat lots of red meat and take iron to avoid anemia. It finally stopped and I was none the worse for wear.
I will add that I had to search for a physician who did not immediately want to do D&C and/or hysterectomy. As a nurse, I will always opt for the least interventional option with the least side effects. For any condition. But I would be lying if I said it was easy. It was messy, uncomfortable, and I ruined a bunch of clothes. Plus I felt like I was either bleeding or PMSing or both. So I likely wasn’t a lot of fun to be around sometimes. (Husband rolling eyes in background here.)
Let us know how it goes and what you decide. And we can’t stress enough how important it is to have support from your girlfriends.
Menopause Mythbusting: The Truth About The Big M | Menopause Goddess Blog dot com
