I think it's amazing what you shared here. Number one, I am overwhelmed by your story and what courage and strength you've had to come and share all of this information with all of us. You are a very strong woman! This is exactly what this website is supposed to do--helping to EmpowHer other women, so hats off to you for sharing this with us!
My symptoms were so similar to yours--the irritability, the temper flashes, insomnia extraordinaire, and no memory. It's amazing how many times I hear women say "My menstrual cycle was showing no changes but I was turning 50, but yet the tests were indicating that nothing was going on," which is what happened to me, and I'm finding is happening to most women.
This is why I'm such an advocate of women getting their blood and hormone levels tested at such a young age, and then putting their results in a binder, and then going back and checking them every year. That way, they can keep track of their levels and how and when they begin to change. For most women who are dealing with menopause, they typically start with symptoms that they associate with thyroid or with hormonal changes--it's not always night sweats or hot flashes or the more common symptoms that we always associate with menopause. In my case it was acid reflux and insomnia.
I've learned some lessons I'd like to share with you. Be sure to get your bloodwork done on a regular basis, and if you are not sure what tests you should be getting, visit www.herplace.com, where Dr. Vliet has provided women with a list of bloodtests and bloodpanels that you should have checked.
I love what you say about making friends with the pharmacist--that is so critical because again, I'll go back to what happened with me. If I only knew some of the side effects of the drugs I was taking, it would have clued me in right away that I was having major side effects. So the tip is to go to the pharmacist and get what the pharmaceutical company give him or her, not the list of side effects that he or she puts on the side of your bottle of medicine. These tend to be the most generic and general side effects, but in my case, the side effects I was having were the ones on the information provided on the longer list.
Also, it's important to remember that your prescriptions are going to change. In my case, it's been a continual process of tweaking and tweaking my medications over time. Again, this goes back to the binder and keeping on top of our blood levels and our medications. In my case, I've even had to change the time of day that I take certain medications. Right now, 3 p.m. is when I take one of my thyroid medications as well as an estrogen gel. I've set my alarm on my cell phone to go off to remind me to take my medications so I always remember.
You brought up so many great points for women, and if you would be open to participating through a news story or a television show, and if you'd be willing to share what you've learned through our website if would be great! You are exactly what we are looking for in terms of a woman who not only advocates for herself but also for others. Please let me know if you have any interest in this and we could contact you for different things. I would love to interview you on one of my podcasts.
I also wish you good health, much love and a long life, and believe me, it can take me hours to write things too!
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I think it's amazing what you shared here. Number one, I am overwhelmed by your story and what courage and strength you've had to come and share all of this information with all of us. You are a very strong woman! This is exactly what this website is supposed to do--helping to EmpowHer other women, so hats off to you for sharing this with us!
My symptoms were so similar to yours--the irritability, the temper flashes, insomnia extraordinaire, and no memory. It's amazing how many times I hear women say "My menstrual cycle was showing no changes but I was turning 50, but yet the tests were indicating that nothing was going on," which is what happened to me, and I'm finding is happening to most women.
This is why I'm such an advocate of women getting their blood and hormone levels tested at such a young age, and then putting their results in a binder, and then going back and checking them every year. That way, they can keep track of their levels and how and when they begin to change. For most women who are dealing with menopause, they typically start with symptoms that they associate with thyroid or with hormonal changes--it's not always night sweats or hot flashes or the more common symptoms that we always associate with menopause. In my case it was acid reflux and insomnia.
I've learned some lessons I'd like to share with you. Be sure to get your bloodwork done on a regular basis, and if you are not sure what tests you should be getting, visit www.herplace.com, where Dr. Vliet has provided women with a list of bloodtests and bloodpanels that you should have checked.
I love what you say about making friends with the pharmacist--that is so critical because again, I'll go back to what happened with me. If I only knew some of the side effects of the drugs I was taking, it would have clued me in right away that I was having major side effects. So the tip is to go to the pharmacist and get what the pharmaceutical company give him or her, not the list of side effects that he or she puts on the side of your bottle of medicine. These tend to be the most generic and general side effects, but in my case, the side effects I was having were the ones on the information provided on the longer list.
Also, it's important to remember that your prescriptions are going to change. In my case, it's been a continual process of tweaking and tweaking my medications over time. Again, this goes back to the binder and keeping on top of our blood levels and our medications. In my case, I've even had to change the time of day that I take certain medications. Right now, 3 p.m. is when I take one of my thyroid medications as well as an estrogen gel. I've set my alarm on my cell phone to go off to remind me to take my medications so I always remember.
You brought up so many great points for women, and if you would be open to participating through a news story or a television show, and if you'd be willing to share what you've learned through our website if would be great! You are exactly what we are looking for in terms of a woman who not only advocates for herself but also for others. Please let me know if you have any interest in this and we could contact you for different things. I would love to interview you on one of my podcasts.
I also wish you good health, much love and a long life, and believe me, it can take me hours to write things too!
June 11, 2008 - 11:43amThis Comment
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