Turning 40 Is Crucial To Our Well-being
Peri-menoupause, Menopause, Health…
Hysterectomy?
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A hysterectomy refers to the surgical procedure to remove the uterus. It’s a common surgery and many medical experts, including Dr. Oz, believe it’s the most unnecessary surgery that women are having.
Biological age is a natural phase given to us all by Nature to take care of the things we never thought before. One of such things is called menopause and peri-menopause. Little do we know that the symptoms of this interesting phase of our lives can start way before our 40’s mark!
TIP: Consult multiple physicians before being given a prognosis of hysterectomy
There are several alternatives to hysterectomy that should be considered first
TIP: Use this chart above when speaking to your physician about hysterectomy. Whenever possible, consult a gynecologist who is a menopause practitioner, even if you’re only in your 30s and 40s.
Issues associated with hysterectomy
These may include symptoms of surgical menopause and prolapse. For women who do need a hysterectomy, it’s important to understand the types of surgery that are available.
As we are celebrating a National Health Week May 14-20, I decided to invite one of the prominent product formulators and a woman-entrepreneur Chia Chia Sun (pronounced chah-chah-sun).
For the past few years, Chia Chia has dedicated her time and efforts to formulate personal care, intimate care line of products that allow each woman to feel comfortable and healthy inside her body, as she crosses that 40’s line. Some amazing insights and research Chia Chia has dug out from her own personal journey.
Chia Chia will be available to us all to ask questions during this week of our AM Coffee. Get ready to ask and learn from her!
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This week in celebration of National Women’s Health Week, our friends at Damiva want to tell you all about what to expect and how to live happier and healthier lives after age 40. We’re going to explore many women’s health topics every day from Monday to Friday during our morning coffee chat. Chia Chia Sun, CEO of Damiva, wants to give you the real-life letter that you wish your mother had given you; along with the healthy dose of love that we expect from Mom.
I think any plastic surgery is unnecessary. I just couldn’t bring myself to get something done that I didn’t need to.
I am scared of needles so most surgeries to me seem “unnecessary”. I just cant bring myself to go under for unnecessary reasons. Great Post!
I think that any surgery to alter looks is unnecessary. Growing old is a priveledge denied to many. I’m going to be grateful that I lived long enough to get wrinkles and experience menopause!
Any surgery for cosmetic reasons is unnecessary, but then if our society wasn’t so focused on what people looked like maybe it wouldn’t be so popular. Great post!
good morning to all the lovely
gals
I really believe in “lifestyle management” first too before hormones or surgeries. Although definitely some women will need hormones and/or surgeries because either lifestyle management isn’t working or isn’t working fast enough to cope with daily lives. And that’s completely reasonable if women make those choices.
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PLEASE Leave your Today’s questions about Peri-Menopause and Menopause for Chia Chia Sun, the CEO of DAMIVA and product formulator, HERE, under this discussion!
We will be fleshing out some interesting and very much needed tips and information for us to learn and be informed about.
Having a huge community of women who are in their 30s, 40s, 50s has lead me to seek information that is minimally discussed and shared. All due to the sensitivity of the subject.
Yet we all are empowered when we know more and learn from the sources and people who have been stydying the topic thoroughly and lived through it.
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What Leads To Hysterectomy?
A hysterectomy refers to the surgical procedure to remove the uterus. It’s a common surgery and many medical experts believe it’s the most unnecessary surgery that women are having.
Peri-menopause leads to increased estrogen, which can lead to fibroids, heavy periods and extended flow
Peri-menopause is a time of extreme hormonal flux and spikes of excess estrogen. These spikes can lead to fibroids (benign tumours) and endometriosis (endometrial tissue lining the uterus grows elsewhere), conditions that typically resolve after menopause.
Fibroids and endometriosis can lead to heavy bleeding and pain that many physicians believe warrant an intervention such as hysterectomy, however, we challenge that perspective.
TIP: If you’re having heavy periods, ensure that you have enough iron.
I am interested in what Chia Chia has to say about this topic. Can’t wait until your AMCoffee
Thank you! I think the most important thing to remember is that during our 40s, many of us will experience what we consider very unusual bodily changes, especially period changes. But also that most of the time they are “normal” and will resolve after full blown menopause.
Recently, I spoke to a woman who was advised to have a complete hysterectomy by a surgeon. However, when she described her symptoms – small fibroids – to me, I told her that I have the same profile – several, small fibroids that contribute to heavy bleeding. But my gynaecologist has told me not to worry about them unless I’m in severe pain and that they will go away after menopause. So when I told this woman about my experience, she found a new gynaecologist who is now managing her symptoms WITHOUT surgery.
It’s really important to have the right doctor.
Oh, geez, Chia Chia,
I find out again and again in my life to talk with as many people in similar situations as possible, BEFORE I do anything.
That accumulation of knowledge becomes our Critical Mass place out of which we arrive at our optimal decision-making point.
That is why we so much need communities of similar interests and needs.
Agreed and it’s great that you have this fantastic community of lovely women!
i was having real bad periods and clotting and low iron so i was going to have a hysterectomy but we did the novasure i have never been so happy no period now for 10 years
That’s awesome Karen!! Novasure is also called “endometrial ablation” and you can see in the chart that it’s another option instead of a hysterectomy. It removes the uterine lining without removing the uterus.
This helps preserve the uterus and the pelvic floor functioning over a long time.
i know and it is wonderful
It amazes me how dr’s can be so different. I personally if one told me about getting a radical treatment. I sure will be finding a second or third opinion.
Especially when it comes to gynaecology, I find there are a lot of opinions. And also hospitals can be different. I had a very good MD who did a very simple myomectomy (outpatient, simple fibroid removal) but I learned afterward that his hospital was the only one in Toronto, a city of 4 million, that offers it.
Eating Better
We can reduce excess estrogen through eating better!
Excess estrogen can lead to weight gain, breast pain, stomachaches and a host of other complaints. Internally, estrogen spikes are believed to be the causes of fibroids and endometriosis.
Drops in estrogen can lead to headaches, mood swings and the feelings of forgetfulness.
TIP: Eating a plant-based diet or even dinner will help remove excess estrogen through the increased fibre content. Ensure that your vegetables are non GMO whenever possible.
Doesn’t this food look yummy? Yet it is full of plant protein, FIBER, and amino-acids!
Garden Veggies Buddha Bowl With Lentils
Excess estrogen is likely the cause of our fibroids and endometriosis. Our ovaries are trying to push out the eggs in our 40s and that causes our hormones to fluctuate a lot more. Many women will experience excess estrogen – in the form of gaining belly fat, breast swelling and tenderness, and fibroids, which are “polyps” that lead to period changes such as heavy bleeding.
Removing estrogen through a great diet can definitely help with symptoms.
This is really good information. Thank you.
i have to say we here live off the land we hunt fish and grow our own food we have a big garden and put all our stuff in the freezer or jars so we can have it threw the winter month we even put up potatoes in the freezer it is so much better for us and saves lots of money
Karen,
You’ve been my inspiration in that food and eats area!
i believe to eat better we need to grow our own food as much a possible to really know your eating and what is in your food we eat
During MENOPAUSE and Peri-MENOPAUSE, many women experience huge dryness and irritation in their vaginal area, to the extent that it is impossible, and very painful, to lead a normal joyful life. There are several products on the market that address not only the dryness of the vaginal area, but also feeds and restores its elasticity and performance.
We need to locate, test and define for ourselves what those products are. Chia Chia Sun has been working on a few products that address women in peri- and menopause. The products are called MAE and CLEO.
CHECK THEM OUT IN TARGET AND CVS, STARTING MAY 19TH!
DAMIVA products include ONLY plant-based ingredients that are non-toxic to our bodies.
The DAMIVA MAE product is one of the best and will be available at your local Target or CVS. But you can always check it out online!
MAE is sold in most major Canadian pharmacies and is available at CVS and Target in the U.S. starting May 19, 2017.
Save $5 at CVS with coupon code Save5Mae
I’m so glad they found the tumor before my Heath took a turn for the worse! The cancerous tumor was removed during my hysterectomy! Best surgery ever I feel much better
That’s great Valerie! It’s very important to have the exploration if your doctor feels that there is something amiss. Cancer and prolapse are the two primary reasons for hysterectomy – these are not common conditions during peri-menopause.
Hi @ Valerie and Chia Chia Sun thanks for this good information
Alternatives to HYSTERECTOMY
glad i did not have to have this
KAREN,
It is a blessing indeed. I am reading it all and saying “geez, geez, geez…”
Many women can manage symptoms without hormones or other procedures but many women will need some help. The best advice I have is that if your symptoms are interfering with your daily life is that you definitely need to investigate them. However, when you are investigating them, be aware that: a) cancer and prolapse are the two main indications for hysterectomy, b) fibroids, endometriosis and pelvic pain can be treated (usually but not all the time) with other options and c) many women’s gynecological conditions resolve after menopause.
Chia Chia,
This is such INVALUABLE INFORMATION!
I cannot thank-you enough for being here and educating this community about menopause and all that spins around this subject.
Frequently, we are so powerless to make a decision.
Yet, when we have these charts and facts – wow, the tide changes to benefit us tremendously.
Hi Laura! Thank you for the opportunity to participate! I know that I’m privileged to have this information at my fingertips – I get to interact with the best experts every day and my job allows me to do the research. But I believe it’s even more important to get the knowledge out there into the hands of every woman who is faced with these decisions – it’s a big number of women! Over half of all women are aged 40 and over.
She has definitely educated me. Being in my late 30’s I have not thought about this however, I need to start thinking for the future. I like to be educated so I know how to handle it.
Elicia,
You’re such an inspiration! You support other women in your life without doubt.
Spread the word about AM Coffee and invite one, two, three of those galz who could find their support among all of us and all information we DIG INTO right here in our AM Coffee society! he he
Hear, hear!
Something that happens in our 40s is that we start experiencing more anxiety, due to hormone flux. So one month, it’s my left ovary in pain and the next month, it’s the right ovary in pain. The third month – it’s my breasts! When we add our hormones and anxiety on top of our ovaries acting up, it’s natural to feel like there’s something wrong with our bodies. And – they just seem to change in ways we don’t want them to.
The solution is really to take several deep breaths, journal any symptoms and monitor them, and see if they are resolving or worsening.
Note that for women who are menopausal – i.e. haven’t had a period in over 12 months, bleeding is unusual and needs to be examined by a doctor. I’m not referring to the spot bleeding of intermittent periods but unusual bleeding after cessation of your period.
Issues Associated with HYSTERECTOMY
These issues include symptoms of surgical menopause and prolapse.
For women who do need a hysterectomy, it’s important to understand the types of surgery that are available.
For women who have had hysterectomies or ablations that keep the ovaries, your ovaries are still working to push out those hormones. So even if you don’t have a period, you may still have the hormonal surges of peri-menopause and menopausal symptoms.
For all women, whether or not you’ve had a hysterectomy, I highly recommend having a baseline visit with a pelvic health physiotherapist at age 40 and above.
Even the visits with your OB/GYN would truly help.
A note that having a hysterectomy doesn’t mean your ovaries will be removed. Even though our ovaries are shut down after menopause, they do produce some hormones until we are 65.
Unless there’s a reason to remove the ovaries (cancer, cancer risk), keeping our ovaries helps with overall health and long-term survival.
I have spoken with friends that at young ages they had to have hysterectomies. I always ask if they kept their ovaries. Out of the three, two did and one did not. The one that did not had it removed because of the cancer risk. She was only 24. She is now on hormones. I could never go through that. I give her a lot of credit.
That’s a lot to take on at 24! She deserves a lot of credit.
i will come back later as i must go do some work thanks Chia Chia Sun for doing this
You’re welcome and thank you for sharing!
GALZ,
If you know anybody who could benefit from this information on our AM Coffee – Invite them In!
Just remember how you benefited form some information someone else had shared with you in the past. Do the service to others and take the step towards SHARING.
IT IS WHO WE TRUST that counts when we refer to information, products, people.
WHEN I TRUST MY FRIEND, I definitely will listen to her and check out what she says and values.
This is such a nice read. Very informative. I will definitely save this and share to friends. Let’s eat healthy and always be positive.
I’m with you! I would also add keeping our relationships close, positive and healthy. I have a lovely 15 yo daughter turning 16 and her hormones are fluxing up while mine are down so I have to do a lot of deep breathing and remind myself that I’m supposed to be the one who can control my hormones better than she can.
Oh, my, Chia Chia, you’ve got a job cut out for you!
But your kiddos are so lovely!
What you preach you do yourself. And the best part, it is caught, rather than taught, when it comes to behavior modeling and knowledge you share with your daughters on the daily basis.
You’re a powerful MOM!
Great information. We all need to beware of these type of issues.
I think health issues are necessary if there aren’t any other options. Your post makes me realize the surgeries that are unnecessary that are taking place regardless.
I’m in my early 30’s now and reading this is quite daunting. I want to deal with the menopause later in life as naturally as possible.
This is really important to keep in mind. When I get to that point in my life, I hope everything goes smoothly and I won’t need any surgeries. I certainly wouldn’t want an unnecessary one.
My friend is trying to decide if she is going to have the hysterectomy that was recommended. I will have to share this great post with her. I learned a lot from your peri-menopause post as well.
What would they tell me if I said, “When I’ve had 5 C-sections and there is so much scar tissue that some of the uterus and my abdominal wall have fused together, what would the recommendation be? I’ve got all of the signs and have for quite some time. There is not a local doctor that will even help with examinations of determining what is going on. I’ve been to one that told me that “nothing is wrong and they can’t treat me. There is nothing in my records and they don’t see anything in an ultrasound that was done.” They didn’t even check to see that there was a NEW ultrasound done by a more certified doctor as they sent me to another one. My uterus is 5x the size that it should be, you can’t see either of my ovaries through the ultrasound (not matter what position that they tried to find them.
What do you suggest? My PCP knows that something needs to be done. He’s not happy that it happened this way either. I feel the stretching and pulling where it has fused itself together and it hurts. I can’t move certain ways because of it.
As we get older, we have to pay more attention to what our body tells us. This post was very informative and well put.
Any surgery is most certainly a risk. It’s great that you are listing some other options to consider first before going to surgeyr.
Any surgery for me is scary. I want to get rid of my imperfections but thinking of a needle scares me so much so I just decided to stick with them lol
I’ve spent the last 10 years suffering from endometriosis pains. Many women wind up having to have multiple ablations over the course of their lives because it is not an absolute cure. I’ve had it done before and it gave me relief for less than a year. I’ve had to give up so many months of my life to this disease and I’m not suffering through the next 20-30 years until menopause.
Personally, I can’t wait for my hysterectomy. I don’t think it is absolutely unnecessary.
I know a few women who have had this procedure and have benefited greatly from it. It is definitely something that is based on the person’s circumstances.
As much as possible I don’t like surgeries and invasive treatments. I think it’s really important to keep all our options open especially if there are so many ways to treat it.
I don’t think surgery is necessary at all if there are non-invasive treatments! These are all better options than having your uterus removed.
I believe in “lifestyle management” first too before hormones or surgeries, just to be on the safe side. There’s always risks with medication or procedures.
Katja xxx
http://www.katnapped.com
I am dreading aging because I want to stay young, have a fast metabolism, and continue being able to do all the things that I can do. I will miss all of that when I age.
This is really interesting! I never knew that it was thought of as unnecessary. I remember when my Nana had one, much later in life than I think most women deal with it. Great information.