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Old 08-21-20, 06:59 AM  
Negin
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
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Originally Posted by Tugger31 View Post
I unfortunately went thru early menopause in my early 40's. I wasn't prepared for the skin changes and the loss of collagen/elasticity in general. I have osteoporosis in my family. I of course am concerned about health issues but right now some of the outward changes have gotten me down, that paired with a recent surgery, it's been a rough year physically and mentally. If you haven't already get a good skin care regime going that is specifically for menopausal "crepey" skin, get some more supportive bras and sports bras (sigh) and my once round butt is not looking the same so work on your glutes (which helps with strength as well). I wasn't ready for all of this. I used to look young for my age and now sadly it's the opposite. I considered HRT but my doctor really couldn't promise me (and I didn't expect her to) any protective factor for breast cancer. My aunt died of breast cancer at 42 so I decided against it, but I always wonder if it would have been helpful.
(((hugs)))
Thank you for the tips. I'm sorry that you've gone through so much.
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Old 08-21-20, 07:02 AM  
Negin
 
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If I could only lose weight, most of my problems would go away, but given what I have seen and read so far, HRT may be be beneficial for a short period of time. I would never have believed that had you asked me this even up to a week ago. One can either take a medical approach, natural (supplements, etc.), or do nothing, which is what I've done so far.

I haven't had that many symptoms when it comes to menopause, except for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, which started right around menopause.
Hot flashes haven't been too bothersome. Nothing major.
However, I am concerned about heart disease, osteoporosis, and even Alzheimer's. Those are areas that HRT may help. Breast cancer doesn't run in my family.
I've learned that there's a window of time to start HRT, if one is going to do so. It is open from the onset of menopause to 10 years after. After that, it is when the risks are bigger than the benefits. I read and saw from the videos that despite the big fear about HRT causing breast cancer, which is what I was led to believe up to a week ago, the numbers are not there to justify it. But 1 out 2 post-menopausal women die from heart disease and heart attacks. HRT seems to be protective in this area, as well as with Alzheimer's and osteoporosis. If you are interested and have 21 minutes, this video may be of interest.

Here's a study that she linked.
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Old 08-21-20, 08:40 AM  
summer breeze
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I like Angie's videos but she is another (so is Dominique Sasche) who do a lot of things like procedures and injections etc to look younger. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that if that's what you want to do but I also think that people can be healthy and live long lives without outside interventions including HRT. So I think of course Angie is promoting HRT if it helps you look younger among the other things she claims it does. JMHO.
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Old 08-21-20, 08:54 AM  
aquakat
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Dr. Taylor is quirky for sure, but she has also been invaluable to me. Her interview with Hot and Flashy is more straightforward than a lot of her own videos and it is DEFINITELY worth watching:


Because of her, I asked my gp for a bone density scan, and I learned much more from her than my doctor about how to interpret it. I also knew what I wanted to say to my gp about HRT. (Everyone has different ideas about HRT, not meaning to start a debate here.)

After my next physical, I plan to schedule a consultation with her. It's $200 for an hour, but given my family history of osteoporosis, heart attacks, and dementia, it will be money well spent. For me. Definitely not saying what is right for me is right for anyone else.

I got my husband to watch the video "What Happens Socially at Menopause" because it had info I'd never heard from anyone else. He did get a lot out of it, but he found her so irritating he won't watch any more! LOL
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Old 08-21-20, 09:02 AM  
aquakat
 
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Negin, I also recommend the book Menopause Confidential by Dr. Tara Allmen. It's a fast and surprisingly funny read.
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Old 08-21-20, 10:02 AM  
eam531
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I am on low doses of HRT, per my gynecologist. She gave me a bunch of studies to read and I decided that it would work for me (no breast cancer in my family).

One of the big lessons about menopause is learning to accept aging. In a society like the US, that's hard to do, which is why I am not on social media and watch little or no TV.

My skin does not look like it did when I was younger--I have some crepey-ness that no creams of lotions will "fix". I take good care of my skin but I'm 64 years old and nothing, aside from surgery or dermatological interventions like fillers, is going to make me look like I did at 40.

My body composition has changed. Despite weighing less than I did in high school and being in much better condition than I was in high school, my waist has thickened a bit. I was temporarily able to get rid of that, but it involved pretty drastic calorie restriction and was simply unsustainable. Plus, it made my face look really haggard.

There are wrinkles and "marionette" lines on my face. Very little gray hair at this point, but that will change eventually.

I can look at all of this stuff and feel sad and mourn the loss of my youthful appearance. But from a yogic perspective (which is how I approach a lot of things), this last stage in life is for reflection and looking at the world with wisdom and compassion that has developed over a lifetime. I do my best to look at my aging face and body, and those of my peers, from this point of view.
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Old 08-22-20, 03:27 AM  
Negin
 
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Originally Posted by summer breeze View Post
I like Angie's videos but she is another (so is Dominique Sasche) who do a lot of things like procedures and injections etc to look younger. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that if that's what you want to do but I also think that people can be healthy and live long lives without outside interventions including HRT. So I think of course Angie is promoting HRT if it helps you look younger among the other things she claims it does. JMHO.
I agreed with you until a few days ago when I started my research.
I have been suffering from several carpal tunnel on both hands since a year before menopause. I was always led to believe that HRT is bad, causes breast cancer, etc. Then my husband, who has a master's in epidemiology, we both have master's degrees in public health, but since he studied epidemiology, he's quite good at reading studies and whether they're valid or not, scientifically sound.
A few weeks ago, as he was doing research on my carpal tunnel, he suggested that I try HRT for just a little while. My instant knee-jerk reaction was, "What? You want me to get breast cancer?" I ruled it out immediately. Lo and behold, a few weeks later, I came across a YouTube video with Angie interviewing Menopause Taylor. That video is what started me on all this.
Angie's main reason for her choosing to do HRT, and I don't believe she's promoting it by the way, she has clearly said that it's something she's chosen to do, is for health reasons - heart, bone health, Alzheimer's. I have watched all her videos on menopause from her menopause playlist and she barely touches on the looks part of it. Her focus is on health.

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Originally Posted by aquakat View Post
Dr. Taylor is quirky for sure, but she has also been invaluable to me. Her interview with Hot and Flashy is more straightforward than a lot of her own videos and it is DEFINITELY worth watching:
Because of her, I asked my gp for a bone density scan, and I learned much more from her than my doctor about how to interpret it. I also knew what I wanted to say to my gp about HRT. (Everyone has different ideas about HRT, not meaning to start a debate here.)
Yes, if only she wasn't so irritating! I really wish that her presentation would be more like Hot & Flashy or Dominique Sachse. I really would like to watch all of them in order as I had started to, but I seem to need to prep myself for further irritation. The information is fabulous, but goodness, I do wish that she was less annoying. I'm not normally so picky. It's just hard when you want to invest hours and hours watching someone. I don't ask for perfection, just something normal if you KWIM.
Yes, it was her interview with Hot & Flashy that got me started on all this. That video is super-helpful. There are no bone density scans in my country - very small island in the Caribbean, but I would like to have one sooner than the guidelines. Osteoporosis runs in my family also. Heart disease as well. I really appreciate your helpful feedback. Thank you!

Quote:
Originally Posted by aquakat View Post
Negin, I also recommend the book Menopause Confidential by Dr. Tara Allmen. It's a fast and surprisingly funny read.
Thank you! Going to look into it.
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Old 08-22-20, 03:35 AM  
Negin
 
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Originally Posted by eam531 View Post
My skin does not look like it did when I was younger--I have some crepey-ness that no creams of lotions will "fix". I take good care of my skin but I'm 64 years old and nothing, aside from surgery or dermatological interventions like fillers, is going to make me look like I did at 40.
My body composition has changed. Despite weighing less than I did in high school and being in much better condition than I was in high school, my waist has thickened a bit. I was temporarily able to get rid of that, but it involved pretty drastic calorie restriction and was simply unsustainable. Plus, it made my face look really haggard.
There are wrinkles and "marionette" lines on my face. Very little gray hair at this point, but that will change eventually.
I can look at all of this stuff and feel sad and mourn the loss of my youthful appearance. But from a yogic perspective (which is how I approach a lot of things), this last stage in life is for reflection and looking at the world with wisdom and compassion that has developed over a lifetime. I do my best to look at my aging face and body, and those of my peers, from this point of view.
Betsy, I LOVE your approach. I have always thought of aging as a gift and blessing. It's not easy looks-wise, but I try to seek the wisdom in it.
I have lots of grey hair and there are times when I have it dyed regularly and other times when I don't. I'm still on the fence about that. I think that grey hair looks nicer on slimmer women. I'm not slim at all.
My weight is my main concern. I wish so much that I could get my eating habits and weight under control.
My skin is apparently great for my age. I try to take care of it as much as I can. No fillers or procedures yet, and probably unlikely.
Again, love your outlook. Thank you! For me, HRT, if I do go on it, depending on what my doctor says, is for health reasons.
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Old 08-22-20, 03:43 AM  
Negin
 
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Originally Posted by aquakat View Post
Negin, I also recommend the book Menopause Confidential by Dr. Tara Allmen. It's a fast and surprisingly funny read.
I will most likely order the Kindle version right away. She has a YouTube channel and seems normal, thank goodness ! Thank you for recommending her!
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Old 08-22-20, 12:06 PM  
summer breeze
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Negin, I'm not against HRT at all. I think it's a decision everyone needs to make for themselves of course. But I stand by my opinion on Angie from hot and flashy. I do like her a lot and I know she does a lot of research and claims she does things for health reasons but I personally don't believe that's totally true just by the other things she does and says. That's her decision and I have nothing against it, I just don't totally believe it.
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