Before Menopause or Periomenopause - The signs:)

Periomenopausal symptoms sneak up on you and make you think you're losing your mind.  At least I felt that way when I had lost so much blood that I couldn't add or subtract in my head anymore to balance my checkbook.  Simple adding and subtracting had me confused and disoriented and I had no clue that I was actually losing so much blood, mainly because it was over a period of 90 days.  I was falling asleep as soon as I would sit down, couldn't concentrate long enough to remember what I was doing or going to do.  These things were happening to me and I didn't realize that I was barely able to operate until one day I looked in the mirror and I mean I really looked and saw that my skin tone was white as a sheet.  Mind you I do have some color to my skin, so I immediately told my husband that I needed to go to the doctor.  The adventure began with the local clinic in Redlands, CA where the doctor on staff pricked my finger and sent me with a note to go straight to the emergency room of the local hospital.  I opted to go to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton CA because too many memories of a recent loss at Redlands Community Hospital had me leery of attending.  It took about an hour for them to check me out and once they did they informed me I was operating on a blood level of 4.7 when I should have anywhere from 12 to 14 blood level.  No wonder I was as white as a sheet!!  I wrote about my experience of which you can get my book at www.lulu.com and look for "Before Menopause" by Mary Wilson.  I enjoyed writing the book, a lot of humor, because you have to have humor as a woman in a man dominated society.  Looking forward to my next book that will be "The Trials of Having a Hysterectomy", all the things that can go wrong and do.  Yup, a sense of humor ladies is what you'll need.  Til next time, Marferne

Estrogen Rich Foods - Why Do Women Need These

Ladies this is for you and what most doctors won't tell you.  I have a lot of history to go through, but a quick note for all of you that are lacking in estrogen: some symptoms: sagging skin, weight gain, hot flashes, dry and itchy skin, mood swings, dry brittle hair and scalp, sagging breasts and to top this off, high blood pressure, higher cholesterol levels and heart disease.  Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse.  Well, if you've had your tubes tied, yes ladies, your tubes tied, this doesn't just happen when you go through menopause.  However, you doctor is not going to tell you this, you will experience some of this down the road, especially the weight gain, dry skin, dry and thinning hair, just from having your tubes tied.  Now, when you have a hysterectomy whether it be partial or full, you're still going to experience some or most of these symptoms.  So, you ask what can we do?  Well, after having a full hysterectomy 6 months ago I have been researching tons of information because I went straight into menopause.  Shock for the body, but also, shock for me mentally finally realizing that I should have been told about estrogen loss when the doctor tied my tubes.  Ridiculous!!!

Good New does abound:  Food that has estrogen naturally so we don't have to take the drug HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy), because I hope all of you reading this know that it comes from a horse Mare Urine!!! This could only have been invented by a man, because seriously would women look to a horse to get her hormones in balance? 
Here's the list of foods to help you naturally, incorporate them into your diet:  apples, dates, plums, cherries, beets, carrots, yams, tomatoes, olives, potatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, peppers, broccoli, barley (beer:)), oats, hops, rice, wheat, flaxseed, fennel, sunflower seeds, alfalfa, soybeans, split peas, chickpeas, black eyed peas, lima beans, navy beans, garlic, parsley, clover, ginger, thyme and oregano.  Soy containing foods are a great way to get your daily dose (30-50 mg), eg. are soy noodles, soy milk, tofu, soy yogurt, soy cheese, and soy flour. 
For those of you who like to drink beer (I don't particularly because I don't like the smell), but I understand for those of you living in Redlands, CA that Hangar 24 is good with a slice of orange to make it sweeter.  At this point, I'm willing to try anything to boost my estrogen levels!!!  A nice herb(s) is also Black Cohosh, Dong Quai, and licorice root.

I've already added an apple a day, maybe two, but definitely going shopping today to get some estrogen flowing through these vains.
I will try to update on a daily basis, please remember one thing if nothing else: Ask your doctor questions and write all the answers down.  Makes for fun reading later:)