As I conversed with Mrs. O., aged 57, regarding if she had chosen HRT to improve menopausal symptoms, her reply was quite shocking. She expressed she had a completed or total hysterectomy at the age of 22 years of age due to an IUD called the Dalkon Shield, which caused cervical cancer. She expressed she had been using Estrogen Replacement Therapy (ERT) for over thirty years. Since she has been using ERT, several changes had occurred over the years which included heart disease, two hip replacements, cataracts, increased weight gain and a sense of isolation.
Mrs. O. explained she had to have two hip replacement surgeries due to the excess use of estrogen that possibly caused sever bone damage. When examined, her doctor revealed she had the bone structure of an 80 year old female. Her bones were entirely too brittle to hold her frame which over the years having gained nearly 60 pounds over her healthy weight.
Mrs. O. began to explain her envy of her daughter who has never had to deal with such issues. She says she often feels less of a mother due to "the absent of my womanly parts"(Mrs. O, 2010). It was apparent, she may need counseling to get through her pain and family relationship issues. No further comments were made.
In conclusion, Mrs. O. appeared to have had the most extreme case of negative effects of HRT. Because she had a total hysterectomy very early in her life and was placed on Estrogen Replacement Therapy for over 30 years, her body may have endured more negative side effects than the average female of her age group. It is my opinion more research is needed for women who are using HRT. Women must demand that doctors present better choices with regards to any type of medications and include short-term and long-term side effects. My heart goes out to Mrs. O. for her struggles and her pains were both prevalent and palpable.
References
Mr. O. (personal communication, October 19, 2010)
Hi Betryse,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this interview. What a heart-breaking story and very real situation for Mrs. O to have gone through. I guess sometimes HRT is absolutely necessary and sometimes there might be another option more suitable for a woman rather then ERT. I agree that maybe more research would help hormone patient outcomes and serve to offer a better and safer variety of treatment options for women like Mrs. O. Counseling and therapy sound like a great suggestion for this lady to get into to help her cope with her circumstances. What about a support group? Do any exist for patients that have experienced what Mrs. O has? Great blog~Thank you, Heather Noe
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ReplyDeleteNamaste,
ReplyDeleteWOW, that sorry was hard to read. It if very unfortunate that she is having to indure such physically and mental anguish. It is also unfortunate, that anything synthetic that is placed into the body has a good chance of affecting the body in an negative way. There are more natural ways a female can take control of her health during and after menopause rather than ingesting synthetic hormones. The text read " Good nutrition adn regular exercise are important factors in maintaining wel-being throughout premenopause and postmenopause" (Jones, Barlett, pg. 217). Daily exercise and a well balanced diet can help reduce bone lose; lifting weights can improve bone density,streatching can improve balance to reduce falls in returne will reduce bone fractures and breakes.After this weeks reading I was not looking forward to the CHANGE!!, but if we look at it from another angle as the Asian women do then maybe it will not be as bad we become head of the house hold,it signifies that we have wisdom and knowledge. Maybe if U.S. media would stop pushing Menopause as something negetive maybe more women would go about dealing with Menopause in a more rational manner.
Thanks for your post,
Kitara Wright