Happy International Women's Day!
Today, I pause to shout out to all the beautiful women out there to say - THANK YOU for your awesomeness.
I always acknowledged women on this day every year, but this year is a little different for me.
This past year has been an eye opener to me when it comes to women and their health.
Once you begin to navigate the healthcare system, you begin to recognize how far behind women are when it comes to research.
While I was always aware of this, I didn't pay as close attention until it started to affect me directly.
The research addressing women health issues is lagging. Most of what we know is based on research done with males- not females.
It is not long before you start to see where we fall between the cracks. Whether our symptoms present differently than males or there is very little known or acted on when it comes to 'female only' related health issues, our health concerns can be overlooked.
So much of our health related research is based on the male makeup. This is not just the case for health but I will keep it to this topic for the purpose of this post.
I have been fortunate throughout my life that I have not had to rely too heavily on our healthcare system. I have however been close to those who have and while I know the system here is broken now, we traditionally received pretty good care in past years.
As I age, I have felt a bit dismissed as I try to search for answers about some of my health concerns. As someone who didn't always use my voice, I found it so hard to speak up for myself. I would do it for someone else in a heartbeat, but when it came to me, I didn't give it as much attention.
When I finally did find the courage to ask questions, I found it hard to know what the heck I was suppose to be asking. Do you ever get caught in that scenario? I would try my best to explain but didn't want to sound like a complainer. The thought of being judged weighed more on me than being heard and taken seriously.
It's disheartening for women who are experiencing many different symptoms that impact their daily living to be met with responses that don't dive deeper into the health concerns related to women.
When it comes to topics like perimenopause and menopause - is their a lack of information available to healthcare providers? Could it be the awareness and resources are just not readily available? I'm not even sure if the female patient is aware enough to express what is going with her body because some of the symptoms could be simple ones that could be caused by other things like stress, burnout and lack of a healthier lifestyle.
Here is a list of what I have found through different resources, so you can well imagine how difficult it may be for a women to figure out what the heck is happening as she enters this phase of life.
Irregular periods
Hot flashes
Sleep problems
Mood changes
Vaginal and bladder problems
Decreasing fertility
Changes in sexual function
Loss of bone
Changing cholesterol levels
Trouble concentrating
Fast heart rate / palpitations
Hair loss / thinning
Night Sweats
Urinary problems
Anxiety
Adult acne
Joint stiffness, aches and pains
Brain fog
Frozen shoulder / tinnitus
Headaches
Breast soreness
Bloating / water retention
I am sure there is more but it's different for every woman. I am not sure any two women would be alike with their experience including the age it begins and ends. Some may not really notice too much while others may find it hard to function in daily life. If I can recommend anything, I would say to explore your family history the best you can. It may be a good starting point.
Looking back, I experienced so much incredible pain, discomfort and hormonal fluctuations throughout my menstrual cycle. I learned to just power through it as best as I could. There wasn't much support around other than to take birth control to control the symptoms and motrin to get ahead of the pain. After a prolonged time of living in pain, you begin to realize how exhausted you become because of it.
I suffered several losses throughout a short period of time and things just progressively deteriorated with my reproductive system. By the time I reached my mid 40s, the pain just continued to worsen! Not only during my menstrual cycle, but throughout the entire month, minus one or two days if I was lucky. Some days trying to work, travel or do anything social took a lot for me to do. And other days, staying in bed was my only option.
Have any of you ever had an endometrial biopsy? If you have, you know that when they say 'this may be uncomfortable for a minute' - you soon discover, that is not the case. The only thing I could think of after my first one is that if a man had to do a similar procedure - well they just wouldn't - it would be administered differently or no man would ever do it. That is my biased opinion and no factual evidence to back it up! lol But I just think women withstand more painful procedures...don't even get me started on mammograms! haha!
After several visits to different healthcare providers over the course of a few years, it was finally determined a hysterectomy would be scheduled. My uterus and cervix were removed along with the fibroids/cysts and endometriosis.
Almost four years later, I am happy to report, it was the best decision for me. Without the constant pain and worry, it has been very freeing. It is not a decision to be taken lightly, but for those of us who have been granted a new lease on life, I am sure you would agree, it can be life changing.
While my story is just one of many, I know it's not nearly as difficult as some of the experiences others have had to improve their physical well-being. I think there are many who suffer in silence and are not sure where to turn. Sharing our stories can sometimes help so that is why I am sharing mine with you today.
I may be coming from left field on International Women's Day but my point here is, don't give up on yourself and your healthcare needs. Be your own best advocate. You know your own body the best out of anyone, so if you feel something needs to be addressed, please know you deserve to be heard. You don't have to feel like you are being a nuisance to the system because you have a right to know answers.
There is more and more information about menopause on social media platforms than ever before. While I remain very critical about the information I absorb, I know there are some educated professionals on there trying to inform women so they don't feel alone. And when we don't know where else to find information, it can help us learn more about a topic that has been hidden for so many years.
Here are some of the accounts I follow in case you are interested:
Dr. Jen Gunter also wrote the Menipause Manifesto book. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0806540664?ie=UTF8&tag=kensingtonb08-20&camp=1789&linkCode=xm2&creativeASIN=0806540664 in case you are interested.
I am no expert on anything medical and this is all based on my own experience and research. I just wanted to shed light on what my experience has been and some of the information I have found to be useful.
Women are the unsung heroes of the world. Everything we do is not without it's obstacles, but as women, we know we can do hard things. Yes the world needs to do better when it comes to including women in all of its research, policies and platforms. Slowly, we will begin to see how the results impact our way forward and hopefully benefit women with our health related concerns.
This isn't just about physical health but also advancements need to be addressed when it comes to women's mental health. You ever wonder why we hear more and more about people being diagnosed with ADHD these days, especially in adult females?
Statistics have traditionally shown ADHD is more prevalent in males, but recent research suggests this could, in part, be due to misdiagnosis. Unsurprisingly, ADHD in women is hugely under-researched – females weren’t even adequately included in findings until the late 90s. And it wasn’t until 2002 that we got our own long-term study.
Canada may be lagging behind other places like Australia and the UK in their findings but hopefully, with more resources, education and understanding, we will get there too.
Here is an interesting read about women and ADHD for those who may be interested: https://amp.theguardian.com/society/2020/nov/02/the-lost-girls-chaotic-and-curious-women-with-adhd-all-have-missed-red-flags-that-haunt-us
I am grateful if you have made it this far in my post so that I can tell you how blessed I am for all the women in my life. Without you, I would not be brave enough to share my experiences with you. I learn from you every single day by the inspiration you provide me with your journey throughout your life.
I also admire all those males who support, encourage and embrace the women in their lives to authentically be themselves in this world. You see us and know how hard we have to fight sometimes to be heard and seen.
For those who came before us, thank you for your courage and strength to pave a broader pathway. In your honour, we will continue to carry on your legacy by doing our best to protect the foundation you have built.
For those that come behind us, we hope to make headway so that you can have equal footing and access to all things that support you as you age.
As I continue to navigate the aging woman ailments, I hope more support systems are put in place for perimenopausal and menopausal women. We are at least talking about it more now! Thank goodness!
Lastly, I am blessed to have you in my life. For all the hardships faced throughout the course of ones life, a bond shared between women can make the difference on how you land during those tougher days. Knowing you have these kindred spirits supporting and cheering you on in life is a sacred gift. I am beyond grateful for this community.
Now go buy yourself something sparkly!!!!!! You deserve it!
Jules xo
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