Hormones

Years ago, in the excellent movie "Fried Green Tomatoes" the Kathy Bates character is frustrated and sad and finally takes a sledge hammer to her house. When she visits her new, old lady friend in the nursing home, played by the great Jessica Tandy, and tells her she thinks she's going insane, Jessica says:

"Honey, you just need some hormones!"

About six years ago I, along with millions of other women, threw away the hormones that I'd been taking for many years. Tests that had been done with Prempro proved that, not only did the drug not guard against cancer, it could cause cancer we might unknowingly have, to grow.

I was taking Premarin but, after reading all the reports, I decided that the risk was too high to continue. Besides, most doctors said that,

• Hot flashes lasted only a minute or so
• They would go away completely within three years

The result was six years of intense hot flashes - day and night - rapid cycling.

During the night I would wake up at least three times feeling like I was suffocating. I'd get up, douse my entire body with cold water and lie under the ceiling fan until things calmed down. Twenty minutes to a half hour.

During the day I wore layers of clothing because when the flashes came I had to throw off the top layer fast.

I tried every alternative. My new gynecologist was the Pakistani guy at the health food store.

A few months ago my female internist said "You can't go on like this."

So I'm now taking a tiny dose of hormones 3 times a week. I still have a few light hot flashes - but they're manageable. I can sometimes sleep 6 straight hours - something I haven't done in many years. My life has changed immeasurably for the better.

I should have listened to Jessica.



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