My mother My Self

My mother started having irregular periods after 50. Fine until then. Regular. Too heavy. She's always been anemic.
I remember it was after 50 because at 50 she thought she might be pregnant. Which coincidentally is what my grandmother had done! Uh oh! Now you know why I've been nervous for the last few years.

So my mother goes into what we now call "perimenopause". Uh oh. Can't have that. Let's put you on hormone replacement therapy-you need estrogen. This was 20 years ago more or less.

Yep, and guess what? A few years later she has this distended abdomen-my mother who always had a 24" waist. And she can't stop bleeding.

They tell her she has fibroids the size of grapefruit in her uterus, that are causing the bleeding and in her breasts, and it could very well be cancer because they grew so quick, and she needs a hysterectomy. In she goes. They are NOT cancerous, applause. They are benign. Did anyone mention that estrogen causes fibroid growth? And that when estrogen is reduced, the fibroids shrink? Nope. They tell her to be v e r y careful of breast cancer because of THOSE fibroids.

So now because of the hyterectomy she has to be on...you got it...hormone replacement therapy.

Test case. She doesn't sleep but 2 hours at a time. Ever. Her liver was already compromised due to other health issues. She has been on diuretics for at least 20 years because of those extra 4 pounds of wate her body seems to carry-we now call that stress and inflammation.

Now granted that was 20 years ago, and we have so much more information, but you know what? There are thousands of doctors and hospitals still recommending this. UTAH is the highest hysterectomy state IN THE NATION.

What about your mothers? Anyone out there this week?