|
medpundit |
||
 |
 |
|
Saturday, November 09, 2002The news in July that tens of thousands of heart attacks, strokes, breast cancers and pulmonary embolisms are caused by long-term use of combination hormones brings joy to no one. It wasn't tens of thousands. It was tens (or less) per tens of thousands of users of hormones. She goes on to accuse women who feel better on hormone replacement of being weak-willed mental midgets: Women who have been weaning themselves off HRT say they look in the mirror now and see their grandmothers. Of course, they don't really look any different at all. It's the reverse placebo effect And thinking so can make it so. It's the opposite of why women who take HRT to stay young probably do appear to be more youthful. A woman who believes she looks and feels younger behaves in a way that reflects that state of mind. She takes better care of herself, eats healthier, dresses and grooms herself according to a self-image of an attractive women who has not been relegated to the sidelines. On the other hand, post-menopausal women who accept a role as "non-players"stop trying their best to maintain any superficial allure, any ability to attract the male gaze or male approval. Dear Ms. Gerstel, have some compassion. You may not need estrogen to feel your best, but there are plenty of women out there who do. They aren't falling for some Madison avenue hype about estrogen and youth. Their bodies are simply not the same as yours. For whatever reason, when they go without estrogen they can't concentrate, can't regulate their body temperature approriately, can't get motivated, or have extreme vaginal dryness. They function better when taking estrogen. Not all women are this way, but a significant number are. For these women, the benefits of estrogen outweigh the risk. Stop belittling them, and have the decency to respect their choice. UPDATE: A reader shared this email that she sent to Judy Gerstel. Since there's a good chance it'll never show up in the letters-to-the-editor page of the newspaper, I offer it to you here: I read your article on the risks and benefits of treating menopause with HRT, and would like to comment. You seem to dismiss treatment of menopausal symptoms as a vain and trivial attempt to avoid the aging process, which I think ignores the more serious reasons some women seek treatment for symptoms of menopause. There's more to menopause than hot flashes and wrinkles. Some of us experience severe menstrual problems as menopause approaches, the details of which I will spare you except to say that before HRT I was housebound for a week every month and now, with HRT (in my case low dose birth control pills) I am free to pursue a normal life. I am aware that there are risks to long term HRT, and I have discussed those risks with my doctor. We are both confident that this is the right choice for me. It's great that you're evidently in good health, and it is my hope that you don't share my experience, and that of many other women, as "that special time" draws nearer for you. But please don't assume your experience is universal, or dismiss as neurotic those of us who experience problems that are beyond your imagination. posted by Sydney on 11/09/2002 02:53:00 PM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
|
