Sue:
Glad to be able to chat with you today.
I enjoy helping create awareness about women's health especially in the area of our hormones, where so much of our health resides.

Way back in 1982 when you first opened your women's health center Full Circle Women's Health, Inc. no one ever heard of the word perimenopause and they were barely saying menopause. What got you interested in this particular and new area of women's health?

Stephanie:
Thank you for inviting me to speak to HotFlash today, Sue.

It all started with my own hormonal imbalances in my thirties. I didn't know that this was the problem at the time, I discovered that later. I wasn't feeling like myself in fact my husband really noticed changes in me. He told me that I wasn't easy to get along with anymore, that it had become very difficult not only for him, but for my children as well. He actually felt I was "less motherly", not as patient and warm as I usually was with our kids. I suffered tremendous guilt over this "mother" revelation. It was terrible. At first I thought my husband was "laying the woman trip" on me and pretty much disregarded what he had said.

Yes, I was changing...
Then I started thinking about it and realized that yes, I was changing, something was different. Over the next 2-3 months I kept a journal and try to correlate my menstrual cycle with how I was feeling. I also included what I was eating, my exercising and any other stresses in my life.

My doctor had the same problem...
I then decided to make an appointment with my general practitioner. I told her how terrible I was feeling and shared the guilt I had from feeling so "disconnected" to my family. Surprisingly my doctor also shared her own feelings which were along the same lines as mine. After commiserating with my doctor I still felt somewhat desperate and wanted something done about how I felt, and FAST! I even asked her if she thought a total hysterectomy would make me feel better, at this point I wanted everything out!

This was totally out of character for me. In fact, I called a good friend who went to college with me and told how crummy I felt. I also included the idea that I wanted a hysterectomy. She immediately knew something was wrong with me because this was totally out of character for me.

I finally decided to put a hold on any type of surgery. After talking with my college friend I started thinking that there must be more to women's health and hormones then what was out there at the time. So, I went back to school and learned all about the relationship between women's health and hormones.

There must be other women like me...
After going through my own challenges I decided that there must be other women just like me having a tough time because of hormonal imbalances. This is why I started my work in women's health. I wanted them to know that they aren't alone and should never feel guilty about how they feel. This has led me to write my book about PMS and The Power of Perimenopause. I wanted to change the common response to women's health problems from "it's all in your head, you're hysterical" to a more informed and reasoned explanation for women feeling the way they do.

See the answer
MD's & Hormones

Meet the Authors
Mary Ann Mayo & Joseph L. Mayo
The Menopause Manger:
A Safe Path for Natural Change
hosted by Sue Spataro, RN, BSN
interview & FREE risk quiz
The authors are partners both in life and in health.  Together they have formed an amazing health program for women.  In their latest book, they outline in step by step detail, how the average woman can plan her own personal perimenopause/menopause journey.   They include varied forms of treatment, alternative concepts, life style changes, and hormonal products.  Their integrative approach has helped thousands of women. Find out more

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