July 4, 2025 • 30 mins
What do Zumba and Greek dancing have to do with bone density? Why should you shave first and soak later? And who gets to decide whether you can have a hysterectomy for health reasons if you haven’t had kids yet?
In this episode, Endocrinologist Dr Sonia Davison from Jean Hailes for Women’s Health talks about whether diet and exercise can prevent dementia and what waist circumference has to do with healthy ageing. She also discusses how stomping, sleeping and strength training should all be part of the puzzle as you get older.
We also talk about intermittent fasting and how cups of tea with your girlfriends could be just what the doctor ordered.
And, is it possible to delay your ‘hormone window of chaos’?
THE END BITS
For more information on bone density Dr Sonia Davison recommends: Healthy Bones Australia
For more information on fibroids Dr Mariam recommends: ask4ufe
Sign up to the Well Newsletter to receive your weekly dose of trusted health expertise without the medical jargon.
Ask a question of our experts or share your story, feedback, or dilemma - you can send it anonymously here, email here or leave us a voice note here.
Ask The Doc: Ask us a question in The Waiting Room.
Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok.
All your health information is in the Well Hub.
Support independent women’s media by becoming a Mamamia subscriber
CREDITS
Hosts: Claire Murphy and Dr Mariam
Guest: Dr Sonia Davison
Senior Producers: Claire Murphy and Sasha Tannock
Audio Producer: Scott Stronach
Mamamia studios are styled with furniture from Fenton and Fenton. Visit fentonandfenton.com.au
Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
Information discussed in Well. is for education purposes only and is not intended to provide professional medical advice. Listeners should seek their own medical advice, specific to their circumstances, from their treating doctor or health care professional.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
You're listening to a Mama Mia podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Mamma Maya acknowledges the traditional owners of land and waters
that this podcast is recorded on. Hello, mid listeners, this
is Naima Brown and I'm the executive producer of this program.
But today I'm bringing you an episode from another Mamma
Mia podcast called Well Well is our women's health podcast.
It's where we talk about the taboo, the annoying, the embarrassing,
(00:34):
and the scary. We cover the concerns you're probably considering
seeing a doctor about, from insomnia to weird periods to
how to prevent dementia. The episode I'm bringing you today
is about body longevity. You might be wondering what zoomba
and Greek dancing have to do with bone density, or
why you should shave first and soak later, and who
(00:56):
gets to decide whether you can have a hysterectomy for
health reasons if you haven't had kids yet. All of
these questions and more in this episode. Enjoy the listen,
let us know what you think.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
This is. Well Australian women, Welcome to your full body
health check. I'm Claire Murphy, your resident journo who will
ask you the nosiest questions about your most private.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
Paths, and I'm doctor Mariam, the person who will have
those answers to those questions and hand you the tools
on how you can take that to.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Your own doctor. Today, we're going to be talking about
body longevity. Now, before you start thinking about that guy
the Kardashian spent time with this season, what's his name,
Brian Johnson, we are not talking about tech bro billionaire longevity,
(01:52):
and this is not about how we look either. We're
talking about all of us women just trying to live
our best lives without becoming like frail old ladies who
break and fall and can't remember anything. We'll also check
in with Briany for a quick consult today. She has
a really serious issue that is absolutely life threatening and
she knows that it can be fixed, she just can't
(02:14):
convince her doctor to actually do the fixing part. But next,
I had a shaving tip for you, Mariam. Yes, sis
is going to change the way you handle your razor.
It is time to go to med school. Welcome to
med school. We are discovering some crazy things about our
bodies as we do research into this podcast, which I've
mentioned in previous episodes, has completely messed up my algorithms.
(02:38):
I get served some pretty wax stuff these days, but
we do come across some really interesting handy hints sometimes too,
which is what I came across this week. Have you
ever like when you've gone to shave your legs, yep,
soaked for a bit first in the bath or done
it as like the last thing you do in the shower,
like after you've done your everything top to toe kind
(02:58):
of business. Well, I've found out that when you soak
in the bath or take a long shower, your skin
essentially swells because the outer layers do absorb that water.
But what that means is that the hair is essentially
getting pulled back into the follicle as your skin expands outwards.
It makes sense. Yeah, So when you go and shave
(03:18):
at the end, when your skin is all swelly and
plump and full of lovely moisture, you're actually shaving less
of the hair, which is why you might find after
you've dried off and like an hour or so later,
when your skin has gone back to normal, you've already
got stubble. So don't do that. Do it the first
thing you do when you get in the bath or
the first thing you do, I mean gross to the
bath because now you're floating around with a bunch of
(03:40):
your little shaven hairs.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
Don't do it on dry skin either, No, like you
know what, I've just like rushed in and there's just
like a patch of hair, Yeah, because.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Then you get like that weird rash. It's not very
nice hurts. Also, if you do it after a long
socer or a long shower, it increases your risk of
ingrown hairs and raizor burn. So the moral of the
story today is dunk, quick shave first, get it over
and done with. Also, Mariam, though, I do understand that
the quality of your razor is of concern here because
you can actually catch like some nuts stuff from your.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
Razor, right, you sure can, So they can be a
breeding ground for bacteria and infections. Using a rusty razor
increases your risk of infections from all admit, I have
done that before. Yeah, like, and they can like compile
a lot of nasty things. And the one thing we
think of our staff infections. So if your razor is
(04:30):
starting to look a little vintage, it is a time
to replace them. So in summary, quicktip sharp brazer, smooth sailing.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Or you don't even need to shave. That's so true.
Why are we even bothering with hair removaling exactly, especially
we're coming into winter. Oh my god, yes, squatch me
is about to emerge. Just you wait, okay, shave first,
non rusty rasor people. All right, it is check up time.
We are talking longevity today.
Speaker 5 (04:58):
It's time for the checkup.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
We know that women in general live longer than men.
Although with our friends, the billionaire tech bros that we
mentioned earlier, all life hacking and trying to live forever,
maybe that will change somewhere down the track. But as
we sit today, women live on average to around eighty
five years of age compared to men at eighty one
here in Australia. That does different where you go in
the world, but marrying there is a big difference between
(05:22):
living until you're eighty five and like living until you're
eighty five. Right. There are so many things we can
do to make sure that our bodies hold up better. Yep.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
It's not just about adding years to your life, it's
about adding life to years. And while women may outlive
men on paper, we're aiming for more quality years, not
just more candles.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
On the cake.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
So I mean candles on the cake is nice because
it comes with cake. But yes, yeah, but you know,
what's the point.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
Of making it to eighty five if we can't remember
where we put our dentures. So I have a simple
formula for vibrant aging. Number one is moving your body,
So regular physical activity helping you to stay mobile, strong
and independent as we age. Variety is what's key. So
you want to be doing moderate aerobic activity like walking, dancing, swimming,
(06:11):
but you also want to be doing strength training that's
really important, and that's to support the muscle and bone health.
And we know that flexibility imbalance training is really really
important to stay agile and help prevent falls.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
You don't need to run.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
Marathons, but if that's your thing, go for it. But
it's about consistent, gentle movements and they can work wonders.
The second thing is eating smart and enjoying your food
as well. So you want to balanced diet rich in
proteins and veggies, healthy fats as well. As you get older,
the way your body processes alcohol is very different, so
(06:44):
it can take longer to recover. Yeah, absolutely, And then
prioritizing your mental well being that's really important. So your
mental health is just as important as your physical health.
You want to be practicing mindfulness, even if it's just
a couple of minutes a day. Spending time with your
loved ones, staying mentally active with new hobbies and group
activities as well. Talk to your GP about a mental
(07:06):
health care plan if needed. There is support out there
for you. We know that people with depression and anxiety
can have a reduced quality of life, and we want
to get on top of that as soon as possible.
Social connection is so crucial, especially as we age. It
improves mood, memory and reduces loneliness, which we know is
a silent killer. Sleeping that's so important as well, so
(07:28):
we're aiming for seven to eight hours of sleep a night.
Sleep changes with age, so you're more likely to experience
disrupted rest as you age. And if you're struggling to
get good quality sleep, please speak to your GP. And
staying proactive with your health going in to see your
GP often for health checks. Don't wait till you become unwell.
It's about preventive care and then getting ahead of things.
(07:53):
I do like to have these conversations with people early.
They can be uncomfortable, but it's very important. So things
like an advanced care directive, having a power of attorney
and you know, what does life in the future look
for you, and just having that conversation early so when
things do happen it doesn't take you by surprise.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
I've tried having it with my parents. It is a
no go zone right now. So we'll keep working on it.
Speaker 4 (08:16):
But you know, they're so important, and it's about kind
of ensuring that you're treated with the dignity and care
that you deserve in the way that you want to
if these things were to happen.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
One hundred percent, Mariam, how do we go about putting
a plan in place like this, whether it's for ourselves
if we're getting a bit older, or for aging parents,
for example, to make sure that we are aging as
best that we can.
Speaker 4 (08:37):
I think as a patient you have a duty to
be proactive as well. We can only do so much
when you come to visit us. There are a lot
of comprehensive health checks that GPS can do as we
start to get older, but we need you to get
to the door first. It's really important not to wait
to your own world. We're not saying go in every week,
but going every now and again to make sure everything
(09:00):
is up to date and that we're getting on top
of things before they become a problem. So that's quite important.
And if you're living with a chronic disease, you'd be
eligible for something we call a Chronic Disease Management Plan
and that gives you access to bulk build visits with
allied HOLES providers. So linking you in with services like physiotherapists,
exercise physiologists, pedietrists, all those sorts of things, and it's
(09:22):
good because then you start to establish this team around
you and we can all the ais with you to
make sure that you're on top of all your conditions.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
I swear if my mother wasn't committed to my father,
I think she was having an affair with her padietress
with how often she goes to visit him.
Speaker 4 (09:35):
But that's besides the point I always recommend. And I
know it's very difficult for people trying to get in,
but as we age, having one GP or seeing GPS
within a practice is really important. It's important because we
have access to your notes, we know what medications you're on.
As I see a lot of people who are aging,
there are a lot of medications prescribed by other doctors
(09:58):
that we don't have access to, and then we're prescribing
medications and they can interact with each other. So I
do say, as you're getting older, try to find a
good gp that you're happy with, who knows you really well.
Maybe find someone who's not on the verge of retirement,
because that does happen. I fortunately, I'm so sad, but yes,
you know someone who's going to be with you for
the long haul, who knows you really well, who's able
(10:20):
to pick things up, who is on top of your
medication list, and who you can have these active conversations with.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
Yeah, good advice. All right, Moving on on the way,
we're going to hear about Brian's life threatening condition she's
desperately trying to get her doctor to fixed, but just
because she hasn't had babies yet, they are not letting her.
But next we speak to Gene House for Women's Health
endocronologist lead doctor Sonya Davison to see how we can
make sure that these bodies of ours hold up the
(10:45):
best they can till the very very end. Sonya, thank
you so much for joining us and helping us out
with this today. I have been seeing this one video
everywhere at the moment that says that women who exercise
regularly from midlife onwards have an up to ninety percent
(11:08):
reduction in Alzheimer's compared to women who don't. And if
you are going together because there are people who are
genetically predisposed to it, that it will in fact hit
you some eleven years later than it would have had
you not exercised. How much of this is true and proven.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
There's a lot of different studies out there with exercise
and brain function or cognitive function and dementia. I think
that particular study is being amplified a little bit. I
think it refers to a Swedish study of over fourteen
hundred women who were started to be studied when they
were thirty eight to sixty years in nineteen sixty eight.
(11:47):
They followed them up for forty four years. But what
they found was those who had high fitness there was
a reduction in the risk of getting Alzheimer's by eighty
eight percent, but it was high fitness compared to medium fitness.
And I think that there are very few of us
who can claim to really having an element of high fitness.
(12:09):
But he did suggest there was a delay to the
onset of dementia of about nine point five years, and
that's amazing, But it's a lot to ask someone at
thirty eight or midlife to maintain high fitness just for
that purpose. I just don't want people to get disappointed
when they try and aim for these really big goals,
(12:29):
then have the realities of modern life, lots of other challenges,
and then get disappointed in themselves that they can't. I think,
on any level, any amount of exercise that you can do,
as long as it's good. Making the heart pound exercise,
making a sweat a bit, doesn't have to be going
to a gym or a program. It can be just
(12:49):
a brisk walk, it can be dancing. I think, just
make it real for the person and put an effort in.
I think that's what I encourage women to do.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
I'd like to get your take on this too, because
there's also a lot of foods that are being pushed
that are supposedly beneficial for our brain health in order
to avoid dementia and our I've been reading specifically about fish,
which we've always been told is really good for our
brain health. Berries, red and purple sweet potato, green vegetables,
and herbs and beetreat in particular seemed to be consistently
(13:22):
on this list. What do we know about those particular
foods and their potential to prevent things like dementia.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
We started really getting interested because we saw that there
were regional differences with regard to diet, for example, a
Mediterranean diet. We saw that there were various health benefits
to that diet, and that is typically fish and seafood, grains, vegetables, fruit,
and olive oil. So we thought when we looked at
(13:49):
those studies, those people actually did better with regard to
healthy aging and dementia, green leafy vegetables, plant based diet,
avoiding processed foods, avoiding lots of carbohydrate, avoiding lots of
red meat. But again it's everything in balance, everything in
moderation and trying to do something that will work for
(14:11):
your life rather than not trying to achieve something that's
really really difficult.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
But again, yes, I'm all for all of.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Those foods that you mentioned. Berries. It's interesting with regard
to fruit, they said berries rather than other fruit. And
definitely when you're coming to dementia prevention, those foods tend
to be more useful compared with high saturated fats, processed foods,
takeaway foods, all those sort of things.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
All right, let's talk about perimenopause, because we know that
a lot of change is going on in a woman's
body with hormones and various other things at that time.
But we also change where we store our fat, and
that is something that people are looking into as potentially
helping with body longevity because we start to store it
around our tummies, in around our vital organs. There, what
(15:02):
is the problem with it being around our tummies rather
than being hips and thighs and bums where we would
normally eat, And what's the benefit of making sure we
limit that.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
We know that when there's a higher waste circumference, and
for women there's a sort of cut off of eighty
eight centimeters, for men it's one hundred and two centimeters.
We know when there's a higher waste circumference even with
a healthy weight for height. So that's really interesting as well,
that there tends to be an increase in visceral fat,
so that's fat around the organs such as the liver
(15:35):
inside our adminal cavity. We know that that fat is
higher in insulin, and we know that there are certain
risks associated with that, such as higher blood pressure, higher
diabetes risks, and higher cardiovascular risks, risks of heart disease
and stroke hypertension. It's interesting that that one measure the
waste circumference. If we can actually get it to less
(15:58):
than eighty eight centimeters, statistically, we're going to do much
better with regard to healthy aging and avoiding. Well, when
you consider women, thirty two percent of us die of
a heart attack call stroke, So if we could get
that slightly skinnier waste, that would be very useful.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
I'm also hearing a lot of rumblings about fasting, Sonya,
what do you stand on fasting and its ability to
help us age a little better.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
Well, the studies are pretty convincing, and there's lots of
different ways of fasting. We've seen the five two diet,
the sixteen eight diet, and all sorts of ways of
doing this. I think the important message is to just
not be very extreme with regard to this, do it
in a safe and healthy way, don't walk around like
a zombie feeling staff the whole time.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
Just don't pass out.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
So, yes, there is some good data that it's actually
good for the body to fast for a bit, not
for a long time. It's good for our insulin levels,
it's good for anti inflammatory, it's good for our microbiome,
it's good for cleaning up inflammation, and it's certainly good
for waste circumference for weight, and it's good for reducing
(17:12):
our risks of metabolic things such as hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, etc.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
I also recently saw a video of a woman who
was giving a Melbourne radio host a training session on
some of the best exercises to do to avoid bone
density issues like osteoporosis, and she's big on stomping, and
her explanation was that you need to exercise in a
way that shocks the bones a little so they continue
to build and stay strong. Between that and lifting heavy things.
(17:39):
That's the other advice I've been seeing ever at the moment,
are those the best exercises when you do reach middle
age and beyond to make sure you stay strong and
your bones stays strong as you age.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
We do have a rapid decline in bone density from
the time of midlife in women, more so on women
than men, and there's a huge amount of bone thinning
and osteoporosis, and a quarter of women will die in
the year after having a hip fracture. Yes, stomping Greek
or Israeli dancing zoomba, something that's actually using your skeleton
(18:12):
in the upright form. A bit of jogging won't hurt.
It can be skipping. It's pretty cheap to get a
skipping rope. And the other thing is weight bearing, so
weights are very important. There's a beautiful information page on
exercise for bone at Healthy Bones Australia. It's a beautiful
exercise guide with pictures of women in black exercise gear
(18:35):
showing how to do the exercises, showing how to do
it healthily, because we just don't want women getting an injury,
especially if they're older and have existing injuries, trying to
do that wonderful exercise for their bones.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
Can you actually reverse osteoporosis though once it starts.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
We can gain bone density. So osteoporosis is when we've
lost a lot of bone density and the bones become brittle,
and with minimal trauma we can fracture, so you certainly
can gain bone density. It's hard to go from osteoporosis
to normal and all sorts of things are important. Adequate
(19:12):
calcium in diet, adequate vitamin D, weight bearing, exercise, not smoking,
not drinking to excess, trying to moderate other things in life.
Just keeping a balance again. And sometimes we will need
osteoporosis medications. Sometimes we will need hormone therapy, and that's
an individual decision as well. But we can all do
(19:35):
something for our bones. And it's brilliant to go from
osteoporosis to osteopenia, which is mild thinning and can be
normal in some age groups. We can definitely change our
bone density and work on it.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Can we talk about ovaries for a second, because we
know that it's such a big shift in a woman's life.
When you essentially start running out of eggs, you start
losing your estrogen hormone, window of chaos occurs, we're imperimenopause,
lots of different symptoms come on board. But there's a
lot of talk now, some researchers being done into how
(20:09):
to extend the life of your ovary, not for reproductive purposes,
but just for health purposes. Do you know where we're
at with that.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
We're not very far along, and what we do know,
for example, smokers have an earlier menopause, so that's obviously
one thing we could avoid. Our real model here is
premature menopause. That's menopause before the age of forty years.
We know when those women are sort of robbed of
the estrogen they were meant to have until average age
(20:39):
fifty to fifty one, that they do have a higher
rate of cardiovascular disease that's heart attack and stroke, cognitive decline, dementia,
and also osteoporosis and fracture. We know when we give
those women back estrogen, if we're able to not all
can have it, that we actually reverse those things. And
also we know in those women who've undergone the early
(21:02):
menopause that their mortality is increased if we don't give
hormone therapy. People have looked at other things. For example,
people have said that if you have a high carbohydrate load,
you might have an earlier menopause. If you have moderate
alcohol rather than extreme alcohol used, you might have a
later menopause. So there are some things that can help
(21:24):
us a little, but it's possibly only going to help
you one or two months or maybe a year. The
median age of menopause in Australia is fifty one to
fifty two. It's set, it's genetically programmed. You will do
what your identical twin has done or what mum has done,
mostly unless something else happens, like surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, et cetera,
(21:46):
or those sort of insults. We're not really there yet,
but I think the main message is if you want
to maintain a very in function and maybe extend your
menopause a life a little bit, being healthy, well exercised,
don't be too extreme. Just do what our body was
meant to do.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
Thank you so much, doctor Davison. That was a great
conversation about little ways to make our later lives a
little bit healthier, less painful, and a ton more remembering,
which is very helpful. What are your thoughts on that?
Speaker 4 (22:20):
Well, with what she said, I think I'm in the
safe zone. I'm Lebanese, I'm already on the Mediterranean diet,
and I just like us Irish potato eaters. I just
need to make sure that I've got a Lebanese wedding
every weekend and do the dub gear, which won't be hard.
I've got thousands of cousins, so I also wanted to
add with the dementia prevention, there are a few other
things that we really want to focus on for dementia prevention,
(22:42):
and that's you know, sleep quality, cognitive stimulation, so doing
those crosswords sudokus and that lifelong learning to keep that
mind active. Just as crucial is social connection. That's really
really important. Have cups of teas within your friend, yeah,
finds a hobby, group, activities, whatever it might be. That's
really really important for dementia prevention. One often overlooked yet
(23:07):
highly modifile risk factor is here loss. So you know,
getting regular hearing checks as we start to age is
really really important and if needed, getting hearing aids can
significantly reduce the risk of dementia. And to add some
new research which has just come out, those vaccinated for
shingles have had their risk of dementia diagnosis reduced by
(23:28):
twenty percent over seven years.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
Which is really really great research. This is really interesting
because we're having this discussion like it should be for
eighty year old ladies, right, But to be honest, this
should be something we're thinking about, especially if you're in
that window of like late thirties into your forties and fifties.
They call it the menopause, a window of chaos. Your
hormones are all doing crazy stuff and you lose estrogen.
This is when these changes start to really affect your
(23:52):
ability to age well and your longevity. So we should
be having these discussions and putting these things in practice,
like from your thirties onwards.
Speaker 4 (24:00):
Right exactly. You want to implement these changes earlier on.
Make it a part of your lifestyle. If I was
to have a conversation with a seventy five year old
and say you need to be exercising this much and
you need to be doing a B and C, it's
much harder to implement than someone who's been doing it
since they have been in their thirties.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
Yeah, get onto it, gals. Next, it's quick consult time.
Briani is really unhappy with advice that she's been given.
She wants to know if every doctor she goes to
is essentially going to tell her the same thing about
a life threatening issue she has which they've said they're
not going to allow treatment for until she's had babies.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
The doctor will see you now.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
Just through here to Consort Room one. If you have
a question for doctor Mariam she's a bloody legend. Oh sure.
She's also answering questions for me, which I'm dming her
on a Saturday night about my eye and deficiency lots
of rashers.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
No, I'm joking.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
I did tell her that she has that complete permission
to tell me to piss off if I'm asking you
questions on the DMS on a Saturday night. If you
do have a question, though, you can shoot it through
to the waiting room. You'll find a link to the
in our show notes, and if you do it that way,
it is completely anonymous. So if you have a question
that you don't want to put your name to, which
we totally understand, Okay, Marian, please do your thing. Thank
you for waiting.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
How can I help you?
Speaker 3 (25:22):
In the concert room today? Is Briani. She has a
problem she thinks she knows the answer to, but cannot
find someone to help her get there. This is what
she wrote.
Speaker 5 (25:30):
I'm twenty nine and want hysterectomy, but my new GP
said I can't have one. I have fibroids that are
so bad that my husband once found me passed out
on the bathroom floor from blood loss and had to
call an ambulance. I've been having regular transfusions and have
also had several oblations to help, but I can't keep
(25:50):
going like this. Sometimes I can't leave the house because
I am bleeding so much. My GP says, because I
don't have any children yet and I'm not even thirty,
he will not refer me and that it's something that
my husband needs to be on board as something that
will affect him. Do I just need to find another
(26:13):
doctor or will all gps just say the same thing
to me?
Speaker 3 (26:17):
Mariam. I've had friends who had to deal with fibroids.
It is absolutely debilitating if you've got really bad fibroids,
and they've since had procedures that have fixed that, including hysterectomy.
So in this case, when we're talking about a GP
who says not until you have babies, is this a
social issue or is this a medical issue?
Speaker 4 (26:37):
Okay, So I'll just start by explaining what fibroids are
for the listeners. So, they're non cancerous growths in the
uterus that can vary in size and location and number.
They can be as small as a pe and larger
than a watermelon. In some cases. They affect seventy percent
of women under the age of fifty, and they typically
(26:59):
shrink after menopause, but that's not always the case. While
many women have fibroids, about forty percent will experience symptoms,
and that can include heavy menstrual bleeding, painful fatigue, shortness
of breath due to the irons efficiency, pelvic pain, pain
during sex, or frequent urination, among other signs. Now, I
(27:20):
am furious hearing I can see you agree. Taste is
so angry hearing this, and I'm so sorry for her
experience because that is just not acceptable. Essentially, when I
have a female present with bleeding, we always order some
imaging and it will tell me about fibroids. It will
tell me fibroids, this is the cause. When we have
(27:42):
the diagnosis, my approach is I sit the patient down.
I go to this website called Ask for UFE and
it has this beautiful print out which has all the
treatment options, and it goes through the pros and the cons.
I print it out, we go through it together. I
let them take it home, have a think about it,
and they come back and we have a further conversation
about what they want to do. When I hear stories
(28:06):
of women being refused referrals treatments like my blood boils.
If a patient is given all options, including the pros
and cons and risks associated with the treatment and the
fertility implications, and she makes a decision, that's hers and
it's our duty as doctors to respect patient autonomy. She's
(28:28):
clearly symptomatic, she required a referral like yesterday, and she
needs a full work up, and she shouldn't be denied
that opportunity because she has a GP who has some
belief structure about fertility. So it's time to say, by Felicia,
to this new GP, you deserve to feel better, and
you deserve to have a treatment plan that aligns with
(28:50):
what you want. And I'm so so sorry that this
is an experience that many, many, many females are still experiencing.
It's just unacceptable.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
Hik Briany, it looks like you're on the hunt for
a new doctor. Good luck, friend, because it sounds like
you really needed that yesterday. Yeah. Absolutely, Bye, Felicia, Bye,
Hey for Leisha, All right, thanks for hanging out with
us on Well today. Don't forget if you do have
questions or any concerns. Awesome feedback, even I mean, we'd
love you to rate and review us in your favorite
(29:20):
podcast time, because it does allow us to get into
more people's ears, which is the idea of this also too,
if you want to send through a querier or a question,
email it Well at mamma mia dot com dot au.
Leave us a voice note or an anonymous story. You
can find them in your show notes. If you want
more info too, sign up to the Old World newsletter.
There are stacks of really great stuff on there from
(29:42):
all of us to learn from, extra stories, fact sheets,
expert advice to make sure you get into that too.
Next week we are answering all your questions about weight,
all of lost drugs, body longevity. Get your questions in
people asap before your time runs out. Remember again the
advice that you've heard here today, it's general. It may
not suit you one hundred percent, so make sure you
(30:03):
speak to your own GP or your own health specialist
about these things. Get that info that is correct for you.
If you're like Briany, go find yourself a new GP
if it is not working out for you, And of
course we'll see if your appointment right here this time
next week. Bye Bye Well is produced by me Claire
Murphy and Our Group, executive producer Georgie Page and senior
(30:24):
producer Sasha Tannic, with audio production by Scott Stronik,
You're listening to a Mama Mia podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Mamma Maya acknowledges the traditional owners of land and waters
that this podcast is recorded on. Hello, mid listeners, this
is Naima Brown and I'm the executive producer of this program.
But today I'm bringing you an episode from another Mamma
Mia podcast called Well Well is our women's health podcast.
It's where we talk about the taboo, the annoying, the embarrassing,
(00:34):
and the scary. We cover the concerns you're probably considering
seeing a doctor about, from insomnia to weird periods to
how to prevent dementia. The episode I'm bringing you today
is about body longevity. You might be wondering what zoomba
and Greek dancing have to do with bone density, or
why you should shave first and soak later, and who
(00:56):
gets to decide whether you can have a hysterectomy for
health reasons if you haven't had kids yet. All of
these questions and more in this episode. Enjoy the listen,
let us know what you think.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
This is. Well Australian women, Welcome to your full body
health check. I'm Claire Murphy, your resident journo who will
ask you the nosiest questions about your most private.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
Paths, and I'm doctor Mariam, the person who will have
those answers to those questions and hand you the tools
on how you can take that to.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Your own doctor. Today, we're going to be talking about
body longevity. Now, before you start thinking about that guy
the Kardashian spent time with this season, what's his name,
Brian Johnson, we are not talking about tech bro billionaire longevity,
(01:52):
and this is not about how we look either. We're
talking about all of us women just trying to live
our best lives without becoming like frail old ladies who
break and fall and can't remember anything. We'll also check
in with Briany for a quick consult today. She has
a really serious issue that is absolutely life threatening and
she knows that it can be fixed, she just can't
(02:14):
convince her doctor to actually do the fixing part. But next,
I had a shaving tip for you, Mariam. Yes, sis
is going to change the way you handle your razor.
It is time to go to med school. Welcome to
med school. We are discovering some crazy things about our
bodies as we do research into this podcast, which I've
mentioned in previous episodes, has completely messed up my algorithms.
(02:38):
I get served some pretty wax stuff these days, but
we do come across some really interesting handy hints sometimes too,
which is what I came across this week. Have you
ever like when you've gone to shave your legs, yep,
soaked for a bit first in the bath or done
it as like the last thing you do in the shower,
like after you've done your everything top to toe kind
(02:58):
of business. Well, I've found out that when you soak
in the bath or take a long shower, your skin
essentially swells because the outer layers do absorb that water.
But what that means is that the hair is essentially
getting pulled back into the follicle as your skin expands outwards.
It makes sense. Yeah, So when you go and shave
(03:18):
at the end, when your skin is all swelly and
plump and full of lovely moisture, you're actually shaving less
of the hair, which is why you might find after
you've dried off and like an hour or so later,
when your skin has gone back to normal, you've already
got stubble. So don't do that. Do it the first
thing you do when you get in the bath or
the first thing you do, I mean gross to the
bath because now you're floating around with a bunch of
(03:40):
your little shaven hairs.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
Don't do it on dry skin either, No, like you
know what, I've just like rushed in and there's just
like a patch of hair, Yeah, because.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Then you get like that weird rash. It's not very
nice hurts. Also, if you do it after a long
socer or a long shower, it increases your risk of
ingrown hairs and raizor burn. So the moral of the
story today is dunk, quick shave first, get it over
and done with. Also, Mariam, though, I do understand that
the quality of your razor is of concern here because
you can actually catch like some nuts stuff from your.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
Razor, right, you sure can, So they can be a
breeding ground for bacteria and infections. Using a rusty razor
increases your risk of infections from all admit, I have
done that before. Yeah, like, and they can like compile
a lot of nasty things. And the one thing we
think of our staff infections. So if your razor is
(04:30):
starting to look a little vintage, it is a time
to replace them. So in summary, quicktip sharp brazer, smooth sailing.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Or you don't even need to shave. That's so true.
Why are we even bothering with hair removaling exactly, especially
we're coming into winter. Oh my god, yes, squatch me
is about to emerge. Just you wait, okay, shave first,
non rusty rasor people. All right, it is check up time.
We are talking longevity today.
Speaker 5 (04:58):
It's time for the checkup.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
We know that women in general live longer than men.
Although with our friends, the billionaire tech bros that we
mentioned earlier, all life hacking and trying to live forever,
maybe that will change somewhere down the track. But as
we sit today, women live on average to around eighty
five years of age compared to men at eighty one
here in Australia. That does different where you go in
the world, but marrying there is a big difference between
(05:22):
living until you're eighty five and like living until you're
eighty five. Right. There are so many things we can
do to make sure that our bodies hold up better. Yep.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
It's not just about adding years to your life, it's
about adding life to years. And while women may outlive
men on paper, we're aiming for more quality years, not
just more candles.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
On the cake.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
So I mean candles on the cake is nice because
it comes with cake. But yes, yeah, but you know,
what's the point.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
Of making it to eighty five if we can't remember
where we put our dentures. So I have a simple
formula for vibrant aging. Number one is moving your body,
So regular physical activity helping you to stay mobile, strong
and independent as we age. Variety is what's key. So
you want to be doing moderate aerobic activity like walking, dancing, swimming,
(06:11):
but you also want to be doing strength training that's
really important, and that's to support the muscle and bone health.
And we know that flexibility imbalance training is really really
important to stay agile and help prevent falls.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
You don't need to run.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
Marathons, but if that's your thing, go for it. But
it's about consistent, gentle movements and they can work wonders.
The second thing is eating smart and enjoying your food
as well. So you want to balanced diet rich in
proteins and veggies, healthy fats as well. As you get older,
the way your body processes alcohol is very different, so
(06:44):
it can take longer to recover. Yeah, absolutely, And then
prioritizing your mental well being that's really important. So your
mental health is just as important as your physical health.
You want to be practicing mindfulness, even if it's just
a couple of minutes a day. Spending time with your
loved ones, staying mentally active with new hobbies and group
activities as well. Talk to your GP about a mental
(07:06):
health care plan if needed. There is support out there
for you. We know that people with depression and anxiety
can have a reduced quality of life, and we want
to get on top of that as soon as possible.
Social connection is so crucial, especially as we age. It
improves mood, memory and reduces loneliness, which we know is
a silent killer. Sleeping that's so important as well, so
(07:28):
we're aiming for seven to eight hours of sleep a night.
Sleep changes with age, so you're more likely to experience
disrupted rest as you age. And if you're struggling to
get good quality sleep, please speak to your GP. And
staying proactive with your health going in to see your
GP often for health checks. Don't wait till you become unwell.
It's about preventive care and then getting ahead of things.
(07:53):
I do like to have these conversations with people early.
They can be uncomfortable, but it's very important. So things
like an advanced care directive, having a power of attorney
and you know, what does life in the future look
for you, and just having that conversation early so when
things do happen it doesn't take you by surprise.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
I've tried having it with my parents. It is a
no go zone right now. So we'll keep working on it.
Speaker 4 (08:16):
But you know, they're so important, and it's about kind
of ensuring that you're treated with the dignity and care
that you deserve in the way that you want to
if these things were to happen.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
One hundred percent, Mariam, how do we go about putting
a plan in place like this, whether it's for ourselves
if we're getting a bit older, or for aging parents,
for example, to make sure that we are aging as
best that we can.
Speaker 4 (08:37):
I think as a patient you have a duty to
be proactive as well. We can only do so much
when you come to visit us. There are a lot
of comprehensive health checks that GPS can do as we
start to get older, but we need you to get
to the door first. It's really important not to wait
to your own world. We're not saying go in every week,
but going every now and again to make sure everything
(09:00):
is up to date and that we're getting on top
of things before they become a problem. So that's quite important.
And if you're living with a chronic disease, you'd be
eligible for something we call a Chronic Disease Management Plan
and that gives you access to bulk build visits with
allied HOLES providers. So linking you in with services like physiotherapists,
exercise physiologists, pedietrists, all those sorts of things, and it's
(09:22):
good because then you start to establish this team around
you and we can all the ais with you to
make sure that you're on top of all your conditions.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
I swear if my mother wasn't committed to my father,
I think she was having an affair with her padietress
with how often she goes to visit him.
Speaker 4 (09:35):
But that's besides the point I always recommend. And I
know it's very difficult for people trying to get in,
but as we age, having one GP or seeing GPS
within a practice is really important. It's important because we
have access to your notes, we know what medications you're on.
As I see a lot of people who are aging,
there are a lot of medications prescribed by other doctors
(09:58):
that we don't have access to, and then we're prescribing
medications and they can interact with each other. So I
do say, as you're getting older, try to find a
good gp that you're happy with, who knows you really well.
Maybe find someone who's not on the verge of retirement,
because that does happen. I fortunately, I'm so sad, but yes,
you know someone who's going to be with you for
the long haul, who knows you really well, who's able
(10:20):
to pick things up, who is on top of your
medication list, and who you can have these active conversations with.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
Yeah, good advice. All right, Moving on on the way,
we're going to hear about Brian's life threatening condition she's
desperately trying to get her doctor to fixed, but just
because she hasn't had babies yet, they are not letting her.
But next we speak to Gene House for Women's Health
endocronologist lead doctor Sonya Davison to see how we can
make sure that these bodies of ours hold up the
(10:45):
best they can till the very very end. Sonya, thank
you so much for joining us and helping us out
with this today. I have been seeing this one video
everywhere at the moment that says that women who exercise
regularly from midlife onwards have an up to ninety percent
(11:08):
reduction in Alzheimer's compared to women who don't. And if
you are going together because there are people who are
genetically predisposed to it, that it will in fact hit
you some eleven years later than it would have had
you not exercised. How much of this is true and proven.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
There's a lot of different studies out there with exercise
and brain function or cognitive function and dementia. I think
that particular study is being amplified a little bit. I
think it refers to a Swedish study of over fourteen
hundred women who were started to be studied when they
were thirty eight to sixty years in nineteen sixty eight.
(11:47):
They followed them up for forty four years. But what
they found was those who had high fitness there was
a reduction in the risk of getting Alzheimer's by eighty
eight percent, but it was high fitness compared to medium fitness.
And I think that there are very few of us
who can claim to really having an element of high fitness.
(12:09):
But he did suggest there was a delay to the
onset of dementia of about nine point five years, and
that's amazing, But it's a lot to ask someone at
thirty eight or midlife to maintain high fitness just for
that purpose. I just don't want people to get disappointed
when they try and aim for these really big goals,
(12:29):
then have the realities of modern life, lots of other challenges,
and then get disappointed in themselves that they can't. I think,
on any level, any amount of exercise that you can do,
as long as it's good. Making the heart pound exercise,
making a sweat a bit, doesn't have to be going
to a gym or a program. It can be just
(12:49):
a brisk walk, it can be dancing. I think, just
make it real for the person and put an effort in.
I think that's what I encourage women to do.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
I'd like to get your take on this too, because
there's also a lot of foods that are being pushed
that are supposedly beneficial for our brain health in order
to avoid dementia and our I've been reading specifically about fish,
which we've always been told is really good for our
brain health. Berries, red and purple sweet potato, green vegetables,
and herbs and beetreat in particular seemed to be consistently
(13:22):
on this list. What do we know about those particular
foods and their potential to prevent things like dementia.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
We started really getting interested because we saw that there
were regional differences with regard to diet, for example, a
Mediterranean diet. We saw that there were various health benefits
to that diet, and that is typically fish and seafood, grains, vegetables, fruit,
and olive oil. So we thought when we looked at
(13:49):
those studies, those people actually did better with regard to
healthy aging and dementia, green leafy vegetables, plant based diet,
avoiding processed foods, avoiding lots of carbohydrate, avoiding lots of
red meat. But again it's everything in balance, everything in
moderation and trying to do something that will work for
(14:11):
your life rather than not trying to achieve something that's
really really difficult.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
But again, yes, I'm all for all of.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Those foods that you mentioned. Berries. It's interesting with regard
to fruit, they said berries rather than other fruit. And
definitely when you're coming to dementia prevention, those foods tend
to be more useful compared with high saturated fats, processed foods,
takeaway foods, all those sort of things.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
All right, let's talk about perimenopause, because we know that
a lot of change is going on in a woman's
body with hormones and various other things at that time.
But we also change where we store our fat, and
that is something that people are looking into as potentially
helping with body longevity because we start to store it
around our tummies, in around our vital organs. There, what
(15:02):
is the problem with it being around our tummies rather
than being hips and thighs and bums where we would
normally eat, And what's the benefit of making sure we
limit that.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
We know that when there's a higher waste circumference, and
for women there's a sort of cut off of eighty
eight centimeters, for men it's one hundred and two centimeters.
We know when there's a higher waste circumference even with
a healthy weight for height. So that's really interesting as well,
that there tends to be an increase in visceral fat,
so that's fat around the organs such as the liver
(15:35):
inside our adminal cavity. We know that that fat is
higher in insulin, and we know that there are certain
risks associated with that, such as higher blood pressure, higher
diabetes risks, and higher cardiovascular risks, risks of heart disease
and stroke hypertension. It's interesting that that one measure the
waste circumference. If we can actually get it to less
(15:58):
than eighty eight centimeters, statistically, we're going to do much
better with regard to healthy aging and avoiding. Well, when
you consider women, thirty two percent of us die of
a heart attack call stroke, So if we could get
that slightly skinnier waste, that would be very useful.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
I'm also hearing a lot of rumblings about fasting, Sonya,
what do you stand on fasting and its ability to
help us age a little better.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
Well, the studies are pretty convincing, and there's lots of
different ways of fasting. We've seen the five two diet,
the sixteen eight diet, and all sorts of ways of
doing this. I think the important message is to just
not be very extreme with regard to this, do it
in a safe and healthy way, don't walk around like
a zombie feeling staff the whole time.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
Just don't pass out.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
So, yes, there is some good data that it's actually
good for the body to fast for a bit, not
for a long time. It's good for our insulin levels,
it's good for anti inflammatory, it's good for our microbiome,
it's good for cleaning up inflammation, and it's certainly good
for waste circumference for weight, and it's good for reducing
(17:12):
our risks of metabolic things such as hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, etc.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
I also recently saw a video of a woman who
was giving a Melbourne radio host a training session on
some of the best exercises to do to avoid bone
density issues like osteoporosis, and she's big on stomping, and
her explanation was that you need to exercise in a
way that shocks the bones a little so they continue
to build and stay strong. Between that and lifting heavy things.
(17:39):
That's the other advice I've been seeing ever at the moment,
are those the best exercises when you do reach middle
age and beyond to make sure you stay strong and
your bones stays strong as you age.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
We do have a rapid decline in bone density from
the time of midlife in women, more so on women
than men, and there's a huge amount of bone thinning
and osteoporosis, and a quarter of women will die in
the year after having a hip fracture. Yes, stomping Greek
or Israeli dancing zoomba, something that's actually using your skeleton
(18:12):
in the upright form. A bit of jogging won't hurt.
It can be skipping. It's pretty cheap to get a
skipping rope. And the other thing is weight bearing, so
weights are very important. There's a beautiful information page on
exercise for bone at Healthy Bones Australia. It's a beautiful
exercise guide with pictures of women in black exercise gear
(18:35):
showing how to do the exercises, showing how to do
it healthily, because we just don't want women getting an injury,
especially if they're older and have existing injuries, trying to
do that wonderful exercise for their bones.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
Can you actually reverse osteoporosis though once it starts.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
We can gain bone density. So osteoporosis is when we've
lost a lot of bone density and the bones become brittle,
and with minimal trauma we can fracture, so you certainly
can gain bone density. It's hard to go from osteoporosis
to normal and all sorts of things are important. Adequate
(19:12):
calcium in diet, adequate vitamin D, weight bearing, exercise, not smoking,
not drinking to excess, trying to moderate other things in life.
Just keeping a balance again. And sometimes we will need
osteoporosis medications. Sometimes we will need hormone therapy, and that's
an individual decision as well. But we can all do
(19:35):
something for our bones. And it's brilliant to go from
osteoporosis to osteopenia, which is mild thinning and can be
normal in some age groups. We can definitely change our
bone density and work on it.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Can we talk about ovaries for a second, because we
know that it's such a big shift in a woman's life.
When you essentially start running out of eggs, you start
losing your estrogen hormone, window of chaos occurs, we're imperimenopause,
lots of different symptoms come on board. But there's a
lot of talk now, some researchers being done into how
(20:09):
to extend the life of your ovary, not for reproductive purposes,
but just for health purposes. Do you know where we're
at with that.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
We're not very far along, and what we do know,
for example, smokers have an earlier menopause, so that's obviously
one thing we could avoid. Our real model here is
premature menopause. That's menopause before the age of forty years.
We know when those women are sort of robbed of
the estrogen they were meant to have until average age
(20:39):
fifty to fifty one, that they do have a higher
rate of cardiovascular disease that's heart attack and stroke, cognitive decline, dementia,
and also osteoporosis and fracture. We know when we give
those women back estrogen, if we're able to not all
can have it, that we actually reverse those things. And
also we know in those women who've undergone the early
(21:02):
menopause that their mortality is increased if we don't give
hormone therapy. People have looked at other things. For example,
people have said that if you have a high carbohydrate load,
you might have an earlier menopause. If you have moderate
alcohol rather than extreme alcohol used, you might have a
later menopause. So there are some things that can help
(21:24):
us a little, but it's possibly only going to help
you one or two months or maybe a year. The
median age of menopause in Australia is fifty one to
fifty two. It's set, it's genetically programmed. You will do
what your identical twin has done or what mum has done,
mostly unless something else happens, like surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, et cetera,
(21:46):
or those sort of insults. We're not really there yet,
but I think the main message is if you want
to maintain a very in function and maybe extend your
menopause a life a little bit, being healthy, well exercised,
don't be too extreme. Just do what our body was
meant to do.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
Thank you so much, doctor Davison. That was a great
conversation about little ways to make our later lives a
little bit healthier, less painful, and a ton more remembering,
which is very helpful. What are your thoughts on that?
Speaker 4 (22:20):
Well, with what she said, I think I'm in the
safe zone. I'm Lebanese, I'm already on the Mediterranean diet,
and I just like us Irish potato eaters. I just
need to make sure that I've got a Lebanese wedding
every weekend and do the dub gear, which won't be hard.
I've got thousands of cousins, so I also wanted to
add with the dementia prevention, there are a few other
things that we really want to focus on for dementia prevention,
(22:42):
and that's you know, sleep quality, cognitive stimulation, so doing
those crosswords sudokus and that lifelong learning to keep that
mind active. Just as crucial is social connection. That's really
really important. Have cups of teas within your friend, yeah,
finds a hobby, group, activities, whatever it might be. That's
really really important for dementia prevention. One often overlooked yet
(23:07):
highly modifile risk factor is here loss. So you know,
getting regular hearing checks as we start to age is
really really important and if needed, getting hearing aids can
significantly reduce the risk of dementia. And to add some
new research which has just come out, those vaccinated for
shingles have had their risk of dementia diagnosis reduced by
(23:28):
twenty percent over seven years.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
Which is really really great research. This is really interesting
because we're having this discussion like it should be for
eighty year old ladies, right, But to be honest, this
should be something we're thinking about, especially if you're in
that window of like late thirties into your forties and fifties.
They call it the menopause, a window of chaos. Your
hormones are all doing crazy stuff and you lose estrogen.
This is when these changes start to really affect your
(23:52):
ability to age well and your longevity. So we should
be having these discussions and putting these things in practice,
like from your thirties onwards.
Speaker 4 (24:00):
Right exactly. You want to implement these changes earlier on.
Make it a part of your lifestyle. If I was
to have a conversation with a seventy five year old
and say you need to be exercising this much and
you need to be doing a B and C, it's
much harder to implement than someone who's been doing it
since they have been in their thirties.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
Yeah, get onto it, gals. Next, it's quick consult time.
Briani is really unhappy with advice that she's been given.
She wants to know if every doctor she goes to
is essentially going to tell her the same thing about
a life threatening issue she has which they've said they're
not going to allow treatment for until she's had babies.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
The doctor will see you now.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
Just through here to Consort Room one. If you have
a question for doctor Mariam she's a bloody legend. Oh sure.
She's also answering questions for me, which I'm dming her
on a Saturday night about my eye and deficiency lots
of rashers.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
No, I'm joking.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
I did tell her that she has that complete permission
to tell me to piss off if I'm asking you
questions on the DMS on a Saturday night. If you
do have a question, though, you can shoot it through
to the waiting room. You'll find a link to the
in our show notes, and if you do it that way,
it is completely anonymous. So if you have a question
that you don't want to put your name to, which
we totally understand, Okay, Marian, please do your thing. Thank
you for waiting.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
How can I help you?
Speaker 3 (25:22):
In the concert room today? Is Briani. She has a
problem she thinks she knows the answer to, but cannot
find someone to help her get there. This is what
she wrote.
Speaker 5 (25:30):
I'm twenty nine and want hysterectomy, but my new GP
said I can't have one. I have fibroids that are
so bad that my husband once found me passed out
on the bathroom floor from blood loss and had to
call an ambulance. I've been having regular transfusions and have
also had several oblations to help, but I can't keep
(25:50):
going like this. Sometimes I can't leave the house because
I am bleeding so much. My GP says, because I
don't have any children yet and I'm not even thirty,
he will not refer me and that it's something that
my husband needs to be on board as something that
will affect him. Do I just need to find another
(26:13):
doctor or will all gps just say the same thing
to me?
Speaker 3 (26:17):
Mariam. I've had friends who had to deal with fibroids.
It is absolutely debilitating if you've got really bad fibroids,
and they've since had procedures that have fixed that, including hysterectomy.
So in this case, when we're talking about a GP
who says not until you have babies, is this a
social issue or is this a medical issue?
Speaker 4 (26:37):
Okay, So I'll just start by explaining what fibroids are
for the listeners. So, they're non cancerous growths in the
uterus that can vary in size and location and number.
They can be as small as a pe and larger
than a watermelon. In some cases. They affect seventy percent
of women under the age of fifty, and they typically
(26:59):
shrink after menopause, but that's not always the case. While
many women have fibroids, about forty percent will experience symptoms,
and that can include heavy menstrual bleeding, painful fatigue, shortness
of breath due to the irons efficiency, pelvic pain, pain
during sex, or frequent urination, among other signs. Now, I
(27:20):
am furious hearing I can see you agree. Taste is
so angry hearing this, and I'm so sorry for her
experience because that is just not acceptable. Essentially, when I
have a female present with bleeding, we always order some
imaging and it will tell me about fibroids. It will
tell me fibroids, this is the cause. When we have
(27:42):
the diagnosis, my approach is I sit the patient down.
I go to this website called Ask for UFE and
it has this beautiful print out which has all the
treatment options, and it goes through the pros and the cons.
I print it out, we go through it together. I
let them take it home, have a think about it,
and they come back and we have a further conversation
about what they want to do. When I hear stories
(28:06):
of women being refused referrals treatments like my blood boils.
If a patient is given all options, including the pros
and cons and risks associated with the treatment and the
fertility implications, and she makes a decision, that's hers and
it's our duty as doctors to respect patient autonomy. She's
(28:28):
clearly symptomatic, she required a referral like yesterday, and she
needs a full work up, and she shouldn't be denied
that opportunity because she has a GP who has some
belief structure about fertility. So it's time to say, by Felicia,
to this new GP, you deserve to feel better, and
you deserve to have a treatment plan that aligns with
(28:50):
what you want. And I'm so so sorry that this
is an experience that many, many, many females are still experiencing.
It's just unacceptable.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
Hik Briany, it looks like you're on the hunt for
a new doctor. Good luck, friend, because it sounds like
you really needed that yesterday. Yeah. Absolutely, Bye, Felicia, Bye,
Hey for Leisha, All right, thanks for hanging out with
us on Well today. Don't forget if you do have
questions or any concerns. Awesome feedback, even I mean, we'd
love you to rate and review us in your favorite
(29:20):
podcast time, because it does allow us to get into
more people's ears, which is the idea of this also too,
if you want to send through a querier or a question,
email it Well at mamma mia dot com dot au.
Leave us a voice note or an anonymous story. You
can find them in your show notes. If you want
more info too, sign up to the Old World newsletter.
There are stacks of really great stuff on there from
(29:42):
all of us to learn from, extra stories, fact sheets,
expert advice to make sure you get into that too.
Next week we are answering all your questions about weight,
all of lost drugs, body longevity. Get your questions in
people asap before your time runs out. Remember again the
advice that you've heard here today, it's general. It may
not suit you one hundred percent, so make sure you
(30:03):
speak to your own GP or your own health specialist
about these things. Get that info that is correct for you.
If you're like Briany, go find yourself a new GP
if it is not working out for you, And of
course we'll see if your appointment right here this time
next week. Bye Bye Well is produced by me Claire
Murphy and Our Group, executive producer Georgie Page and senior
(30:24):
producer Sasha Tannic, with audio production by Scott Stronik,
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.