Menopodcast Season 1 Episode 14

Julia was very emotional this past week, and she did in fact forget to change her patch one day this week, and the two may be related. Sarah went to an event about women’s health, with a cardiologist and a brain scientist - and they were asked about hormone replacement therapy effects on brain and heart. Turns out affects are much lower/smaller with patch or topicals than with ingestibles.

We know from reading this book, but it’s still news to people that heart disease is the main killer of women, more than all cancers combined. They talked about how heart attacks show up differently in men and women - it manifests very differently. And that they’ve spent so much time studying men and their heart health issues, not as much time on women. And Omega-3 is really good for women. Eat fish! Plus reduce sugar - it’s really bad for the brain.

For Julia’s work she must sit in a recliner chair in a dark room, which she calls a high-class problem, but she doesn’t get a chance to work out routinely. But she realizes she needs to make better choices in terms of diet and bring in exercise when she can. Not everyone likes kale, but hey, more for Sarah. Julia has had trouble with taking the calcium/magnesium/vitamin D pills - they can affect the digestive tract. Bear that in mind.

Sarah asked her physician about hormone replacement therapy and whether it was appropriate for her. The Dr. said that HRT is prescribed when someone is not feeling WELL, and that Sarah seemed to her Doctor to be doing well. (And Sarah feels she is, too.) So for Sarah it’s more about a few symptoms - the heart palpitations and having her period again. Not about the out of balance feeling that led Julia to seek HRT in the first place. The Murderous Rage.

Bible Study - Chapter 3 - Coming Home to Yourself, from Dependence to Healthy Autonomy

Sarah felt like the chapter spoke to her - there’s a whole different dynamic in her household with her son away at college. Some sadness, but it’s not all bad. Sarah went through a lot of changes when she became a Mom. She was pregnant, got married and stopped working all at the same time. Her husband was the sole provider and she lost a sense of herself.  It rocked her world and she didn’t like it. She got to a place where she didn’t take care of herself at all and felt it would have been selfish to even eat well or set boundaries. Finally she had an awakening and realized that made no sense. It took years to really learn how, but she started taking care of herself and not feeling bad about it. And setting good boundaries. She sees people doing this over and over and over again and she wishes she could tell them to stop! It’s not worth it!

Julia talks about being a boss and making sure her team members know what boundaries she has for them and the metrics by which their work can be judged. Clarity. And a great boss! The chapter talks again about the disparity between men and women when it comes to wage earning and housework - and all the things that would fit under that definition. So many things! Julia felt many of things in the chapter didn’t apply to her, as an older mom of a younger child. Plus she had the ability to keep working once she had her daughter, so she didn’t have those personal definition changes happen in her life the same way it happened to Sarah. Julia was financially independent before meeting her husband - bought her home by herself, etc. For Sarah it was different. While she earned a living and could pay rent, it took a while to really achieve financial maturity.

One of the necessary steps is being willing to take an unflinching look at your money and how you spend it - and it can