April 1, 2025 • 19 mins
In this deeply personal and powerful solo episode, host Tanya Ambrose kicks off a brand new series, "Whole Woman Health Across the Lifespan," with heartfelt reflections and a necessary conversation about what it truly means to care for ourselves at every stage of life.
Tanya opens up about a recent health scare and the wake-up call it provided about tuning into her body, especially as she gets older. From puberty to postpartum, perimenopause to menopause and beyond, our health needs evolve, but too often, we're not equipped with the tools, knowledge, or support to navigate those changes.
This episode is a call to action, a moment of reflection, and a loving reminder that women's health is about more than medical checkups, it's about honoring our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being throughout our life journey.
In this episode, Tanya explores:
- Her recent chest pain scare and what it taught her
- The meaning of whole woman health
- How women’s health needs change over time
- Why it’s time to stop ignoring the whispers from our bodies
- What to expect in this empowering new series
Whether you’re just starting your health journey or well into embracing your evolution, this episode is for you.
Thank you so much for tuning in to Tea with Tanya! If this episode resonated with you, please take a moment to rate and leave a review — it helps the show grow and reach more listeners. Join the conversation on Instagram using #teawithtanya #Teawithtanyapodcast, and don’t forget to tag us!
Visit my website at tanyakambrose.com for more resources. Be sure to follow us on Instagram @teawithtanyapodcast and @tanyakambrose, and sign up for my Tea Talk newsletter to stay updated with all things wellness and self-care!
Ready to dive deeper into whole woman wellness? Download your FREE guide today and start your health journey!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Tea with Tanya.
I'm your host, tanya Ambrose,an average millennial navigating
life as a maternal healthprofessional, non-profit founder
and grad student.
Join me in the tea tasting roomwhere we spill the tea on
finding balance and promotingpositive living while doing it
all.
(00:20):
Hey friend, welcome back to Teawith Tanya, your cozy space for
real, honest and transformativeconversations about health,
wellness and promoting positiveliving.
Today's episode is slightlypretty much personal to me and I
(00:40):
hope it will be for you too bythe end of this episode.
So this month?
First of all, welcome to April.
Can you believe it?
We are literally in April, thefourth month of the year.
I feel like March just came andwent with a blink of an eye.
But who's complaining?
Because that means we aremoving closer to the best month
of the year, and that is May.
(01:01):
And it's the best month becauseone.
It is my birth month, of course,but in the month of May, a
little over a month, like amonth and a few days I will be
walking across that stage at theColonial Life Arena in here in
Columbia, south Camelina, for mygraduation, and it is still
bittersweet, like I would havementioned on the podcast a while
(01:21):
back.
It is still bittersweet, it'sstill exciting.
I'm getting all the projects in.
It's literally crunch time foryour girl and I'm already crying
.
I said, lord, please, if I'mgoing to get my makeup done, I
don't want to have to be cryingthe day off because we have the
hooding ceremony one day andthen the graduation ceremony
like a day or two after, andthen I get to go home to Antigua
(01:42):
.
But the thing is it is sobittersweet.
I was having a talk with aprofessor the other day and I
was just saying you know what ismy life?
What is my life outside ofschool?
I don't know anymore.
I've been going to school sinceI've been two years old at this
point, and even when I tooklike a year off from school at
one point in time during myundergrad season, I was still
(02:03):
doing something, I was stilllearning something.
So at this point it doesn'teven make a difference.
I've been learning and going toschool for a very long time,
but I just don't know what.
Your girl is excited.
Send me some good energies.
You know, if you're out herelistening and you've been
through the grad school journeywhere you've graduated and you
got to step into, you know, evenyour other big girl job.
Just send me some tips andideas, because let me tell you,
(02:24):
it is a beautiful moment thatI've been working hard for and I
can't believe I can say I willbe getting my master's in public
health Like that is crazy.
But then, on the other hand, itis also.
It's bittersweet in the senseof what is my life going to be
after I graduate, because I'mconsidering going the doctor of
public health route.
I'm considering going thedoctor of public health route.
We shall see how it goes, weshall see.
(02:48):
But when I look at the climatethat we're in right now as it
relates to even public healthhere in the United States, it's
you wake up one morning,something is being pulled.
By the time you go back tosleep, go to bed at night,
something else has been pulled.
So it's just, you just neverknow what you're going to wake
up to.
And I think right now, thefield of public health, we're
all sitting on edge right nowfor so many different reasons
that I won't get into on thisepisode because I'm talking
(03:09):
about that right now.
But it's just a testament to be.
You know, keep going no matterwhat, even when you are facing
challenges, even when you knowthings aren't looking too bright
as it relates to your fieldthere still is.
I think this is just telling meyou know what to your field
there still is.
I think this is just telling meyou know what.
There's still lots of work todo within the field of public
(03:29):
health, and so I'm ready.
I'm ready.
It's again bittersweet in thesense of what is my life going
to be like after school, butalso bittersweet in the sense of
why, you know I've worked sohard to get here, and now the
field that I'm in is currentlybeing threatened by the new
administration for so manydifferent reasons.
So, but nevertheless, I amexcited to be taking this
journey and I feel like I'vebeen talking about this on the
(03:50):
podcast the last year and a halfor two, and most of you have
been sending a lot of positiveenergy.
Congratulations and just keepkeeping me filled.
You know I'm full just knowingthat I have you as my friend
here in the tea tasting room,who consistently show up to Tea
Tasting Room, and just feelingyour positive energy.
I absolutely, absolutely loveand appreciate it, so thank you
for that.
The countdown is on.
(04:11):
So a month and change before.
Your friend is a graduate ofthe University of you know what
you'll find out in the nextepisode.
How about that?
All right, so this month we'restarting a new series here in
the tea tasting room and it'sall about whole woman health
across the lifespan.
(04:32):
So I'll be talking with amazingguests and sharing solo
episodes like this, like thisone, to help us better
understand what it means to takecare of yourselves, not just
physically, but mentally,emotionally, spiritually and
holistically at every age andstage of life.
Because I think over the years,or over the last seven months
this year, since we've been backin the tea tasting, we've
(04:53):
talked about whole woman healthessentially, and if you have not
, click on the show notes, headto the website and download the
whole woman wellness e-guide andchecklist as well, what we've
been talking about whole womanwellness, what it means to me,
what it means to you.
But this month I want to talkabout, you know, whole Woman
Health across the lifespan, andI want to kick things off by
just getting a little vulnerable, just a little vulnerable with
(05:15):
you.
So not too long ago, likeliterally not too long ago,
before I'm even recording thispodcast episode, probably a week
ago, almost a week ago I was atwork and just, you know, going
about my normal day, doing whatI got to do, and I suddenly
started experiencing chest pain.
Chest pain, shortness of breath.
You know, it wasn't it wasn'tnecessarily like a sharp pain,
(05:36):
but it was very uncomfortableenough to even get my attention.
It was.
It was so.
It was to the point where everytime I would inhale it would
hurt and at first, me being me,I brushed it off.
Don't recommend you doing that.
But I brushed it off becauseyou know how we do.
Sometimes Maybe it's just gas.
That was my first thing.
I'm like you know what?
You woke up a little bit latethat morning.
You were rushing, so I had toskip some of my morning steps,
(06:00):
to be honest with you.
So I'm just tired, because thegirl has been tired.
Since that time I already wentback.
I've been tired.
I've been up working tirelesslyall things non-profit, to be
honest.
So I'm thinking, you know,maybe I'm just tired, but
something in my spirit told megirl, please do not ignore this.
No, I'm the person that I willtell everybody around me go get
this checked.
I don't care.
If you have a pain in yourfinger, go get it checked.
(06:22):
But me, on the other hand,sometimes I don't always
practice what I preach.
That's me being vulnerable toyou Because I make the worst
patient.
I'm like you know, I can carefor everybody else, tell
everybody how to care forthemselves, but when it comes to
me I'm like I'm going to see,let me go ahead and monitor it.
But no, I couldn't ignore it.
So I ended up going to the ER.
Well, first I went to theurgent care, where they ended up
sending me back to the hospitalwhere I work at to go to the ER
(06:44):
.
Don't ask me why I left myplace of work to go to the
urgent care only to be sent backto the ER.
But honestly, to be honest,that moment really shook me.
You know, they ran all sorts oftests.
They did the EKG, the bloodwork, the chest x-rays, the
whole nine.
Like when I say thorough,thorough and thankfully,
essentially everything came backnormal.
(07:05):
But they still referred me to acardiologist, just to be sure
about something that they saw onthe CT scan.
And I'll probably shame aboutthat once I have my visit with a
cardiologist and we'll see howthat goes, because we have an
episode coming up talking aboutheart health as well as it
relates to women's health, butthey still referred me to a
cardiologist just to be sure,and I remember thinking while
I'm sitting in the hospital,because, again for me, I often
(07:26):
joke and say, oh, I'm too youngto be sick, or I literally
cannot afford to be sick in thiscountry, because, you know, the
health care system is a wholedifferent thing we can talk
about again too, but I remembersitting there thinking, well, I
am too young to be dealing withthis.
But then I'm like, am I, though?
Because the truth is, as we getolder, our body starts sending
(07:49):
us messages.
Some are loud and scary, othersare quiet whispers that are
overlooked, and, as womenespecially black women and women
of color we're oftenconditioned to push through pain
, to downplay symptoms, to notput ourselves first, but let me
tell you, my friend, that ERvisit reminded me my body is not
something I can afford toignore.
(08:09):
So the days when I'm saying, oh, I can't afford to be sick in
this country, I can't afford tobe sick, honestly, that trip was
like a wake-up call for mebefore, because I'm thinking you
know what?
Yeah, you're relatively healthy.
Everything always checks out.
The only thing that I wouldessentially say that I struggle
with is just having highcholesterol and I've been making
the changes to get that backwithin the normal range as well.
(08:30):
But that trip to the ER, myfriend, listen, I'm just sitting
there like wow, I have nofamily here, you know, thankful
for my community here who wereable to come and sit with me
while I was there, just offersome sort of words of
encouragement.
But it showed me that I neededto slow down as well.
My body was telling me girl,first of all, you're not in your
20s anymore, we're not about todo that.
So definitely my body, yourbody, is not something that we
(08:52):
can afford to ignore.
So what do I mean by whole womanhealth?
I'm not just talking aboutgoing to the doctor or getting
your annual checkup.
That's very important, eventhough it's very important.
I am talking about acomprehensive whole body, whole
life approach to health.
It's the awareness that ourphysical, emotional and mental
(09:13):
and spiritual health are allconnected.
I know you've probably heardthat many times on the podcast,
but it honestly is all connected.
It's understanding how ourenvironment, our stress levels,
our relationships, our diet andeven our boundaries affect our
health.
Whole woman health is also aboutequity, and I would not be me
(09:34):
if I didn't say that it's aboutequity.
It's about, you know, access tocare, representation,
culturally competent providers.
It's about education andempowerment.
It's about knowing your body,advocating for it and giving it
what it needs, whether that'srest, therapy, joy or movement.
We're having to give what ourbody needs on any given day and
(09:56):
I think you know there's so manychanges that we experience as
we age.
And I'm talking to you here andI'm actively going through them
as well.
When you think about, wow, meat 34, the me at 21 and the me
at 24, two totally differentpeople from an emotional
intelligence standpoint, butphysically two completely
different people.
But one of the most eye-openingparts of this journey is
(10:20):
realizing how much our bodieschange over time, and it's not
just about the wrinkles ormetabolism, it's more than that.
So let's take a little walkthrough life together, just a
little walk, it's not going tobe too long, my friend.
In adolescence we're learningabout our periods, hormones are
ranging and we're often throwninto womanhood with very little
(10:41):
preparation.
And I will say this that's oneof the reasons why I have my
non-profit Scrub Life Kids,because you think about when I
was 10, 11, 12, we didn't havecertain conversations growing up
, you know, especially in theCaribbean, from a Caribbean
household.
There were just certainconversations that were just off
limits, like no, we're nothaving a conversation because
you know, no, it's just notgoing to happen in our culture.
(11:14):
To be honest, and that's one ofthe reasons why I always
emphasize the educational, thecomprehensive reproductive and
sexual health education withinmy organization, but also even
just from a whole womanstandpoint, from the minute you
hit puberty, from eight to whenyou're experiencing menopause.
We are covering that healtheducation throughout the
lifespan Because, again, intoday's age, you know, a lot of
things are being threatened,especially when it comes to a
woman's body.
So we also, we definitely wantto ensure that we provide a
comprehensive health education,especially reproductive and
sexual health education, here atScrub Life Kids Because, again,
(11:35):
we want to get in early.
When you're going throughpuberty, you want to be able to
be able to advocate for yourself, understand what's going on in
your body.
I don't care if you're five,six, seven or eight months, you
know.
Of course, you got to do itfrom an age appropriate level,
developmental level as well, butduring that time, you know,
we're learning about our periods, our hormones are all over the
(11:59):
place.
We can't even control it.
We don't even know what's goingon.
And then here we are, withoutlittle preparation.
So again, that's one of themost.
One of the things that I'mproud of at Squab Life Care is
for being able to provide thateducation to individuals from
puberty right up to those whoare experiencing menopause.
And then in our 20s and 30swe're navigating fertility,
sexual identity and reproductivehealth.
Sometimes we're doing that withclarity, sometimes with
(12:20):
confusion.
We're doing that with clarity,sometimes with confusion.
So again, wanting to ensurethat we know about our body from
a young age so then, when weget to our twenties and our
thirties, we're able to have abetter understanding of how our
body works and that way we canadvocate for ourselves and we
won't be as confused.
Because, let me tell you, manyof us in our twenties child, if
I could do over my twenties, letme tell you, if I could do it
(12:42):
in my 20s, there would be somuch more that I would have done
differently.
But also the experiences that Ihad in my 20s and in my early
30s also shaping how I'mapproaching life now, in
approaching my mid 30s, oh mygoodness.
But then you have.
Then you get to your 40s andbeyond and we start seeing, you
know, permanent pause, sneaking,the mood swings, the fatigue,
(13:06):
the unexplained weight changes.
Let me tell you that, okay, allright, the anxiety.
And then we're often told tojust deal with it Again, going
up on a Caribbean culture ordeal with it, or go to the
pastor.
You know, let's pray it away.
Or you know, sometimes theywill say you know, you're too
young to be experiencing certainthings.
And then we get labeled aseither crazy or this person is
(13:27):
fast, or whatever the case maybe.
So all that simply because thelack of access to the health
education that we need so we canbe better advocates for
ourselves and our bodies.
So by the time we get to our40s now, we don't even know what
to expect.
You know, we can't even explain.
Okay, you know I'm moody today.
What's causing that?
We don't know, because, again,we weren't equipped with that
(13:48):
knowledge and the education toeven understand that.
And then there's menopause, aphase that should be celebrated
but is so often stigmatized andmisunderstood, you know.
So we definitely want to breakthe barrier as it relates to
even talking about this in theopen, when we're talking about
whole woman, health throughoutthe lifespan.
So when you think about it, myfriend.
(14:12):
Our needs evolve.
What worked in our 20s may notwork in our 40s, may not even
work in your 30s, and yet somany women don't feel supported
or even seen by the healthcaresystem or even by those closest
to them Because, again, we'renot equipped with the knowledge
to really and truly advocate forourselves but also show up in a
way for our people, how we canshow support, because, again,
when you don't understandsomething, you can't do anything
(14:34):
about it.
If you're being honest andthat's one of the reasons why I
created this series that's whatis going to be happening.
That's going to be happeningfor the next two months or so,
because I really do believe thatwe deserve to talk about these
things openly and honestly.
I believe that, whether you're16, whether you're nine and just
getting your first period, oryou're 35 and thinking about
(14:55):
pregnancy, or you're 52 andnavigating menopause, you should
have the knowledge and toolsand support to care for your
whole self.
So I'm going to be talking toguests who specialize in
adolescence health, reproductivehealth, fertility, mental
wellness, menopause care andalso holistic practices and more
.
We're going to be covering itall because we deserve it all,
(15:18):
my friend.
So, before I close.
I want to ask you to askyourself a few questions, and I
definitely want to hear theseanswers in my inbox or tagging
in your stories.
But ask yourself a fewquestions and I definitely want
to hear these answers in myinbox or tag me in your stories.
But ask yourself this when wasthe last time I really listened
to my body?
So we can use this as ourjournal prompts for the next
couple of days.
When was the last time I reallylistened to my body?
(15:39):
What part of my health have Ibeen ignoring or postponing?
What does whole health looklike for me right now, in this
season?
Not what it could look like inthe next season.
No, what does whole health looklike for me right now, in this
current season of my life?
And let us want to lovinglychallenge you to book that
appointment, my sis, book thatappointment for your annual.
(16:01):
By the time this episode isgoing to be aired, I would have
had my appointment with mygynecologist.
We're going to be talking aboutso many different things.
I am going to be talking to herabout the possibility of also
egg freezing my eggs and therewill be an episode about this as
well.
I'm excited to talk about thattoo, but I'm going to talk about
.
You know what's the possibilityof freezing my eggs?
You know why am I more tired?
Or what's been the determiningfactor with my weight gain minus
(16:24):
?
You know, of course, thecortisol levels being really
high.
But definitely I'm encouragingyou to book that appointment.
Take that walk, drink that water, my friend, or have that hard
conversation, even if it's goingto be uncomfortable.
Have it because your health istoo important to put on the back
burner.
We're not doing that too manytimes.
We're so busy hustling tryingto get to the next job or trying
(16:45):
to get to the next goal thatsometimes our health gets put on
the back burner.
We don't have time for that.
Let's bring our health to thefront burner.
You know, sometimes the frontburner depending on what kind of
stove you have, the frontburner may end up being the best
burner that you cook all yourfood on.
I mean, I know you canunderstand what I'm saying.
So let's go ahead and bring ourhelp to the front burner and
(17:11):
not in the back, because we'retired of being in the back right
now.
It's time for us to really takecharge of our health.
My friend, that's all I got foryou for today as we prepare for
this upcoming series.
Thank you for holding spacewith me today.
This episode should be a personfor us to reflect on our
personal life and our goals.
You know because, like I said,my trip to the ER, spending a
couple of hours there, I waslike, wow, girl, you really got
to take stock of your life.
This is not it Granted, youknow, I don't know what would
(17:32):
have essentially caused the painin my chest then, but I've
never experienced that at all,and for me to even experience it
, I was like girl, no, thetalking, you're talking.
Yeah, you're putting a lot ofaction behind some of your words
, but we really don't got tomake sure that we're getting
back on track as it relates toour health.
So definitely want to encourageyou to just take stock of your
(17:54):
life.
We all have stories, we allhave wake up calls and we all
deserve the kind of health andcare that helps us blossom not
just survive, but to blossom aswell.
But to blossom as well.
Okay, don't forget to share thisepisode with a friend or sister
and auntie, someone who needsthat reminder that their health
or her health matters.
All right, if this episoderesonated with you, of course,
(18:15):
dm me, email me or leave areview.
I'd love to hear your thoughtsand experiences.
Let me know what you want tohear me talk about during this
series.
Again, we're covering wholewoman health throughout the
lifespan, from puberty.
If you're someone with adaughter or son at 12 or 10, you
want them to hear this episode.
You want us to address certainthings?
Let me know, because I'm hereto serve you at the end of the
day.
Next week, we're going to bediving into periods puberty and
(18:37):
power with a very special guestthat I'm so excited to even talk
to or for you guys to even hear.
So make sure you are subscribed, because you don't want to miss
it.
All right, until then, takecare of yourself, your mind,
your body and your soul.
Be well, friend.
Thank you for joining me foranother episode of Tea with
(18:58):
Tanya.
If you like this episode, besure to share it with a friend.
Don't forget to follow onInstagram at Tea with Tanya
podcast.
Be sure to subscribe to theweekly Tea Talk newsletter and,
of course, rate on Apple orSpotify and subscribe wherever
you listen.
See you next time.
I love you for listening.
Welcome to Tea with Tanya.
I'm your host, tanya Ambrose,an average millennial navigating
life as a maternal healthprofessional, non-profit founder
and grad student.
Join me in the tea tasting roomwhere we spill the tea on
finding balance and promotingpositive living while doing it
all.
(00:20):
Hey friend, welcome back to Teawith Tanya, your cozy space for
real, honest and transformativeconversations about health,
wellness and promoting positiveliving.
Today's episode is slightlypretty much personal to me and I
(00:40):
hope it will be for you too bythe end of this episode.
So this month?
First of all, welcome to April.
Can you believe it?
We are literally in April, thefourth month of the year.
I feel like March just came andwent with a blink of an eye.
But who's complaining?
Because that means we aremoving closer to the best month
of the year, and that is May.
(01:01):
And it's the best month becauseone.
It is my birth month, of course,but in the month of May, a
little over a month, like amonth and a few days I will be
walking across that stage at theColonial Life Arena in here in
Columbia, south Camelina, for mygraduation, and it is still
bittersweet, like I would havementioned on the podcast a while
(01:21):
back.
It is still bittersweet, it'sstill exciting.
I'm getting all the projects in.
It's literally crunch time foryour girl and I'm already crying
.
I said, lord, please, if I'mgoing to get my makeup done, I
don't want to have to be cryingthe day off because we have the
hooding ceremony one day andthen the graduation ceremony
like a day or two after, andthen I get to go home to Antigua
(01:42):
.
But the thing is it is sobittersweet.
I was having a talk with aprofessor the other day and I
was just saying you know what ismy life?
What is my life outside ofschool?
I don't know anymore.
I've been going to school sinceI've been two years old at this
point, and even when I tooklike a year off from school at
one point in time during myundergrad season, I was still
(02:03):
doing something, I was stilllearning something.
So at this point it doesn'teven make a difference.
I've been learning and going toschool for a very long time,
but I just don't know what.
Your girl is excited.
Send me some good energies.
You know, if you're out herelistening and you've been
through the grad school journeywhere you've graduated and you
got to step into, you know, evenyour other big girl job.
Just send me some tips andideas, because let me tell you,
(02:24):
it is a beautiful moment thatI've been working hard for and I
can't believe I can say I willbe getting my master's in public
health Like that is crazy.
But then, on the other hand, itis also.
It's bittersweet in the senseof what is my life going to be
after I graduate, because I'mconsidering going the doctor of
public health route.
I'm considering going thedoctor of public health route.
We shall see how it goes, weshall see.
(02:48):
But when I look at the climatethat we're in right now as it
relates to even public healthhere in the United States, it's
you wake up one morning,something is being pulled.
By the time you go back tosleep, go to bed at night,
something else has been pulled.
So it's just, you just neverknow what you're going to wake
up to.
And I think right now, thefield of public health, we're
all sitting on edge right nowfor so many different reasons
that I won't get into on thisepisode because I'm talking
(03:09):
about that right now.
But it's just a testament to be.
You know, keep going no matterwhat, even when you are facing
challenges, even when you knowthings aren't looking too bright
as it relates to your fieldthere still is.
I think this is just telling meyou know what to your field
there still is.
I think this is just telling meyou know what.
There's still lots of work todo within the field of public
(03:29):
health, and so I'm ready.
I'm ready.
It's again bittersweet in thesense of what is my life going
to be like after school, butalso bittersweet in the sense of
why, you know I've worked sohard to get here, and now the
field that I'm in is currentlybeing threatened by the new
administration for so manydifferent reasons.
So, but nevertheless, I amexcited to be taking this
journey and I feel like I'vebeen talking about this on the
(03:50):
podcast the last year and a halfor two, and most of you have
been sending a lot of positiveenergy.
Congratulations and just keepkeeping me filled.
You know I'm full just knowingthat I have you as my friend
here in the tea tasting room,who consistently show up to Tea
Tasting Room, and just feelingyour positive energy.
I absolutely, absolutely loveand appreciate it, so thank you
for that.
The countdown is on.
(04:11):
So a month and change before.
Your friend is a graduate ofthe University of you know what
you'll find out in the nextepisode.
How about that?
All right, so this month we'restarting a new series here in
the tea tasting room and it'sall about whole woman health
across the lifespan.
(04:32):
So I'll be talking with amazingguests and sharing solo
episodes like this, like thisone, to help us better
understand what it means to takecare of yourselves, not just
physically, but mentally,emotionally, spiritually and
holistically at every age andstage of life.
Because I think over the years,or over the last seven months
this year, since we've been backin the tea tasting, we've
(04:53):
talked about whole woman healthessentially, and if you have not
, click on the show notes, headto the website and download the
whole woman wellness e-guide andchecklist as well, what we've
been talking about whole womanwellness, what it means to me,
what it means to you.
But this month I want to talkabout, you know, whole Woman
Health across the lifespan, andI want to kick things off by
just getting a little vulnerable, just a little vulnerable with
(05:15):
you.
So not too long ago, likeliterally not too long ago,
before I'm even recording thispodcast episode, probably a week
ago, almost a week ago I was atwork and just, you know, going
about my normal day, doing whatI got to do, and I suddenly
started experiencing chest pain.
Chest pain, shortness of breath.
You know, it wasn't it wasn'tnecessarily like a sharp pain,
(05:36):
but it was very uncomfortableenough to even get my attention.
It was.
It was so.
It was to the point where everytime I would inhale it would
hurt and at first, me being me,I brushed it off.
Don't recommend you doing that.
But I brushed it off becauseyou know how we do.
Sometimes Maybe it's just gas.
That was my first thing.
I'm like you know what?
You woke up a little bit latethat morning.
You were rushing, so I had toskip some of my morning steps,
(06:00):
to be honest with you.
So I'm just tired, because thegirl has been tired.
Since that time I already wentback.
I've been tired.
I've been up working tirelesslyall things non-profit, to be
honest.
So I'm thinking, you know,maybe I'm just tired, but
something in my spirit told megirl, please do not ignore this.
No, I'm the person that I willtell everybody around me go get
this checked.
I don't care.
If you have a pain in yourfinger, go get it checked.
(06:22):
But me, on the other hand,sometimes I don't always
practice what I preach.
That's me being vulnerable toyou Because I make the worst
patient.
I'm like you know, I can carefor everybody else, tell
everybody how to care forthemselves, but when it comes to
me I'm like I'm going to see,let me go ahead and monitor it.
But no, I couldn't ignore it.
So I ended up going to the ER.
Well, first I went to theurgent care, where they ended up
sending me back to the hospitalwhere I work at to go to the ER
(06:44):
.
Don't ask me why I left myplace of work to go to the
urgent care only to be sent backto the ER.
But honestly, to be honest,that moment really shook me.
You know, they ran all sorts oftests.
They did the EKG, the bloodwork, the chest x-rays, the
whole nine.
Like when I say thorough,thorough and thankfully,
essentially everything came backnormal.
(07:05):
But they still referred me to acardiologist, just to be sure
about something that they saw onthe CT scan.
And I'll probably shame aboutthat once I have my visit with a
cardiologist and we'll see howthat goes, because we have an
episode coming up talking aboutheart health as well as it
relates to women's health, butthey still referred me to a
cardiologist just to be sure,and I remember thinking while
I'm sitting in the hospital,because, again for me, I often
(07:26):
joke and say, oh, I'm too youngto be sick, or I literally
cannot afford to be sick in thiscountry, because, you know, the
health care system is a wholedifferent thing we can talk
about again too, but I remembersitting there thinking, well, I
am too young to be dealing withthis.
But then I'm like, am I, though?
Because the truth is, as we getolder, our body starts sending
(07:49):
us messages.
Some are loud and scary, othersare quiet whispers that are
overlooked, and, as womenespecially black women and women
of color we're oftenconditioned to push through pain
, to downplay symptoms, to notput ourselves first, but let me
tell you, my friend, that ERvisit reminded me my body is not
something I can afford toignore.
(08:09):
So the days when I'm saying, oh, I can't afford to be sick in
this country, I can't afford tobe sick, honestly, that trip was
like a wake-up call for mebefore, because I'm thinking you
know what?
Yeah, you're relatively healthy.
Everything always checks out.
The only thing that I wouldessentially say that I struggle
with is just having highcholesterol and I've been making
the changes to get that backwithin the normal range as well.
(08:30):
But that trip to the ER, myfriend, listen, I'm just sitting
there like wow, I have nofamily here, you know, thankful
for my community here who wereable to come and sit with me
while I was there, just offersome sort of words of
encouragement.
But it showed me that I neededto slow down as well.
My body was telling me girl,first of all, you're not in your
20s anymore, we're not about todo that.
So definitely my body, yourbody, is not something that we
(08:52):
can afford to ignore.
So what do I mean by whole womanhealth?
I'm not just talking aboutgoing to the doctor or getting
your annual checkup.
That's very important, eventhough it's very important.
I am talking about acomprehensive whole body, whole
life approach to health.
It's the awareness that ourphysical, emotional and mental
(09:13):
and spiritual health are allconnected.
I know you've probably heardthat many times on the podcast,
but it honestly is all connected.
It's understanding how ourenvironment, our stress levels,
our relationships, our diet andeven our boundaries affect our
health.
Whole woman health is also aboutequity, and I would not be me
(09:34):
if I didn't say that it's aboutequity.
It's about, you know, access tocare, representation,
culturally competent providers.
It's about education andempowerment.
It's about knowing your body,advocating for it and giving it
what it needs, whether that'srest, therapy, joy or movement.
We're having to give what ourbody needs on any given day and
(09:56):
I think you know there's so manychanges that we experience as
we age.
And I'm talking to you here andI'm actively going through them
as well.
When you think about, wow, meat 34, the me at 21 and the me
at 24, two totally differentpeople from an emotional
intelligence standpoint, butphysically two completely
different people.
But one of the most eye-openingparts of this journey is
(10:20):
realizing how much our bodieschange over time, and it's not
just about the wrinkles ormetabolism, it's more than that.
So let's take a little walkthrough life together, just a
little walk, it's not going tobe too long, my friend.
In adolescence we're learningabout our periods, hormones are
ranging and we're often throwninto womanhood with very little
(10:41):
preparation.
And I will say this that's oneof the reasons why I have my
non-profit Scrub Life Kids,because you think about when I
was 10, 11, 12, we didn't havecertain conversations growing up
, you know, especially in theCaribbean, from a Caribbean
household.
There were just certainconversations that were just off
limits, like no, we're nothaving a conversation because
you know, no, it's just notgoing to happen in our culture.
(11:14):
To be honest, and that's one ofthe reasons why I always
emphasize the educational, thecomprehensive reproductive and
sexual health education withinmy organization, but also even
just from a whole womanstandpoint, from the minute you
hit puberty, from eight to whenyou're experiencing menopause.
We are covering that healtheducation throughout the
lifespan Because, again, intoday's age, you know, a lot of
things are being threatened,especially when it comes to a
woman's body.
So we also, we definitely wantto ensure that we provide a
comprehensive health education,especially reproductive and
sexual health education, here atScrub Life Kids Because, again,
(11:35):
we want to get in early.
When you're going throughpuberty, you want to be able to
be able to advocate for yourself, understand what's going on in
your body.
I don't care if you're five,six, seven or eight months, you
know.
Of course, you got to do itfrom an age appropriate level,
developmental level as well, butduring that time, you know,
we're learning about our periods, our hormones are all over the
(11:59):
place.
We can't even control it.
We don't even know what's goingon.
And then here we are, withoutlittle preparation.
So again, that's one of themost.
One of the things that I'mproud of at Squab Life Care is
for being able to provide thateducation to individuals from
puberty right up to those whoare experiencing menopause.
And then in our 20s and 30swe're navigating fertility,
sexual identity and reproductivehealth.
Sometimes we're doing that withclarity, sometimes with
(12:20):
confusion.
We're doing that with clarity,sometimes with confusion.
So again, wanting to ensurethat we know about our body from
a young age so then, when weget to our twenties and our
thirties, we're able to have abetter understanding of how our
body works and that way we canadvocate for ourselves and we
won't be as confused.
Because, let me tell you, manyof us in our twenties child, if
I could do over my twenties, letme tell you, if I could do it
(12:42):
in my 20s, there would be somuch more that I would have done
differently.
But also the experiences that Ihad in my 20s and in my early
30s also shaping how I'mapproaching life now, in
approaching my mid 30s, oh mygoodness.
But then you have.
Then you get to your 40s andbeyond and we start seeing, you
know, permanent pause, sneaking,the mood swings, the fatigue,
(13:06):
the unexplained weight changes.
Let me tell you that, okay, allright, the anxiety.
And then we're often told tojust deal with it Again, going
up on a Caribbean culture ordeal with it, or go to the
pastor.
You know, let's pray it away.
Or you know, sometimes theywill say you know, you're too
young to be experiencing certainthings.
And then we get labeled aseither crazy or this person is
(13:27):
fast, or whatever the case maybe.
So all that simply because thelack of access to the health
education that we need so we canbe better advocates for
ourselves and our bodies.
So by the time we get to our40s now, we don't even know what
to expect.
You know, we can't even explain.
Okay, you know I'm moody today.
What's causing that?
We don't know, because, again,we weren't equipped with that
(13:48):
knowledge and the education toeven understand that.
And then there's menopause, aphase that should be celebrated
but is so often stigmatized andmisunderstood, you know.
So we definitely want to breakthe barrier as it relates to
even talking about this in theopen, when we're talking about
whole woman, health throughoutthe lifespan.
So when you think about it, myfriend.
(14:12):
Our needs evolve.
What worked in our 20s may notwork in our 40s, may not even
work in your 30s, and yet somany women don't feel supported
or even seen by the healthcaresystem or even by those closest
to them Because, again, we'renot equipped with the knowledge
to really and truly advocate forourselves but also show up in a
way for our people, how we canshow support, because, again,
when you don't understandsomething, you can't do anything
(14:34):
about it.
If you're being honest andthat's one of the reasons why I
created this series that's whatis going to be happening.
That's going to be happeningfor the next two months or so,
because I really do believe thatwe deserve to talk about these
things openly and honestly.
I believe that, whether you're16, whether you're nine and just
getting your first period, oryou're 35 and thinking about
(14:55):
pregnancy, or you're 52 andnavigating menopause, you should
have the knowledge and toolsand support to care for your
whole self.
So I'm going to be talking toguests who specialize in
adolescence health, reproductivehealth, fertility, mental
wellness, menopause care andalso holistic practices and more
.
We're going to be covering itall because we deserve it all,
(15:18):
my friend.
So, before I close.
I want to ask you to askyourself a few questions, and I
definitely want to hear theseanswers in my inbox or tagging
in your stories.
But ask yourself a fewquestions and I definitely want
to hear these answers in myinbox or tag me in your stories.
But ask yourself this when wasthe last time I really listened
to my body?
So we can use this as ourjournal prompts for the next
couple of days.
When was the last time I reallylistened to my body?
(15:39):
What part of my health have Ibeen ignoring or postponing?
What does whole health looklike for me right now, in this
season?
Not what it could look like inthe next season.
No, what does whole health looklike for me right now, in this
current season of my life?
And let us want to lovinglychallenge you to book that
appointment, my sis, book thatappointment for your annual.
(16:01):
By the time this episode isgoing to be aired, I would have
had my appointment with mygynecologist.
We're going to be talking aboutso many different things.
I am going to be talking to herabout the possibility of also
egg freezing my eggs and therewill be an episode about this as
well.
I'm excited to talk about thattoo, but I'm going to talk about
.
You know what's the possibilityof freezing my eggs?
You know why am I more tired?
Or what's been the determiningfactor with my weight gain minus
(16:24):
?
You know, of course, thecortisol levels being really
high.
But definitely I'm encouragingyou to book that appointment.
Take that walk, drink that water, my friend, or have that hard
conversation, even if it's goingto be uncomfortable.
Have it because your health istoo important to put on the back
burner.
We're not doing that too manytimes.
We're so busy hustling tryingto get to the next job or trying
(16:45):
to get to the next goal thatsometimes our health gets put on
the back burner.
We don't have time for that.
Let's bring our health to thefront burner.
You know, sometimes the frontburner depending on what kind of
stove you have, the frontburner may end up being the best
burner that you cook all yourfood on.
I mean, I know you canunderstand what I'm saying.
So let's go ahead and bring ourhelp to the front burner and
(17:11):
not in the back, because we'retired of being in the back right
now.
It's time for us to really takecharge of our health.
My friend, that's all I got foryou for today as we prepare for
this upcoming series.
Thank you for holding spacewith me today.
This episode should be a personfor us to reflect on our
personal life and our goals.
You know because, like I said,my trip to the ER, spending a
couple of hours there, I waslike, wow, girl, you really got
to take stock of your life.
This is not it Granted, youknow, I don't know what would
(17:32):
have essentially caused the painin my chest then, but I've
never experienced that at all,and for me to even experience it
, I was like girl, no, thetalking, you're talking.
Yeah, you're putting a lot ofaction behind some of your words
, but we really don't got tomake sure that we're getting
back on track as it relates toour health.
So definitely want to encourageyou to just take stock of your
(17:54):
life.
We all have stories, we allhave wake up calls and we all
deserve the kind of health andcare that helps us blossom not
just survive, but to blossom aswell.
But to blossom as well.
Okay, don't forget to share thisepisode with a friend or sister
and auntie, someone who needsthat reminder that their health
or her health matters.
All right, if this episoderesonated with you, of course,
(18:15):
dm me, email me or leave areview.
I'd love to hear your thoughtsand experiences.
Let me know what you want tohear me talk about during this
series.
Again, we're covering wholewoman health throughout the
lifespan, from puberty.
If you're someone with adaughter or son at 12 or 10, you
want them to hear this episode.
You want us to address certainthings?
Let me know, because I'm hereto serve you at the end of the
day.
Next week, we're going to bediving into periods puberty and
(18:37):
power with a very special guestthat I'm so excited to even talk
to or for you guys to even hear.
So make sure you are subscribed, because you don't want to miss
it.
All right, until then, takecare of yourself, your mind,
your body and your soul.
Be well, friend.
Thank you for joining me foranother episode of Tea with
(18:58):
Tanya.
If you like this episode, besure to share it with a friend.
Don't forget to follow onInstagram at Tea with Tanya
podcast.
Be sure to subscribe to theweekly Tea Talk newsletter and,
of course, rate on Apple orSpotify and subscribe wherever
you listen.
See you next time.
I love you for listening.
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