Tag: perimenopause
This Girl is on Fire!

This Girl is on Fire!

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This GIRL IS ON FIRE! This girl is on fireeee…

I recently saw my great niece at six years old stand up on stage and belt out this song in one of the most powerful voices I have ever heard for a six-year-old.  She shocked me to the point I sat there in tears listening to this beautiful young girl giving it her all and I was so moved.  She was a girl on FIRE and the flames were burning up that stage with her awesomeness!

The funny part was the next day when my post menopause hot flashes came on, all I could hear was her singing THIS GIRL IS ON FIREEEE, THIS IS GIRL ON FIREEEEE and you know what…I was! I was burning up from the inside out and now that song had a whole new meaning for me.

The intensity of a hot flash can be like someone lit a match under your skin and as the flames begin to grow, so does your internal heat to the point you feel like you may self combust. It is intense and I apologize to every woman who tried to warn me about this as I would say “Oh, I will love it! I love the heat!”  Nope! I DO NOT love this! It is a raging inferno that turns on and off like a water tap!

So, what is a hot flash and why do we get them at a certain point in our lives?

I am so glad you asked! Let me explain…a hot flash is a sudden onset of intense heat.  This is your bodies way of telling you that your hormones are going on a vacation and may not be coming back!

The heat is just one part of it though. The hot flash is often joined by a flushed or red face and your eyeballs may feel like they are sweating…not crying…SWEATING! In fact, your whole body may feel like it is sweating, and your heart may begin beating as if you just completed a marathon.  Because your body is being so dramatic, afterwards it doesn’t know what to do so you may experience chills.  I am the lucky benefactor of ALL these symptoms, so I promise you I am speaking from experience.  Which may make all that I wrote here a bit scarier.  Sorry about that but you deserve the truth! Warts and all!

Let’s move on to WHY on earth we have them.

 Hot flashes commonly occur because of hormonal changes. Particularly caused by a drop in estrogen.  There are three stages in life that this can happen for women:

  1. Perimenopause (which is the time in life where you may feel your emotions are going crazy and something is wrong with you. Nothing is wrong with you, but I get it!)
  2. Menopause (which means you have gone without a period for 12 months…which in my opinion is not a bad thing!)
  3. Post-menopause (which is still no period and you’re still dealing with the aftermath of the first two I mentioned)

When estrogen in our bodies decide to take that long vacation to sunny Aruba, our body’s thermostat notices that something is missing.  When the brain makes the connection that Estrogen is gone (or not totally gone but wants to leave) it screams out to the rest of the body “Hey! Did somebody turn the heat up? Where did Estrogen go?” This then confuses the body because it doesn’t remember doing that but will take the cue and turn on the cooling system which includes sweating, dilating blood vessels and then triggering a full-body heat wave because like my grandpa always told me…” On a hot day, drink something hot and you will cool down.”  I never understood this logic, but it always worked!

FUN FACT: When I got breast cancer at 44 years old, I was just at the cusp of starting my perimenopause era.  Because my cancer is estrogen driven the oncologist needed to put me on a drug to drastically lower my bodies estrogen immediately.  This meant that I went from “Oh, I am sweaty and a little emotional today…hmmm” to “DEAR LORD what new hell of fire and fury have I walked into?! I AM BURNING UP and I think it’s best if you just walk away!!”

The joys of hot flashes are very few.  The only time they have come in handy for me was when I was outside in a good Canadian winter and was cold.  The sudden onset of the hot flash was appreciated in the moment but then the after chills wrecked the whole experience.

The other good thing about all of this and I am always looking for the good, in my opinion, is when the period stops.  I appreciate not having to count the days until my cycle starts or needing to carry supplies on me all the time or being worried about wearing white pants.  Actually, I still worry about wearing white pants but that is because I am a spiller and those pants most likely will not be white by the end of the day no matter what my cycle does. A glass of red wine or an ice cream cone can make just as much mess I have learned.

OOH! And another fun fact ladies, MEN can get hot flashes too! It is usually due to a medical treatment they are receiving that affects their testosterone levels like for prostate cancer. (NOT fun and in no way am I celebrating they must go through that. I share this with you though so that we don’t assume it’s only us ladies that get to experience the “joy” of a hot flash!)

There you have it, this is what it is and why we get them! Not necessarily enjoyable but simple right?!

In my next blog, I will share with you what can trigger the hot flash and what you can do to cool down besides jumping in a snowbank or an ice bath!

Stay tuned because THIS GIRL IS ON FIREEEEEE!

 
Boobs, Bumps, and Being Your Own Super Hero: The Importance of Self-Checks

Boobs, Bumps, and Being Your Own Super Hero: The Importance of Self-Checks

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As the month of LOVE is coming to an end, I always wonder if all the ladies have given some love to themselves before anyone else?  I know you are wondering where I am going with this…

Let’s talk about your breasts of course!

Whether you call them boobs, tatas, the twins, or whatever creative name you have for them (please send me what you call them!) these body parts deserve some attention beyond bra shopping and awkward mammogram conversations. And no, I’m not saying you need to obsess over them in the mirror every day (unless that’s your thing, seriously, no judgment).

But a monthly breast self-check? That’s a game-changer that wasn’t on my radar or even knew how to do until it was essentially too late!  My self-check that saved my life was towelling off in the shower.  How crazy is that?!

As a breast cancer survivor, I can’t stress enough how crucial it is to know your body. Self-checks are a powerful, proactive way to detect any unusual changes early. Early detection saves lives, and trust me, you want to catch anything suspicious before it throws an unwelcome party in your body.  Like when my boob presented a lump that felt like broken glass!

Why Bother with Self-Checks? Can’t my Doctor do it?

Because you know your body better than anyone. That’s right! Even better than your doctor, your partner, and definitely better than Google (which, let’s be honest, will try to convince you that a mosquito bite is a rare disease). Self-checks help you get familiar with how your breasts normal look and feel, so if something changes, you’ll be the first to know.

How to Perform a Breast Self-Check Like a Pro

Here is what I learned:

Step 1: Set a Reminder
Pick a date each month (around the same time in your menstrual cycle if you still got it). No period? No problem, just choose a day that’s easy to remember. Maybe sync it with when you pay bills or, the day before a date night, or better yet, when you schedule a self-care night.  Which is the BEST night, and we should all be having them! (More about that later!)

Step 2: Check Yourself Out in the Mirror
Stand in front of a mirror with your hands on your hips and look for any visible changes in shape, size, or symmetry. Raise your arms and see if anything looks off. Dimpling, puckering, or any unexpected redness? Take note. Snap a pic if you like to put in your “Boob” album on your phone.  If someone steals your phone, they will be in for a big surprise…not quite what they thought they would find!

Step 3: Get Handsy in the Shower
With your fingers flat and together, move in small circles from the outside of your breast to the center. Cover the entire breast and don’t forget the armpit area (yep, breast tissue extends there too). Check for any lumps, thickening, or tenderness.

Step 4: Lie Down and Repeat
Gravity helps spread the breast tissue evenly, making it easier to feel any changes. Use the same circular motions with light, medium, and firm pressure. Don’t rush, this is your health, not a speed round. Take time to connect and listen to your body!

Step 5: Keep a Record
If you notice anything unusual like a lump, discharge, or persistent pain, don’t panic. I know that is easier said than done and you may be tempted to put your findings into Google, but I assure you, Google will inform you that you are immediately dying, and it becomes very stressful very quickly! The truth is, most lumps are benign, and it’s always best to check with your doctor. Keeping notes and pictures can help you track any changes over time.

When to Call the Doctor

If something feels different and doesn’t go away after a few weeks, make an appointment. Trust your instincts. Your doctor won’t think you’re overreacting, and if they do, find a new one. You do not need to have anyone, including your doctor, belittling you for being concerned and proactive. Advocating for yourself is just as important as the self-check itself.  There are great doctors out there.  If you do not have one, keep looking. YOU are worth it!

Love Yourself Enough to Check

Self-checks aren’t meant to replace mammograms or professional exams, but they’re a fantastic way to stay in tune with your body. Make it a routine, pair it with something fun afterwards. Maybe a celebratory glass of wine or a popcorn and a movie night or a soak in the tub with extra bubbles. And do not forget to remind your friends to do it too. Because when it comes to health, knowledge and action is power.  We ladies need to be supporting and raising each other up!  Also, get the men in your life to check theirs too! This isn’t just a woman’s issue; men get breast cancer too!

So go on, be your own hero. Give those boobs a check!

You might just save your own life, like I did.

 

Do You Sleep Procrastinate? I Can’t Remember….

Do You Sleep Procrastinate? I Can’t Remember….

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My best ideas come in the middle of the night. A 3 AM wake up and my mind is full of great ideas that will solve world problems.  Okay, maybe not those kinds of great ideas but things like how to market a book to the masses, what to write about that will have people laughing and support those dealing with so much.  Then I think to myself during this 3 AM wakeup “I will remember all of this in the morning and go right to work!”

Only thing is once my eyes open, I have used the bathroom and come downstairs, I have completely forgotten what that magical thing was that I was going to write about and know that I should have gotten out of bed at 3 AM to write about it but that just seems absurd at the time.  I always convince myself that I need more sleep and should go back to bed and deal with it later.  Only thing is when later comes, I cannot remember what it was I was thinking about.

I have sleep procrastination. Is that a thing? I think it might be.

I refuse to get out of bed because that would be “crazy” to do at that hour but then I am totally lost and accomplish nothing the next day but sitting there trying to meditate and remember what it was that was going to have me get a Nobel prize for what I thought of in the middle of the night.

I think maybe I am related to the likings of Deepak Chopra or Ghandhi… Okay, maybe I am not related to those two…okay, maybe not “maybe”….I am not.  By morning I am once again just a prairie girl living out her life under the big city lights of Toronto.   But I really do think my amazing thoughts in the middle of the night could possibly solve world problems or at the very least, have you, the reader, smiling and laughing and ready to take on your day knowing that you are not alone.

Please tell me I am not alone in this? 

On top of the sleep procrastination I have (that is my term now, no one steal it!), I have brain fog.  Brain fog IS a REAL THING! It is caused, in my case, originally by chemotherapy and now by Tamoxifen.  I share about this in the book, but I also feel the importance to share about it here.  So I don’t forget!

Brain fog is not only caused by medications.  As our hormones begin to change after forty (and in some cases before) brain fog can become more prevalent.  The term ‘Brain Fog’ is characterized by a persons confusion, forgetfulness, and a lack of focus and mental clarity.  When my brain fog is really bad somedays, I imagine there is a little dark rain cloud hovering over my head like you may have seen in cartoons where the character is really sad.  Only my little cloud is blocking any genuine clear thought patterns.

I have found that physical activity helps move that little cloud! Exercising in some way, even for 30 minutes can make a world of difference.  Maybe a 30 minute walk in nature or cranking the radio and dancing in your living room.  Maybe hopping on a yoga mat and stretching out your body.  Really anything to get yourself moving can also get that little rain cloud opening up so the sun can shine in!  There are also vitamins you can take that possibly your body is lacking that is causing it.  For that, I recommend you see a Naturopathic doctor and work with them to discover what is right for you!

If you experience brain fog, know that you are not alone. I completely understand and there is support out there for you.   If you experience sleep procrastination, know that  you and I are the most BRILLIANT people at 3 AM and it is just too much for the world to handle, so go back to sleep.  We will be awesome just for being awesome and we will allow others to win the Nobel prizes.

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Dancing Through Diagnosis Tammy Gunn Breast Cancer Survivor Memoir