I want to share something that I think could help so, so, so many women out there. It’s a story that truly needs to be shared. It’s a story about fibroids.
Oh so very true. Well here is my experience for a start. I met with a doctor at Dr Newsom's clinic, it was a virtual appointment and after 5 mn and no tests they prescribed HRT (I am not menopausal yet but the theory is that it's better to start before menopause to have optimal results) so that's in the UK. I go to France and ask a very famous professor about it and if I should take hormones and he looks at me like I am CRAZY. He says I refuse to give you hormones before menopause it's too risky--never!
I don't really need them, I still feel like myself so I abstained. But it's going to be super confusing to me when the question comes. The approach is entirely different in my two countries!
I have no idea what I wil do, and I feel your pain. If I really feel terrible I'll probably try HRT though.
I has early menopause come on at 46, and I take HRT. I would never sleep without it!! I’ve been told by my certified menopause provider that it’s definitely not safe to start it before you confirm you are definitely post menopause (1 yr after last period stops). Menopause certified gynos are hard to find but worth it!!
I was unable to conceive due to a few issues, one of them fibroids. I hope others who are struggling read this and persist in getting the help they need. Thank you for sharing ❤️
There is a lot of discussion going on in the US about peri and menopause, so many new books, podcasts, celebrities taking about it. The studies that say that HRT causes cancer have been debunked and it is beneficial to start the hormone treatment before the age of 60 or as close to the start of menopause as possible to get full protective benefits.
I wish I would have known about uterine embolization years ago. I had a complete hysterectomy (and yes, have a giant scar) to remove several very large fibroids. I suffered for so many years before having the surgery. So glad the embolization helped you!!
Garance, I'm so sorry you went through years/decades of this. I had an almost identical experience - except ultimately I was diagnosed with fibroids, polyps and adenomyosis (which I'd never heard of but which affects 1 in 10 women in the UK...) Ultimately My gynaecologist decided we could "get away without a hysterectomy" because I was "almost all out of eggs". She said this while my legs were in stirrups... I'm so glad your fibroids seem to be kept at bay now.
I had fibroids and polyps removed and when the fibroids started to come back I had an ablation, which I think is similar to what you had. Then I got perimenopause, periods stopped and so did the pain, bleeding and anaemia. 😩
Im so happy to hear you are feeling better ❤️ well done for not giving in to a procedure you weren't comfortable with and for not giving up in finding a solution!
Je vous suis depuis des années et j'adore votre regard sur la vie!
Je suis très heureuse que vous ayez rencontré un médecin qui vous propose une solution adaptée à votre cas. En tant que radiologue, je sais que beaucoup des techniques innovantes proposées par les radiologues interventionels comme l'embolisation des fibromes utérins sont encore peu connues, car ces techniques sont très très récentes. Les plateaux techniques proposants ces traitements se développent heureusement très rapidement. Cependant il y a encore quelque années elle étaient toute nouvelles et encore en évaluation, c'est surement pour cela que ça ne vous a pas été proposé à l'époque.
Wow! I have fibroids and have never been offered this option! Or even heard about it in my many, many, MANY hours of internet research. Thank you for sharing. Too late for me as menopause and my lack of oestrogen seem to have helped reduce my fibroids but for all the beautiful women out there suffering, Sharing this knowledge is invaluable xx
Glad you listened to your instinct and have a happy ending. I've heard many stories of the suffering that goes with fibroids. Pain is no joke. I suffered from Interstitial Cystitis (like a constant UTI feeling), daily for YEARS and like you, declined the western methods of treatments (inject your bladder with instillations, among the so-called treatments). Through much trial and error I cured myself on my own thankfully. Glad to be on the other side and now I know my body can overcome anything.
Question on menopause- I am your age almost exactly and so wondered if you are planning any treatments / hormones / estrogen for this inevitable phase. I have only just started looking into this and just wondered if you had anything to share on the subject. Thanks Garance!
Hi Maria! I haven't looked into hormones yet. My mom went through menopause without them and said she was fine but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, I am not opposed to it though I recently read this below (idk how to put links) and it had me thinking. A lot of my friends are on HRT and love it though!
ALEXANDRA SHULMAN'S NOTEBOOK: The cancer risk of HRT should be clearhttps://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-12526987/ALEXANDRA-SHULMANS-NOTEBOOK-cancer-risk-HRT-clear.html?ito=native_share_article-nativemenubutton
Thanks Garance! Wow a very good reason to forgo the hormones. My mom went through menopause with no treatments also and was totally fine. Good luck to us, hopefully the same situation. xx
Well yes for sure I know how to search; but I was curious what YOU read that made you think HRT was not cancer causing.
So unfortunately the NPR show you linked missed some facts.
It is not just synthetic progestins that are the problem, it is also estrogens, the other half of HRT.
Yes, not all folks will get breast cancer from it.
And bioidenticals lower the cancer risks compared to non bio identical synthetics, but the risks are still there.
There are some studies showing less risks than others. But there also appear to be a great many more that show that even good forms of HRT increase risk overall, sadly.
Further, the higher the dose and the longer HRT is taken, whether bio-identical or not, the greater the chance of breast cancer, unfortunately.
Here is an article from 2023 from Harvard on the estrogen half of HRT:
And here is an 2022 national institute of health (NIH) article on HRT in general, showing some benefits to bio identical HRT but still also showing continued risks.
So glad to hear this worked! I too get incredibly angry at the state of women’s health/medicine. So often we are gaslit, condescended to and told we don’t know our own bodies. Grrr. Agree that sharing is how we help each other find the right options. 🩷
I was there in early 2020….ended up with an ablation (cauterization of the uterine wall) I was offered this same solution in my early 40’s and like you, I couldn’t and didn’t want to make that choice, even though I knew my one and done kid was the end. It just felt strange to be the one to make it final, I wanted it to come “naturally”. But then flash forward 6-7 years and it was just too much and the reality set in that I was just holding on to something that in my mind made me feel “youthful”. It’s been the best thing I’ve done for myself medically. I had more energy, I lost a substantial amount of weight (with moderation in diet and exercise). I was also able to keep my parts….
On that same note, I find it quite interesting that removing women’s parts is so highly recommended by many in the medical field. Ovaries giving you issues, remove them, uterus, eh just take it out, etc. we hardly ever hear men saying that their doctor recommended their balls to be removed.
Thank you so much Garance for sharing. I know a lot about medical wondering too and it can be so painful both mentally and physically. C’est terrible parce qu’on se sent si seule et désemparée face à la maladie, et parfois encore plus seule face à des médecins peu empathiques ou qui ne savent même plus écouter le patient.
I’m glad you found something that works for you and allowed you to regain peace and freedom.
May I ask how do we know if we have fibroids ? Is there any test or procedure to find out ?
Hi Audrey!!! Merci ❤️ you see fibroids with ultra sound (simple radio chez le gynécologue) and if they don't bother you you can definitely leave them there, most women have them and it only becomes problematic to some of us 🤍
Not fibroid but endometriosis for me. Probable the same amount of time to be diagnosed by accident during an emergency surgery for a cyste juste before travelling for 6 months to New Zealand. Then another 3 years before finally getting read of it completely as it has developed.
Merci! I'm 58 and there is not enough info about this or menopause (until recently- esp to sell menopause supplements), even in the U.S. where oversharing superficial bs is everything. I should have gone to medical school for all the research needed to advocate for yourself - male and female doctors so uninformed . They just want to prescribe anti-depressants for menopause !
Oh I know, it's so difficult because we want the info but often the more info the more commercial opportunities which then buries the real info and round and round we go...
Tellement heureuse pour toi ! Hystérectomie et les complications qui ont suivi ont mis fin à 7 ans d’errance médicale comme tu le dis si bien. J’ai fait taire les hurlements des loups parce que je n’en pouvais plus d’être paralysée par des hémorragies et la douleur tous les mois. Une petite voix me dit aujourd’hui que si cette option c’était offerte à moi je serais sortie hurler sous la lune 🐺🌕aussi ! Heureusement que des plateformes comme celle ci et ton post peuvent servir de relai ! Bravo !
Merci Nadege!!! 🤍 je suis désolée ces hémorragies je suis passée par là c'est tellement solitaire et misérable! J'espère que tu vas bien aujourd'hui et que tu te sens en paix et que le souffle est revenu dans ton ventre, c'est si important!
Terminée l’anémie, les fatigues et la perte des cheveux, grâce aux conseils de Lauren rencontrée dans ta communauté j’ai eu de précieux conseils. Depuis 1 an, j’ai repris la course à pied et le yoga avec assiduité. La créativité est aussi débloquée et je présenterai ma première expo photo le 3/4/5 mai. J’en rêve depuis des années. Quand le corps va, tout va. 🙏🏻
Oh so very true. Well here is my experience for a start. I met with a doctor at Dr Newsom's clinic, it was a virtual appointment and after 5 mn and no tests they prescribed HRT (I am not menopausal yet but the theory is that it's better to start before menopause to have optimal results) so that's in the UK. I go to France and ask a very famous professor about it and if I should take hormones and he looks at me like I am CRAZY. He says I refuse to give you hormones before menopause it's too risky--never!
I don't really need them, I still feel like myself so I abstained. But it's going to be super confusing to me when the question comes. The approach is entirely different in my two countries!
I have no idea what I wil do, and I feel your pain. If I really feel terrible I'll probably try HRT though.
I has early menopause come on at 46, and I take HRT. I would never sleep without it!! I’ve been told by my certified menopause provider that it’s definitely not safe to start it before you confirm you are definitely post menopause (1 yr after last period stops). Menopause certified gynos are hard to find but worth it!!
I was unable to conceive due to a few issues, one of them fibroids. I hope others who are struggling read this and persist in getting the help they need. Thank you for sharing ❤️
*I had
There is a lot of discussion going on in the US about peri and menopause, so many new books, podcasts, celebrities taking about it. The studies that say that HRT causes cancer have been debunked and it is beneficial to start the hormone treatment before the age of 60 or as close to the start of menopause as possible to get full protective benefits.
Of course!!!
THANK YOU for sharing this. Thank you so much. 🙏
❤️
I wish I would have known about uterine embolization years ago. I had a complete hysterectomy (and yes, have a giant scar) to remove several very large fibroids. I suffered for so many years before having the surgery. So glad the embolization helped you!!
Thank you my dear Juju! Yes I would have had to have a cesarian too. It's definitely quite a big deal, unlike what the doctors want to tell us!
Garance, I'm so sorry you went through years/decades of this. I had an almost identical experience - except ultimately I was diagnosed with fibroids, polyps and adenomyosis (which I'd never heard of but which affects 1 in 10 women in the UK...) Ultimately My gynaecologist decided we could "get away without a hysterectomy" because I was "almost all out of eggs". She said this while my legs were in stirrups... I'm so glad your fibroids seem to be kept at bay now.
Aaaah! I am sorry to hear! So did you do nothing in the end? Do you feel okay now?
I had fibroids and polyps removed and when the fibroids started to come back I had an ablation, which I think is similar to what you had. Then I got perimenopause, periods stopped and so did the pain, bleeding and anaemia. 😩
Im so happy to hear you are feeling better ❤️ well done for not giving in to a procedure you weren't comfortable with and for not giving up in finding a solution!
Thank you!!! Who knows if I was right... I just followed my gut!
Hello Garance,
Je vous suis depuis des années et j'adore votre regard sur la vie!
Je suis très heureuse que vous ayez rencontré un médecin qui vous propose une solution adaptée à votre cas. En tant que radiologue, je sais que beaucoup des techniques innovantes proposées par les radiologues interventionels comme l'embolisation des fibromes utérins sont encore peu connues, car ces techniques sont très très récentes. Les plateaux techniques proposants ces traitements se développent heureusement très rapidement. Cependant il y a encore quelque années elle étaient toute nouvelles et encore en évaluation, c'est surement pour cela que ça ne vous a pas été proposé à l'époque.
Diane
Merci Diane!!! ☀️
Wow! I have fibroids and have never been offered this option! Or even heard about it in my many, many, MANY hours of internet research. Thank you for sharing. Too late for me as menopause and my lack of oestrogen seem to have helped reduce my fibroids but for all the beautiful women out there suffering, Sharing this knowledge is invaluable xx
Agreed! And we were waiting for my menopause to hit to see if it would shrink but it became unbearable and still no menopause!
Glad you listened to your instinct and have a happy ending. I've heard many stories of the suffering that goes with fibroids. Pain is no joke. I suffered from Interstitial Cystitis (like a constant UTI feeling), daily for YEARS and like you, declined the western methods of treatments (inject your bladder with instillations, among the so-called treatments). Through much trial and error I cured myself on my own thankfully. Glad to be on the other side and now I know my body can overcome anything.
Question on menopause- I am your age almost exactly and so wondered if you are planning any treatments / hormones / estrogen for this inevitable phase. I have only just started looking into this and just wondered if you had anything to share on the subject. Thanks Garance!
Hi Maria! I haven't looked into hormones yet. My mom went through menopause without them and said she was fine but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, I am not opposed to it though I recently read this below (idk how to put links) and it had me thinking. A lot of my friends are on HRT and love it though!
ALEXANDRA SHULMAN'S NOTEBOOK: The cancer risk of HRT should be clearhttps://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-12526987/ALEXANDRA-SHULMANS-NOTEBOOK-cancer-risk-HRT-clear.html?ito=native_share_article-nativemenubutton
Thanks Garance! Wow a very good reason to forgo the hormones. My mom went through menopause with no treatments also and was totally fine. Good luck to us, hopefully the same situation. xx
Yes
There are many studies showing HRT is a big cancer risk.
These studies have been debunked for younger women
Oh yes?
Define “younger”
And please post links to some of the peer reviewed studies that demonstrate this?
Thanks 🙏
I am fairly certain that you know how to search, but this is a good place to start. "Younger" women means women under 60. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/05/01/1248525256/hormones-menopause-hormone-therapy-hot-flashes
Well yes for sure I know how to search; but I was curious what YOU read that made you think HRT was not cancer causing.
So unfortunately the NPR show you linked missed some facts.
It is not just synthetic progestins that are the problem, it is also estrogens, the other half of HRT.
Yes, not all folks will get breast cancer from it.
And bioidenticals lower the cancer risks compared to non bio identical synthetics, but the risks are still there.
There are some studies showing less risks than others. But there also appear to be a great many more that show that even good forms of HRT increase risk overall, sadly.
Further, the higher the dose and the longer HRT is taken, whether bio-identical or not, the greater the chance of breast cancer, unfortunately.
Here is an article from 2023 from Harvard on the estrogen half of HRT:
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/05/estrogen-a-more-powerful-breast-cancer-culprit-than-we-realized/
And here is an 2022 national institute of health (NIH) article on HRT in general, showing some benefits to bio identical HRT but still also showing continued risks.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9452594/
Anyway, the use or non-use of HRT is up to each individual and their Doctor.
🤍
So glad to hear this worked! I too get incredibly angry at the state of women’s health/medicine. So often we are gaslit, condescended to and told we don’t know our own bodies. Grrr. Agree that sharing is how we help each other find the right options. 🩷
Yes we need to! That's all we have ❤️
I was there in early 2020….ended up with an ablation (cauterization of the uterine wall) I was offered this same solution in my early 40’s and like you, I couldn’t and didn’t want to make that choice, even though I knew my one and done kid was the end. It just felt strange to be the one to make it final, I wanted it to come “naturally”. But then flash forward 6-7 years and it was just too much and the reality set in that I was just holding on to something that in my mind made me feel “youthful”. It’s been the best thing I’ve done for myself medically. I had more energy, I lost a substantial amount of weight (with moderation in diet and exercise). I was also able to keep my parts….
On that same note, I find it quite interesting that removing women’s parts is so highly recommended by many in the medical field. Ovaries giving you issues, remove them, uterus, eh just take it out, etc. we hardly ever hear men saying that their doctor recommended their balls to be removed.
Oh I think exactly the same about men and their balls! Imagine them being told "you don't need them, let's cut them out!!!" 😂
Happy you're doing well and feel freed. What a relief, right?
I can totally see the reactions of men being told “off with your (proverbial) head” , it’s brings me joy to imagine their faces 🤣
Regarding the ablation, it’s been four years of bliss and hundreds of dollars spent during travels instead of buying tampons!
Thank you so much Garance for sharing. I know a lot about medical wondering too and it can be so painful both mentally and physically. C’est terrible parce qu’on se sent si seule et désemparée face à la maladie, et parfois encore plus seule face à des médecins peu empathiques ou qui ne savent même plus écouter le patient.
I’m glad you found something that works for you and allowed you to regain peace and freedom.
May I ask how do we know if we have fibroids ? Is there any test or procedure to find out ?
🙏🏻❤️
Hi Audrey!!! Merci ❤️ you see fibroids with ultra sound (simple radio chez le gynécologue) and if they don't bother you you can definitely leave them there, most women have them and it only becomes problematic to some of us 🤍
Not fibroid but endometriosis for me. Probable the same amount of time to be diagnosed by accident during an emergency surgery for a cyste juste before travelling for 6 months to New Zealand. Then another 3 years before finally getting read of it completely as it has developed.
So glad that you're finally better!
Thank you!!! And you too! I hope you still went to NZ!
I did! One of my best travel memory!
Merci! I'm 58 and there is not enough info about this or menopause (until recently- esp to sell menopause supplements), even in the U.S. where oversharing superficial bs is everything. I should have gone to medical school for all the research needed to advocate for yourself - male and female doctors so uninformed . They just want to prescribe anti-depressants for menopause !
Oh I know, it's so difficult because we want the info but often the more info the more commercial opportunities which then buries the real info and round and round we go...
Tellement heureuse pour toi ! Hystérectomie et les complications qui ont suivi ont mis fin à 7 ans d’errance médicale comme tu le dis si bien. J’ai fait taire les hurlements des loups parce que je n’en pouvais plus d’être paralysée par des hémorragies et la douleur tous les mois. Une petite voix me dit aujourd’hui que si cette option c’était offerte à moi je serais sortie hurler sous la lune 🐺🌕aussi ! Heureusement que des plateformes comme celle ci et ton post peuvent servir de relai ! Bravo !
Merci Nadege!!! 🤍 je suis désolée ces hémorragies je suis passée par là c'est tellement solitaire et misérable! J'espère que tu vas bien aujourd'hui et que tu te sens en paix et que le souffle est revenu dans ton ventre, c'est si important!
Terminée l’anémie, les fatigues et la perte des cheveux, grâce aux conseils de Lauren rencontrée dans ta communauté j’ai eu de précieux conseils. Depuis 1 an, j’ai repris la course à pied et le yoga avec assiduité. La créativité est aussi débloquée et je présenterai ma première expo photo le 3/4/5 mai. J’en rêve depuis des années. Quand le corps va, tout va. 🙏🏻