HEALTH SUN SAFETY
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WELLNESS TUNE-UP
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E - C I G A R E T T E U P DAT E
Navigating Menopause Are you ready for the unique journey to your last period? Hormone therapy can help ease the transition. Read on to learn more about what might be right for you. BY DILIA NARDUZZI
PHOTOGRAPHY, GETTY IMAGES
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HE EXTREME NAUSEA. The headaches. I was sure I was pregnant. The timing was right: I expected my period in just a few days. One pregnancy test and a negative result confirmed I wasn’t, and sure enough, my period came. That was two years ago, but those symptoms and a few others have plagued me at the same time every month since. My new PMS symptoms include insomnia, increased moodiness and anxiety. About a year ago, I started to experience pain during ovulation that lasted up to five days a cycle. A battery of tests (Pap smear, swabs for yeast and other infections, urine sample, blood work, as well as an ultrasound) revealed a uterine fibroid in addition to low iron and B12 levels. But otherwise, everything seemed normal. So what was going on? Hormonal upheaval, that’s what. I had always thought I’d be fretting about “the change” in my 50s. But in my mid-30s? I have an upcoming gynecological appointment I’m hoping will shed more light on my health. In the meantime, I contacted hormonalhealth experts to help me understand what’s going on and what may lie ahead.
JUNE 2015 | CANADIANLIVING.COM
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