Have you ever heard from your general practitioner that menopause is just “something you’re going to have to deal with”?
Did you feel the brush off?
This week I’m feeling a little punchy. I recently had an appointment with my GP and asked about getting a Mirena IUD to deal with the crazy menstrual cramps I’m having in perimenopause. I’m starting to feel the pangs, and if there’s a solution to the problem you can bet that I’m going to check it out. I run a menopause company, after all.
She wasn’t a fan. In fact, she said that it [the Mirena IUD] would introduce too many hormones into my body and that the Women’s Health Initiative study found risks with all hormone therapies for women entering perimenopause.
You all know how I feel about hormone replacement therapy for menopause, so I won’t belabor the point.
I left that visit feeling dismissed. Even with my work at Gennev, I didn’t have the energy to argue my point.
What I’ve heard from so many of you is that menopause starts with a conversation.
You want a practitioner who is willing to hear you out – the mood swings, hot flashes, inability to sleep. You want a practitioner who is willing to ask you about your sex life, and actually listen while you bumble through embarrassing details that might not be something to brag about but are the reality of what you’re facing.
In the last few months, menopause has become trendy.
Seriously, there are a number of companies popping up with products, assessments and remedies for women’s health in menopause.
This is good news! Menopause is on the map. People are realizing how underserved women have been for years, and they’re doing something about it.
And yet, I see too many websites and services that are in a hurry to get a product into your hands. Even prescription products that really require a real, live conversation with a practitioner.
At Gennev, we’re grounded in the notion that menopause starts with a conversation. You need a chance to explain what’s going on in your mind, body and spirit – because menopause can touch all three. And that starts with access to experienced menopause practitioners or a community that can empathize with what you’re going through.
I was reminded of the importance of open conversation with regards to menopause yesterday at a meeting I was attending. As 25 of us went around the room introducing ourselves, I mentioned that I run an online clinic for women in menopause.
Immediately a woman shouted from the other side of the room, “where were you 5 years ago?” I love hearing that. It reminds me that we need one another. We need trusted practitioners who will listen. We need to be heard.
So what do you need? Is Gennev filling that void? If not, how can we do a better job? Here’s your chance to speak your mind, freely, to me. Email me at jill@gennev.com. Or, voice your opinions and needs in the anonymity of the Gennev community.
Menopause starts with a conversation – whether that’s with a physician or a friend. Let’s take charge of our health in this journey, together.
Jill
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