Go through menopause? How to speak to work and the doctor

Tamsen Fadal was a news presenter at WPIX for more than a decade when a night in 2019, she could not pronounce basic words on the telepromote. During a commercial break, races of hearts and misty brain, Fadal went to bed on the floor of women's bathrooms and did not return to the anchor office. It was the first time in her 25 -year career that she left an unfinished news show.

Fadal consulted the doctor after the doctor to explain his symptoms of cerebral fog, nausea and a core race. It was only when one of them left a note in her patient portal that she received a clear diagnosis: “In menopause. Questions? “

Shelf Help is a chronicle of well -being where we interview researchers, thinkers and writers on their last books – all in order to learn to live a more complete life.

Shocked by the lack of education she has received from health professionals about such a tumultuous stage in her life, Fadal began to seek menopause and educate women online on her results. His new book, “How menopause: Take charge of your health, collect your life and feel even better than before ” (Hatchette), combines the wisdom of neuroscientists, relational therapists, doctors and other lifestyle mentors to create the ultimate manual of women on menopause.

Before her trip with menopause, Fadal could never have predicted the symptoms she had felt. “I didn't even know that the perimenopause existed,” she recalls. But finally finding a doctor educated in menopause and willing to tell her about hormone therapy was a “changing game” for her.

Times spoke with Fadal about how women can speak for themselves in the doctor's office and how menopause can affect a woman's career. (Readers can attend Book signature at Barnes & Noble at the Grove on April 1)

This interview was condensed and published for more clarity.

Tamsen Fadal, author of “How to Menopause”

(Jenny Sherman)

What does your life look like before menopause strikes, and how does menopause generally interact with the life of a woman?

During the forties, I was constantly wondering: “What is now?” What am I supposed to do? Where are I going afterwards, and what do I want? ” I think these are the four most difficult words to which everyone can answer: “What do I want?” The forties is a time when many of us have reached a second chapter or a period of transition, and we often think that we are supposed to know exactly what to do, but we do not do it.

There is no roadmap for this period of our lives. With the aging children and parents who need and who count on us at that time, something often changes in relationships, then in addition to that comes from the perimenopause or the menopause, and we do not know what to do with all this.

When we have a hormonal change, everything changes. It is not only periods or brain fog or sleep. That's it. Many women are starting to feel very, very lost. Our communities change, our relationships change, our workplaces change and what we feel for ourselves changes.

In your book, you say that the medical system is not designed to treat women in living in life. How would you change it for the best?

We must do everything we can to help doctors and those who study to be doctors understand menopause – and in all practices, not only OB / GYN. The formation of menopause should be part of the main program of all doctors – we even see so many OB / Gyns who had to train on menopause.

The other party is to educate women. Just as we have deadlines for things like mammograms and colonoscopies, I would like to see calendars for the formation of menopause where at 35, we are starting to explain the symptoms to women. Often, menopause is diagnosed by symptoms, not in the blood, so that women should be able to identify these symptoms early.

Women were not part of health studies until the mid -90s, and there is still not much money that goes to medical research on women in their forties. For this reason, my team and I constantly defend more funds so that we can do more research and have more answers. We are still focusing on medical studies carried out 20 years ago and we need more recent information.

“How to menopause” by Tamsen Fadal

(Hatchette)

What red flags should women are looking for in health practitioners who are not competent or at ease to discuss menopause, and what questions should women ask their doctors early?

Red flag: Everyone goes through it. If your symptoms are not so bad, don't worry.

Red flag: If you always get your rules, you don't even need to worry about any of the symptoms. You can do nothing before you have finished 365 days of your period.

Red flag: The hormone is dangerous. You shouldn't do that.

I recently panel with two doctors, and both said that people called their reception by asking: “Is your doctor educated in menopause, and are they comfortable talking about hormone therapy?” Which has been all we’ve been talking about for five years.

Once you have entered the office, you should ask:

• What are my options for hormone therapy? When can we start that?
• What are the different types of options for hormones?
• Are there unit for hormone therapy? Am I a candidate for this?
• What are the lifestyle changes that would be good for me to implement during this period, so that I can treat my whole body well rather than simply soften the hot flashes?
• Are there any other tests that I should take now?

Your book said that one in five women in the United States has left or planned to leave a job due to menopause symptoms. How can menopause affect a woman's career and how do you suggest women to approach conversations on menopause in their workplaces?

Menopause symptoms can be debilitating. If you do not sleep at night, you do not work fully functionally. If you are dealing with brain fog or perspiration in your clothes all the time, it can be embarrassing and you can lose confidence.

Women should ask their workplaces:

• Is there an option for flexible hours?
• Is there an option for uniform changes, if you have uniforms?
• Is there an option to go out to take a break?
• Is there a way to provide advantages?
• Can you give women resources to go for a type of menopause coaching?

I think there are many ways in which workplaces can help women who do not have to be as high and costly so that they automatically say no. It is important for workplaces to consider these flexibility options because we do not want to lose women at this important moment in their careers.

During my previous workplace, I went to my human resources service and said: “I am a 52 -year -old woman. I know that I am in menopause, and we must have a kind of policy to help women. What's part of our policy to help us get treatment for this, or are we alone? ” I left before this policy was fully implemented, but I know they took me seriously and still work to make positive changes.

It was not easy, but the workplaces change: CVS became The first American company to receive Friendly accreditation of menopause Since MidoviaA business with which we work, and it's really exciting to see things like it starts to happen.

(Maggie Chiang / For Times)

What are some of the most common but not spoken of the symptoms of menopause and some of the best remedies you preach?

Heavy bleeding, hair loss, weight gain, painful sex and low libido are some of the most common symptoms that people don't like to talk about. Not everyone can do hormone therapy, which really helped me. If my mother was alive today, hormone therapy would not be an option for her because she had breast cancer. In this case, she should examine major lifestyle changes such as taking magnesium to improve sleep, increase her protein intake and strength training and reduce stress. It should look at the foods and trigger drinks for hot flashes, such as alcohol and caffeine. I would like her to take vitamin D supplements and collagen as a routine.

Why do you think that menopause has been a silent subject in the past, and why is it so important that the conversations open on this subject continue?

The word of menopause has often been so wrapped in ageism, and I think it made a woman always feels like she was at the end of her best years. We are very clear now that this is not the case. In fact, I think that menopause can point out that we are at the start of a whole new part of our lives which is really exciting. I call them my years in bold, not my golden years.

It is important that people understand how to tame their symptoms of menopause, because it means so much for their long -term health. These are not only uncomfortable hot flashes, it changes our brain, our hearts and our bone health.

I encourage young women to find out early on the menopause so that they can understand when they cross the perimenopause and do not wonder by themselves what these symptoms mean. I am really encouraged by the fact that I have many young women in mid-Tentaine online in my community who ask big questions. If we do not continue to talk about menopause, we will simply continue this cycle where women are not important and a priority, and we can no longer do it. We just can't afford it.

Shelf Help is a chronicle of well -being where we interview researchers, thinkers and writers on their last books – all in order to learn to live a more complete life. Do you want to start? E-mail Alyssa.bereznak@latimes.com.