Tamsen Fadal had been a news presenter in WPIX for more than a decade, when one night in 2019, he could not pronounce basic words on Teleprompter. During a commercial break, acceleration of the heart and cerebral mist, Fadal went to bed on the floor of the women's bathroom and did not return to the anchor desk. It was the first time in his 25 -year -old news career that he had left an unfinished news transmission.
Fadal consulted the doctor after doctor to explain his symptoms of brain fog, nausea and a heart of racing. It was not until one of them left a note in his portal of patients who received a clear diagnosis: “In menopause. Any question?”
The help of the shelf is a well -being column where we interviewed researchers, thinkers and writers about their last books, all with the aim of learning to live a more complete life.
Surprised by the lack of education he received from health professionals about such a tumultuous stage of his life, Fadal began to investigate menopause and educate women online about their findings. His new book, “How Menopause: take care of your health, claim your life and feel even better than before “ (Hatchette), combines the wisdom of neuroscientists, relationship therapists, doctors and other lifestyle mentors to create the last manual of women about menopause.
Before his trip with menopause, Fadal could never have predicted the symptoms he experienced. “I didn't even know that there was perimenopause,” he recalls. But finally, finding an educated doctor in menopause and willing to talk to her about hormonal therapy was a “change of play” for her.
The 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 it Book signing In Barnes & Noble in The Grove on April 1)
This interview has been condensed and edited by clarity.
Tamsen Fadal, author of “How Menopause”
(Jenny Sherman)
How did your life look before hitting menopause and how interacts menopause with the circumstances of a woman's life?
During the median age, I constantly asked me: “What now? What are I supposed to do? Where am I going to go next and what do I want?” I think those are the four most difficult words that someone can answer: “What do I want?” Medium age is a time when many of us reach a second chapter or transition period, we often believe that we should know exactly what to do, but we do not.
There is no road map for this moment of our lives. With children and older parents who need and trust us at this time, something often changes in relationships, and then, in addition, perimenopause or menopause comes, and we do not know what to do with everything.
When we have a hormone change, everything changes. They are not just periods or cerebral fog or sleep. That's all. Many women begin to feel very, very lost. Our communities change, our relationships change, our workplaces change and how we change us about ourselves.
In his book, he argues that the medical system is not designed to treat women in the middle age. How would you change it for the better?
We have to do our best to help doctors and those who study to be doctors understand menopause, and in all practices, not only Ob/Gyn. Menopause training should be part of the main curriculum for all doctors: we are seeing even so many Ob/Gyns now that they have had to train themselves in menopause.
The other part is to educate women. Just as we have deadlines for things like mammograms and colonoscopies, I would love to see deadlines for menopause training where at age 35, we begin to explain the symptoms to women. Often, menopause is diagnosed by symptoms, not blood work, so women should be able to detect those early symptoms.
The women were not part of the health studies until the mid -90s, and there is still not much money that is destined for medical research on women in the medium age period. For that reason, my team and I constantly defend to obtain more funds so that we can do more research and have more answers. We still focus on medical studies carried out more than 20 years ago, and we need newer information.
“How Menopause” by Tamsen Fadal
(Hatchette)
What red flags should women take into account in health professionals who have no knowledge or comfortable discussing menopause, and what questions should women ask before doctors?
Red flag: Everyone goes through that. If their symptoms are not so bad, don't worry about that.
Red flag: If you are still obtaining your period, you don't even need to worry about any of the symptoms. He can't do anything until after he finishes 365 days of his period.
Red flag: Hormonal therapy is dangerous. You shouldn't do that.
Recently I made a panel with two doctors, and both said that people call their reception asking: “Do your doctor in menopause be educated, and feel comfortable talking about hormonal therapy?” That is all we have been talking about during the last five years.
Once you enter the office, you must ask:
- What are my options for hormonal therapy? When can we start that?
- What are the different types of hormones?
- Are there contraindicators for hormonal therapy? Am I a candidate for it?
- What are the changes in the lifestyle that would be good for me to implement during this time, so I can treat my whole body well instead of simply facilitating hot flashes?
- Are there other tests that should be taken right now?
I think that menopause can indicate that we are at the beginning of a completely new part of our lives that is really exciting. I call them my Bolden years, not my golden years.
– Tamsen Fadal
His book establishes that one in five women in the US. UU. He has left or considered to leave a job due to the symptoms of menopause. How can menopause affect a woman's career and how would you suggest menopause conversations about menopause in their workplaces?
Menopause symptoms can be weakening. If it does not sleep at night, it is not operating fully functionally. If you are dealing with cerebral fog or sweating in your clothes all the time, you can be shameful and you can lose confidence.
Women should ask their workplaces:
- Is there an option for flexible schedules?
- Is there an option for uniform changes, if you have uniforms?
- Is there an option to go out to take a break?
- Is there any way to offer benefits?
- Can you give resources to some type of menopause training?
I think there are many ways in which workplaces can help women who do not have to be so high and expensive that they automatically say no. It is important that workplaces consider these flexibility options because we do not want to lose women in this important moment in their careers.
In my previous workplace, I entered my human resources department and said: “I am a 52 -year -old woman. I know that I am in menopause, and we need to have some kind of policy to help women. What is the policy to help us get some treatment for this, or are we alone?” I left before this policy was completely implemented, but I know they took me seriously and are still working to make positive changes.
It was not easy, but workplaces are changing: CVS alone become The first American company to receive Friendly accreditation of menopause of MidoviaA company with which we work, and it is really exciting to see that things like this begin to happen.
(Maggie Chiang / For the Times)
What are some of the most common but not spoken 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 than people do not like to talk. Not everyone can do hormonal therapy, which has really helped me. If my mother were alive today, hormonal therapy would not be an option for her because she had breast cancer. In that case, I would have to look at important changes in lifestyle such as taking magnesium to improve your dream, increase your protein intake and strength training, and reduce your stress. I would have to look at foods and trimmed drinks for hot flashes, such as alcohol and caffeine. I would like you to take vitamin D and collagen supplements as routine.
Why do you think menopause has been a subject of silence in the past, and why it is so important that open conversations continue?
Take food
Of “how menopause”
Talking about menopause has often been so wrapped in Ageism, and I think it made a woman always feel as if she were at the end of her best years. Now we are very clear that this is not the case. In fact, I think that menopause can indicate that we are at the beginning of a completely new part of our lives that is really exciting. I call them my Bolden years, not my golden years.
It is important that people understand how to tame their symptoms of menopause because it means a lot for their long -term health. It is not just uncomfortable suffocation, but is changing our brains, our hearts and our bone health.
I encourage younger women to learn about early menopause so they can understand when they go through perimenopause and do not ask themselves what these symptoms mean. I am really encouraged by the fact that I have many young women in their 30 years online in my community who ask great questions. If we do not keep talking about menopause, we will maintain this cycle in progress where women are not important and a priority, and we cannot do that for longer. We simply cannot afford.
The help of the shelf is a well -being column where we interviewed researchers, thinkers and writers about their last books, all with the aim of learning to live a more complete life. Do you want to launch us? Email [email protected].
