Category - Aging

Menopause versus Age Many people mistakenly think that menopause means a woman is getting old. That’s probably one of the main reasons menopause is considered a taboo topic. But menopause isn’t about age at all–it’s about transition. The transition from the menstruating and reproductive years to the not menstruating and post-reproductive years. In fact, menopause …

I was walking through the operating room one day when a cardiac surgeon stopped me and asked for help.   “I’m about to do surgery on an older woman and we cannot get a urinary catheter into her bladder. Could you lend us a hand.”   The woman had a problem called pelvic organ prolapse. …

January 4, 2021 my mom passed away. She was 96. And though that might seem old, to hear her tell it, she still had unfinished business. Things she wanted to do. Places she wanted to go. People she wanted to see.    She lived in Houston and I live in Boston. Pre-pandemic, I spoke with …

Perimenopause happens soon after 40. And the “Oh No, Four O” for many is the beginning of personal issues such as food addiction, unhappy relationships, workaholism, getting over stress, over anxious, or overweight.   Have these internalized beliefs left you worried about whether or not you will remain healthy, desirable, lovable, or employable? Do you …

  Yesterday was my mother’s 96th birthday. In honor of that occasion, today’s Musical Monday is Growing Old Gracefully. Imagine what has happened since her birth! The song is below. Below that is was going on in 1924 (according to Wikipedia). A lot has changed and a lot is the same. Happy Birthday Mom! January …

Let’s face it, nobody is sleeping too well these days. Between Covid-19 and the social unrest that has swept the country with the tragic loss of George Floyd, it’s about as tense a time as I can remember in my lifetime.   But to paraphrase Shakespeare, “Sleep knits the raveled sleeve of care.”  And making …

Are you feeling out of control? Are you frustrated at not being able to lose weight? Do you feel like you’re losing your mind, want to cry, walk around like a zombie because you’re so tired, and you just want it to stop? You could be going into menopause. And menopause can be so challenging …

In this time of stay at home isolation, millions of women are not able to go to their healthcare providers for routine care. And for women in perimenopause and menopause, that creates a lot of stress for dealing with work, relationships and self-esteem. As a women’s wellness and menopause expert and author of the best …

Feeling your internal organs dropping is an embarrassing and worrisome problem. The medical term is pelvic prolapse. Or you may have loss of urine when you cough, sneeze, or exercise. This is called stress incontinence. Many women will not share these problems with her doctor because they worry it will require surgery or they are …

Usually when I share an article, it’s from a well-known medical journal. But this information was reported on the front page of the Wall Street Journal (WSJ January 15, 2020).   And it’s alarming!   Heart disease and strokes are killing an increasing number of Americans between the ages of 45 and 64, in the …