Power Surge News

Issue 56

POWER SURGE NEWS
FOR AOL AND THE WEB

A Free E-Mail Newsletter
of the Power Surge Women's
Midlife and Menopause Community
The Power Surge Web Site
Dearest (Alice Stamm)
Founder and Facilitator

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POWER SURGE NEWS
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Those of you who've had difficulties entering the main chat room
for our guest chats, a new, simpler, easier to access chat room
is being constructed and will be ready for next week's guest chat.

Our new message boards are as active as ever, smple to use
with new features you'll enjoy and, of course, the best support
you'll find anywhere online for menopause and midlife issues,
health or otherwise, PLUS our always-available Insta-Chat.

We're adding new experts to our Ask The Experts area, so
do check in and ask your medical, menopause-related,
psychological, intimacy, weight and relationship issue
questions of any of our experts on midlife issues.

Winter is upon us to provide some relief for your hot flashes.
The holidays are upon us to provide many pleasantries, good
feelings, especially relief in the way of sweet potato pie and
chocolates -- for your emotional cravings, of course, of course :)

Through every holiday -- through every season, through every
*change* -- Power Surge will always be here for you!

Dearest

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This Week's Power Surge Guest Chat
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Power Surge Live! Guest Chat
Thursday, November 6, 9 PM (ET), 6 PM (PT)
/chat.htm

WHAT EVERY WOMAN NEEDS TO KNOW
ABOUT MENOPAUSE
WITH OB/GYN, WOMEN'S HEALTH ADVOCATE
MARY JANE MINKIN, M.D.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Join us Thursday, November 6th at 9:00 PM (ET) when
Mary Jane Minkin, MD, a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist
in private practice in New Haven, Conn., and a clinical professor
of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine,
Women's Health Advocate and author of What Every Woman Needs
To Know About Menopause: The Years Before, During and After and
her newest, the Yale Women's Guide To Reproductive Health: From
Menarche to Menopause joins Power Surge to field all your questions
about menopause and health-related issues.

FIVE FREE COPIES of Mary Jane Minkin's New book will be given away
at the chat.

Join MARY JANE MINKIN, M.D.
Thursday, November 6 at 9 PM (ET) in the
Power Surge Live! Chat


Read the transcript here 



*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
THIS WEEK'S AFFIRMATIONS/QUOTES
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Use quotes / affirmations / positive thoughts
"The vibes you give out come back to you!"


I am a friend to myself
Sooner or later, you start to take yourself seriously
I can enjoy leisure without guilt and anxiety
You know when you need a break
I open my heart to my inner child
You know when you need a rest
You know what to get worked up about, and
I can handle criticism with ease
What to get rid of and you know
I can express my anger openly, honestly and appropriately
When it's time to take care of yourself,
   for yourself to do something that makes you
stronger, faster, more confident
Because you know it's never too late to live life
  and never too late to change one
Today I will put all negativity behind me
Today I have confidence
Today I will rejoice in my abilities
Today I am a new person

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
EXCERPTS FROM OUR EXPERTS
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From last week's chat with board-certified gastroenterologist and internist
in the U.S., U.K. and Canada, Scientist, Nutritionist,  Stephen Holt, M.D.
and author of 12 books including Combatting Syndrome X, Y and Z

Dearest:  Dr. Holt, what exactly is Syndrome X?

Stephen Holt, M.D.:  Syndrome X is simply everyday, after dinner
conversation in America.  Specifically, it is the combination of obesity,
high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure  all linked together by the
resistance to the hormone insulin.

Syndrome X affects 70 million people and we are very complacent
about this staggering public health problem.  Syndrome X has emerged
as an important cause of female reproductive problems, polycystic ovary
syndrome (PCOS) and it has a negative impact in mature women around
the time of the menopause.

It is a cause of disability and death from many diseases especially
cardiovascular disease in spite of the common nature of this problem,
doctors are only just beginning to diagnose this condition on a regular basis
and this disorder is best considered to be a type of pre-diabetes.  You do not need to have a full house of problems to have Syndrome X.  Insulin resistance can be associated with one or more of these risk factors such as being overweight or having high blood or cholesterol problems. 

My book, Combat Syndrome X, Y and Z attempts to show that this constellation of problems is a unifying disease where Syndrome X is caused by lifestyle with genetic disposition.  Statistics show that about 1/2 of all Hispanic and other women have Syndrome X between the age of 45 and 65 years.  Between 30 and 40% of Caucasian women in the same group have the disease.  The key is public awareness.

Diet and lifestyle are the best defense.  Lower carb diet is best, such as the
Atkins diet.  The low carb diet is preferred as a primary way to combat insulin
resistance.  Simple sugars cause insulin surges in the bloodstream.  Excess
insulin tells the liver to make more cholesterol, and the body to store fat. 
The kidneys force higher blood pressure.  Now you can see how all these link together to form excess insulin.

The condition is sometimes confused with diabetes, but in common types of
diabetes, the body doesn't make insulin.  Syndrome X is a forerunner to
Diabetes Type 2

Read the rest of the transcript


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POWER SURGE'S RECOMMENDATIONS
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One of the most popular areas of the Web site is the
Recommendations area

Midlife is generally a time of awakening, but not always a gentle
one! By the time most women are 40-something (give or take a
few years), they suddenly find themselves being introduced to an
unfamiliar body, but as their transitional years pass, they will
become more familiar with that body than ever before in their lives.

Read about your options for treating menopause


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STRAIGHT AND PLAIN TALK
ABOUT PERIMENOPAUSE
(From the Web boards)

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A response to a woman suffering from anxiety, palpitations
and internal shaking posted on the Power Surge Web
boards:

From Dearest ---

I've said many times on the Web site that any complaints a
woman has during menopause should not automatically be
attributed to the process of menopause. That's an important
dislaimer. In short, before assuming, not that you are, that
any of the things you've mentioned in your message are
associated with peri or postmenopause, you should be
checked by a doctor you respect, trust and admire -- one
who listens to you and doesn't just hand you a prescription
to resolve your problems.

That having been said, let me tell you that during those
"worst" years of perimenopause, I experienced SO MANY
strange, inexplicable and, oftentimes, bizarre feelings in
my body, I conjured up notions of having a brain tumor,
Parkinson's Disease, Lupus, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome, Menniere's Disease, a heart condition, paralysis,
a potential stroke, glaucoma -- have I left anything out?

I say none of this with humor. Many women think they're
suffering from all sorts of conditions during the menopausal
years because women suffer a whole host of bizarre symptoms
while they're moving through this process.

Perimenopause is the singularly most uncomfortable time of
a woman's life. I've posted many times about the internal
shaking. It was my nemesis during perimenoapuse.
I had the facial tremors and buzzing sensations on a daily
basis. The feelings were so strange, they almost defy description.
No one could see it, but it felt as though I were having a stroke.
I'd often experience numbness in my face and on my left side at
the same time -- a red flag would go up because I thought I was
having a coronary or stroke. Facial and internal tremors, an electrical
buzzing in the back of my neck and various parts of my body drove
me to distraction.

The good part about this story is that there are many treatments that
can help with your symptoms AND most of those symptoms DO
abate once you've been without a period for about a year or two.
Those feelings, in the majority of cases, are due to the hormonal
fluctuations your body is experiencing. Imagine turning the thermostat
in your house up and down a dozen or more times a day. Your
house wouldn't know whether to turn on the heat or air conditioning.

Our bodies become very sensitized during this process. Feelings
are frightening -- we can walk around for days feeling vertigo/dizziness
and/or a ringing in the ears (tinnitus). There were days I had to grab
onto a bannister or railing for fear that I was going to fall over. My
legs still pose a problem -- becoming weak and feeling as if they're
not going to support me any longer. Pain in the feet, calves, shoulders,
joints aching and paining often to the point of bringing tears to your eyes.

My suggestion to you would be to get yourself a thorough examination
by your doctor. Have a blood workup, sugar test, thyroid, hormone levels,
total lipid / cholesterol profile. Insist on an Echo-cardiogram, not just a
cardiogram.

Our bodies are composed of so many different types of hormones
-- not just estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Our bodies
react to the constant ebb and flow of these hormone levels. Our
central nervous system, nerve endings produce electrical impulses.
Those electrical impulses are felt differently by every woman. Some
women never feel them, while others are fraught with all sorts of
strange sensations.

Once you've been given a clean bill of health by your doctor, the
singularly most important thing you need to do during perimenopause
is learn relaxation techniques. Learn breathing exercises. Use the paper
bag method I have described in Power Surge's Menopause Survival Tips
and on the boards. Feed yourself affirmations every day that this, too,
shall pass -- that you are not dying -- that although you feel as if your body
is going to hell in a handbasket and you're never going to survive this
transition, you will. That, most importantly, there is nothing to be afraid
of even though at times your body may be shaking so, it feels at times
like someone is holding a gun to your head.

Oh, dear, would it were so that they'd find a way for women NOT to
have to go through menopause. And, further, I am sick of hearing
some people say that it's all in our minds, or it's our nerves, or if we
had better things to do with our time, we wouldn't think about it. I've
never stopped being busy during this transition, but that didn't ease
the symptoms.

To those people, I say ... until you've walked a mile in another
person's shoes, you can't know what they are going through. Women
in menopause aren't hypochondriacs. I have to be dragged and feeling
as if I'm not long for the world before I go to the doctor. Why? Because
during perimenopause, I have learned... doctors don't have answers
to all of our questions other than to prescribe tranquilizers or
anti-depressants or hormones.... and although some of these
medications may help in the short term and to get you over the
"hump" of perimenopause, most of them don't work in the long
term -- or through the duration of perimenopause and it concerns
me that there are no real long-term studies on these SSRI's
(anti-depressants).

If you feel you need to take something to get through this process,
absolutely take it. Don't make a martyr or yourself. However, remember,
these medications only temporarily mask the symptoms. Learning
ways to relax and cope with the changes you're undergoing works
far better over the long haul than anything else. There are numerous
relaxation and breathing techniques that can be tremendously helpful.

It has been my experience and I believe that of many other women
who've passed through Power Surge over the ten years it's been
online that once you are in the throes of perimenopause, anywhere
from one to five years -- (every woman is different), you might experience
every conceivable symptom. I experienced severe migraines and was
*never* a headache person in my life. They lasted about a year or two -
on and off, not every day, but they eventually stopped. I went through
the facial tremors, buzzing experience as though I'd had my finger in
an electrical socket. The migraines and  severe palpitations, hot flashes,
night sweats, crying and severe mood swings, horrific depression so
much so that at times I would put my head on the pillow at night and
think, "God, if I have to feel this way tomorrow, let me not wake up."

Those feelings -- as horrible as they are -- don't generally last for the
full transitional period. They usually occur during the worst phase of
perimenopause and can last a couple of years. That doesn't
mean you won't ever experience them again in some milder form,
but the severity and frequency will certainly decrease as you get
closer to and enter menopause (postmenopause).

Just remember that as long as you've been given the okay regarding
your health by your health care practitioner, these are symptoms of
menopause and, yes, I say symptoms. People have said to me,
"Why do you call them symptoms? Menopause isn't an illness."
I tell them that I know menopause isn't technically an illness, but
seeing as how so many women never have felt worse in their lives,
it's hard to think of oneself as "well."

Knowing that Power Surge has helped so many women understand
what they're going through - exploring the spiritual, emotional,
psychological changes and how they impact the physical changes --
without merely having medical abstracts thrown at them (many of
which they don't understand) or having pills pushing at them has been
the most gratifying and "freeing" experiences of my life.

Become your own best friend. Learn the situations and people to avoid.
Stay away from toxic people, toxic foods. Turn off the news. Don't
listen to all the stresses and tragedies in the world. Try to surround
yourself with as much peace and quiet as you can.

Be good to your body and your body will return the favor in kind.

Dearest

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***     
HUNDREDS OF GUEST TRANSCRIPTS
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You can read more of what the most prestigious experts
in the area of women's health have said when they've
guested in Power Surge chats in the Library


*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Power Surge's Best Guests
MUST READ TRANSCRIPTS
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* Syndrome X: hypertension, cholesterol, heart disease: With Stephen Holt, M.D.
* Menopause & Soy Isoflavones / Revival: With Aaron Tabor, M.D.
* A Gynecologist Speaks About Menopause: With Duane Townsend, M.D.
* Naturally Compounded Hormones: With Pete Hueseman, Pharmacist
* Exploding The Estrogen Myth: With Barbara Seaman
* Caregiving: Surviving Caring for Aging Parents: With Jacqueline Marcell
* Hypertension, High Cholesterol & Heart Disease: With Mark Houston, M.D.
* Auto-Immune Disorders: With Stephen Edelson, M.D.
* Men Go Through Menopause, Too: With Jed Diamond
* Women, Sexuality, Menopause and Testosterone: With Susan Rako, M.D.
* Real Fitness for Real Women (Plus Size): With Rochelle Rice
* Everything About Osteoporosis: With Felicia Cosman, M.D.
* Anti-Depressants & Panic Attacks: With Stuart Shipko, M.D.
* Weight Issues and Eating Disorders:  With Dr. Denise Lamothe
* Emotional Exhaustion:  With Dr. Mira Kirshenbaum
* Women And Fibroids: Michael Broder, M.D.
* Caregiving / Aging Parents / Alzheimer's: Sandy Braff, MA, MFT
* Unnecessary Hysterectomies: With Lise Cloutier-Steele and Mary Ann Wyatt
* How To Calm Down: With Fred L. Miller
* Gynecology and Menopause: With Marcie Richardson, M.D.
* Vulvovaginal Health:  With Elizabeth Stewart, M.D.
* Weight Loss Sensibly: With Dr. Howard Shapiro
* When Your Body Gets The Blues:  With Dr. Marie-Annette Brown

See other recent transcripts and upcoming guests: Schedule


*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Great Quotes By Great Ladies
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Inside every older person is a younger person
wondering what the heck happened.
   -Cora Harvey Armstrong

The hardest years in life
are those between ten and seventy.
   -Helen Hayes (at 73)

I refuse to think of them as chin hairs.
I think of them as stray eyebrows.
   -Janette Barber

Things are going to get a lot worse
before they get worse.
   -Lily Tomlin

A male gynecologist is like an auto mechanic
who never owned a car.
   -Carrie Snow-

A man's got to do what a man's got to do.
A woman must do what he can't.
   -Rhonda Hansome 


*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
If you've never participated in or read the transcripts
of this series, you really shouldn't miss it.
Reclaiming Ourselves At Midlife


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ASK THE EXPERTS
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***     

We've provided you with experts in just about
every area of interest and concern to women at
midlife. Ask The Experts


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Our Award-Winning Message Boards
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Forbes Magazine Selects Power Surge a "Best of The Web"
Web site and "Best of the Web" Health / Menopause Boards


Join other women in menopause and choose from
over 60 menopause and midlife-related message
boards filled with compassion, information, support
and caring. Be prepared for an abundance of support,
information and love!  The Web Message Boards


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SAFE AND EFFECTIVE SOY PROTEIN
AND ISOFLAVONES FOR THOSE WHO
CAN'T OR PREFER NOT TO USE HRT

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The one thing that eliminated my hot flashes, depression,
fatigue, vaginal dryness, mood swings, lowered my
menopause-related cholesterol by over 100 points and
generally gave me back my life the past 5 1/2 years has
been doctor-formulated Revival Soy Protein. I've seen Revival
help not only me, but thousands of other women experiencing the
typical symptoms of perimenopause. Soy is SAFE and has been
used as a staple in the diet of Japanese women for thousands of
years. They are considered among the healthiest women in the
world. Soy is effective and reliable, especially for those who can't
or choose not to use hormone replacement therapy. The FDA
approves the use of SOY in lowering cholesterol and providing
general heart health. It's made from non-genetically engineered
soybeans, as are most of the soy products out there and the
isoflavones are taken from the "heart" of the soybean where
they are most concentrated. Read more

Ask Medical Director, Aaron Tabor, M.D. aything at
Ask The Soy Doctor

Read Dr. Tabor's last transcript

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YOUR FEEDBACK
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How are you handling menopause and how is
Power Surge helping? We'd love your feedback


*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***     
IF YOU CHOOSE HRT, THE OPERATIVE
WORD IS "NATURAL, BIO-IDENTICAL"
HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY

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If you're dealing with menopausal issues you can't resolve
with other natural modalities and with all the controversy
surrounding conventional / synethetic hormone therapy, you
if you want to switch or start using hormones, make sure they're
natural, bio-identical hormones.  

Read: Natural, Bio-Identical Hormones:
What Are They and How Do They Apply To Me?
and
Natural, Individualized Hormones


For answers to your questions about *natural* bio-identical
hormones, derived from plant sources:


Ask The Pharmacist, Pete Hueseman, R.Ph, P.D.
*  Read Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.'s last transcript


*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***     
EVERYONE IS WELCOME
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***   

Feel free to FORWARD THIS ISSUE of our Newsletter
to a friend who would appreciate what Power Surge
has to offer. If you're on this mailing list, you've already
found out :)  Tell them they can easily sign up for the
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*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***  

I hope to see you at the chats and on the boards.

Until then, remember... menopause may have you
feeling like you're going to hell in a handbasket, but,
there are treatments that work for your issues. It isn't
terminal and it does eventually pass.



Disclaimer

The Power Surge Newsletter disclaims any representation for the accuracy or completeness of information contained herein. The sharing of information herein is not indicative of Power Surge's personal endorsement of same. It is purely for informational purposes. Health matters should be taken up with one's personal physician. Nothing in the Power Surge Newsletters, chats, message base, bulletin boards is intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. Opinions expressed are Dearest's and the authors who contribute to Power Surge and don't reflect the opinions of America Online.

Sharing is what Power Surge is all about

Dearest

Good Health!

OWN YOUR BODY!


Power Surge Bookstore



'Power Surge recommends Revival Soy Protein to replenish estrogen

Doctor-formulated Revival Soy Protein is the #1 doctor-recommended soy protein in the country. Soy isoflavones eliminate menopausal symptoms.

Read one of Medical Director,
Dr. Aaron Tabor's transcripts

Ask the Soy Doctor 





'For natural, bioidentical hormones, Pete Hueseman and Bellevue Pharmacy Solutions

Why put your body through the rigors of adjusting to the "one-size-fits-all" HRT when naturally compounded, bio-identical hormones can be tailor-made to your body's needs?

Read Pete Hueseman's,
most recent transcript about natural, bio identical hormones.

Ask The Pharmacist

Also, read Paul Hueseman, PharmD's transcript
on bio-identical hormones

 


 

Visit our recommendations page for tips and advice on multi-vitamins and supplements to help ease menopausal symptoms, and improve your overall health.

 


 


If you haven't already done so, why not check out our extensive Educate Your Body area. There you will be able to read articles on midlife issues, as well as answers to commonly asked questions such as:

What Is Menopause?
The 34 Signs of Menopause
What's A Hot Flash?
Thinning or Losing Hair?
Why Bioidentical Hormones?
Have High Cholesterol?
Menopause And Your Sex Life
The Benefits of Soy
Menopause And The Mind
Coping With Hypertension?
Take Off / Keep Off Weight!
Selecting A Practitioner
Adrenal Fatique
Depression Facts And Help
Menopause and Migraines!
Fibroids FAQ
Many More Articles...

 

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