As I mentioned in my Menopause post, once your periods cease and you are postmenopausal, you are at a higher risk of several health issues, including: Heart Disease Osteoporosis Bladder Issues Vaginal/Pelvic Floor Problems; and Weight Gain. A higher risk is subjective, and not everyone experiencing menopause will have any — let alone all — […]
In my previous post, we learned about perimenopause (also known as pre-menopause) and that there are three stages of menopause: Perimenopause Menopause Postmenopause Remember I mentioned how being “in menopause” seems like a misnomer since menopause isn’t a discrete event? Well, I also feel that way about classifying menopause in stages. It gives the impression […]
Twelve years ago this week, I wrote my first blog post. The topics I’ve written about have changed as my life did – from my dating debacles to sexual health to cancer to parenthood to diversity in education. And, today, I’m shifting gears again to write about something that I almost avoided posting about: Menopause. […]
Eleven years ago, I was in the middle of treatment for breast cancer. I was diagnosed with an aggressive strain at an early stage. I wrote a lot about cancer and how tough chemo was for me. Some called me an inspiration. Some said I used cancer to get attention for myself or my blog. […]
I tasked my students in my Body in American Culture course with examining their thoughts about the body, beauty ideals and body image. The basic guidelines for this Body Genogram are as follows: Connect your early life experiences with your current understanding of your body and beauty in general. How do they or do they […]
In less than a month, three friends have contacted me because an immediate relative was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. With the disclaimer that I’m not a medical professional and every person’s case and experience are unique, here are my thoughts for these women: Make sure that you surround yourself with a team of doctors […]
Merriam Webster defines a miracle as: An extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs. An extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment. A divinely natural phenomenon experienced humanly as the fulfillment of spiritual law. I’ve written before about how I’ve been described as a medical miracle. It was also a miracle that I […]
A friend recently shared with me that she had purchased her first vibrator after reading one of my posts. “That’s great! Which toy did you choose?” I asked. “The Lelo Ina 2.” “What do you think of it?” “I like it,” she replied and then paused. I sensed her hesitancy at saying too much more […]
I’m not a fan of pregnancy websites. I haven’t bought a single book about pregnancy or parenting. I have little interest in receiving well-intentioned advice from my friends who are moms. Likewise, I'm not one for rejoicing or commiserating much with my friends who are pregnant. With only three months left to my pregnancy, I […]
October 19-22, 2012 I headed off to North Carolina to relax with several girlfriends at lake house. I didn’t think much about being pregnant while I was away since I assumed that the odds of the doctors letting me try to carry to term were so miniscule. When I returned to DC from the lake, I couldn’t […]