Haute Flash Blog

Now that I am closer to launching TheHauteFlashSite.com, I guess I’d better update this blog more regularly. I first started telling people about my website a year ago. This past July, I began giving my Haute Flash Fans to female friends and strangers. I find it remarkable how many women respond to the idea of my site. To have a resource where women can learn about menopause or other matters that relate to getting older is still a novel idea. There are a few really great sites out there. One site, www.hystersisters.com, provides helpful information about hysterectomies. Women can learn why others have opted for various types of hysterectomies and can find moral support before, during and after having a hysterectomy.

I first visited hystersisters two years after my “hyst.”, and the information was relevant helpful. My doc had recommended hormone replacement to see me through menopause. To learn from those who had actually taken this hormone, I participated in online discussions on hystersisters. Some of the women said the hormone treatment in question would definitely help. Others said to proceed with caution. Before making up my mind, I researched the alternatives. I then asked my oldest sister (I have three) for her opinion. As a nurse and cancer survivor, her professional knowledge and personal experience make her a credible and compassionate resource. She reiterated what she has told me before, “With our family’s cancer history, hormone replacement isn’t a good idea.”

I passed on the hormone treatment my doc recommended. I was fortunate to be able to make an informed decision. To figure out the best way to approach menopause, or other aspects of getting older, women need to research what works for them. We have choices, and we have an abundance of information available to help determine what the right choice is for each of us. It's basic common sense, but I think that so many of us feel we're the first ones to experience menopause. Read literature. Talk to a variety of medical providers and practitioners of alternative medicine. I think the best research is to listen to those women who have gone through menopause. Not only have they walked in our shoes; they have left a clearly marked path for us to follow.