DETROIT – Menopause: It’s something all women will go through if they live long enough, but something none of them are talking about. Many women suffer in silence because of myths, stigma and shame surrounding it.
“I couldn’t fall asleep anymore very well, I couldn’t sleep through the night without having to get up and go to the bathroom, forgetting people’s names- simple little things, and I was having hot flashes,” said 52-year-old Sharon Gesse.
Sharon is one of many women who turned to her doctor for help with her menopause symptoms but was left without many options.
“I was told to just live with it, that that was something that was just going to be my new normal,” she said.
Sharon wasn’t satisfied with what her doctor told her, so she turned to the internet for answers. That’s when she found Dr. Carrie Leff at Henry Ford Health. Dr. Leff is a certified menopause practitioner who also specializes in internal medicine and pediatrics.
Sharon said finding treatment through Dr. Leff was life-changing.
“She immediately said we have answers, we have some options,” Sharon said. “You don’t even have just one option; you have lots of options.”
Lot’s of options, for an experience that is normally left untreated. Sharon spoke up for herself, but when it comes to menopause, many women don’t, even if their symptoms interfere with their day-to-day lives. Dr. Leff said this is because of the culture of secrecy, shame and embarrassment surrounding menopause.
“I actually think that now, finally, people are actually talking about menopause which is very exciting for me,” Leff said. “We’re looking toward finding the right patients that we can prescribe either hormones or non-hormonal therapy but help to improve their quality of life during perimenopause and menopause.”
Women everywhere experience menopause symptoms like hot flashes and mood swings. Sharon was able to find relief from these symptoms and said her family can even see a difference.
“I feel amazing. I feel great. I feel normal,” Sharon said.
Normalizing this conversation is crucial. So many women suffer in silence when they don’t have to. Seeing a menopause specialist can be extremely helpful.
More information can be found on the North American Menopause Society website.