Monday Bubble: Cool..er, chill your sleep
Monday Bubble? Say what?! Yeah, I’m shaking up the week a bit with a Wednesday Bubble on a Monday. Hey, why not?!
Got sleep issues? Nightsweats getting you all hot bothered (and not in a good way)? There’s yet another solution!
First there were cleavage coolers. Then the Bedfan and Chilipads. Then the Chillow. And now….
Yup, Cool Gelmats…the “wonderfully cool sensation that’s enough to take your breath away as you feel yourself drawn into a cool, comfortable land of slumber.” Theoretically, the gel acts to absorb heat and then disperse it to help you stay cool. And it keeps its cool without refrigeration (definitely a benefit because you might need an extra fridge to store the gel mat). Heck, you can even fold it and take it camping or on trips (w0nder if it would make it through the TSA?).
More amusing? It’s the ‘perfect partner’ to get you through the hottest of summers (and I guess, sweats).
I’m all for cooling. I’m all against night sweats. But how many coolers does one need in one’s life? Personally, I’ll stick to the devil I know. Nightsweats are a bitch. But there are ways to shut them down without resorting to pads and rubber chickens for the menopausal set.
Brrrrrr. Chill this one no.
Read MoreFriends and Family
I’ve learned a few things during my (almost) 50 years here on this particular journey and especially during the past two months. And I want to be self-indulgent, a rare thing on Flashfree, and share a few thoughts with you on April Fool’s Day. Yet, this ain’t no April Fool’s.
- When people you love need you, you don’t ask why; you ask when.
- No matter what, when or how, your true friends are there for you. You may not hear from them for months or sometimes years, but all of a sudden, they pop up out of nowhere and say hello or ‘just thinking of you,’ or ‘what can I do?’
- Friendship and giving are not burdens. Receiving is a burden. And if you’ve not yet learned how to receive , you’ve got some work to do that will truly benefit you in ways you’ve never considered.
- Our time and our hearts are the best gifts we have to offer as humans. It doesn’t matter how [fill in the blank] you are; your time and your thoughts are what count most.
Over the past six weeks, I’ve traveled South, West and North. I’ve given what I am able to, which is love, true love. No matter what, no matter the depletion, this is what makes my life worth living. I like to give to people. Period. No subtext. No hidden agenda. It’s simply the least I can do for people who I believe would do the same for me if the tables were turned.
Being human and being kind. It’s truly that simple.
Friends and family? Without you, I’m not me.
No fooling.
Read MoreWednesday Bubble: All the news that’s fit to…?
What a perfect mid-week bubble than to burst 1970’s misconceptions about women and menopause. Seriously, wasn’t this the era of feminism and bra burning, not histronics about emotionally unstability and how it might leadership?
Even more frightening? In some circles, these viewpoints remain.
A blast from this past…this one’s only fit for bursting and burning, not for printing.
Early menopause – don’t drink the (PFCs) water
Some rather disturbing news is coming out of the West Virginia University Department of Community Medicine, where researchers are saying that women found to be exposed to high levels of perfluorocarbons (PFCs may be at risk for early menopause.
PFCs are manmade chemicals that have been historically used in a variety of products found in the household, such as food containers, clothing, furniture, carpeting and paints. Often used to repel stains and for water proofing, PFCs have unfortunately found their way into our water, the air we breathe, the soil, plant life and animals. And as the researchers report in the March 16 online edition of the Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, these chemicals have a long half-life, meaning that their presence in our lives appears to be ubiquitous.
In this particular study, the researchers examined data that had been collected from 25,957 women residing near Parkersburg WV who were between the ages of 18 and 65 and were believed to have been exposed to PFCs via their drinking water. After excluding women who had had hysterectomies, and accounting for factors such as smoking, age, body mass index, alcohol use and physical activity, they found that women with high blood levels of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) — both types of PFCs — were significantly more likelier to experience menopause at an earlier age than their peers with lower exposure levels. Moreover, exposure to high levels of PFOS in particular appeared to negatively effect concentrations of naturally occurring estrogen (i.e. estradiol), with higher levels of the chemical associated with lower estrogen levels, an event that occurs naturally in menopause as reproductive hormones start to wane.
Premature menopause has been associated with increased risk for a variety of conditions and due diligence is recommended. An increased of heart disease due to declining endogenous estrogen production is probably the most frightening and the one that experts appear to be most worried about. Conversely, women who maintain their estrogen levels for the longest period of times reportedly have a 20% decreased risk of dying from heart disease. And, the researchers point to another often disregarded issue, which is, that “the onset of accelerated decline in ovarian function and menopause is believed to be fixed,” i.e. early menopause equals an accelerated decline in fertility before age 32.
Of note, this study is a cros-sectional study, meaning that the researchers were unable to tease out factors that might affect their findings, such as length of time of exposure, or that PFC concentrations are higher in postmenopausal women because menstrual flow actually eliminates some of the PFC toxin in blood (blood is replaced faster than the toxin) and that since these women are no longer losing blood, the PFC remains. Still, lead researcher Dr. Sarah Knox believes that a danger exists, stating that “if PFCs are causing early menopause, then these women are at an increased risk for heart issues [since PFCs affect blood lipids]. If they aren’t, there are still toxins accumulating in the body that shouldn’t be there.” In other words, it’s bad news anyway you slice it.
Knox recommends that individuals, especially women, start taking precautions to eliminate or at least reduce exposure to PFCs, including:
- Selecting hardwood floors over stain resistant carpeting in the home
- Wearing cotton rather than synthetic clothing
- Using an air popper or stove to make popcorn rather than a microwave
- Microwaving food in glass rather than plastic containers, and,
- Using cast-iron cookware instead of non-stick coated cookware.
I strongly believe that more research is needed on this issue and we need specific facts on how PFCs affect reproduction, if age plays a role or if menses and blow flow are important variables. Meanwhile, all women should start taking care to reduce exposure to environmental toxins and even more importantly, engage in heart-health-boosting measures that include diet, exercise and being mindful of alcohol consumption.
Don’t drink the water? Well, you might want to stick with the bottled version once it’s all figured out. The PFOA link in this piece directly leads you to more information on the Environmental Protection Agency website.
Read MoreThree’s a crowd
Last year I introduced the concept of crowdsourcing menopause, a concept, while foreign to some readers, may be very familiar to others. Afterall, three’s a crowd, right?
Well, not quite, at least when it comes to women’s health. I am ready to shake things up a bit and am suggesting that we start to take our healthcare back into our own hands. This idea is not a new one and the burgeoning epatient movement is a primary example of how white noise is actually translating into a new language.
Yesterday, I sat in a room of people and watched this idea actually take hold. I saw the lightbulb go off in the heads of representatives of some major players in the healthcare arena. And while I can’t provide the ‘whats, hows or where,” I can tell you that changes are underfoot and soon, three won’t be enough of a crowd.
Do yourselves a favour: keep talking, sharing, demanding and acting. That change is gonna come…
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