What is Perimenopause?

Wednesday, September 25. 2019

Perimenopause is the time period in a woman's life that is right before menopause. Its the time when the ovaries gradually begin to make less estrogen. (Johnson MD, 2018) Perimenopause can start as early as a womans 20's but typically starts when a woman is in her 30's, 40's or 50's. Unfortunately there is no way to tell when perimenopause will strike because its different for every woman. Some women will just start experiencing symptoms out of the blue. Other women may notice that something just isn't right.

At the perimenopause stage, hormones may become unbalanced and will create health challenges/symptoms for many women. Some women may not have any symptoms at all or their symptoms may be very mild. Other women may have very severe symptoms. Unfortunately for myself, I experienced very severe symptoms. I had hot flashes that I'd liken to one experiencing heat stroke. I would get so overheated. My skin would be very warm. My head would ache and I felt like I was going to pass out at anytime. I was off balance. I just didn't feel like myself. My head would be "very foggy". I couldn't think clearly. My heart would race for several minutes at a time. I was experiencing hot flashes 3 to 4 times a week.

At night, I experienced hot flashes/night sweats too. I would be awakened at night by heart palpitations and I would be dripping in sweat. My body would have tremors. One moment I was extremely hot and the next I would have a chill. I felt so weak. I didn't want to get out of the bed at times. Also, my sleep schedule was virtually nonexistent. I would get a couple of hours of sleep a night. I would be extremely tired the next day. I had no energy. Honestly I felt like I just couldn't go on.

Perimenopause symptoms will vary from woman to woman. The following are some of the more common symptoms: hot flashes, breast tenderness, fatigue, irregular periods, low sex drives, mood swings, trouble sleeping, vaginal dryness, urine leakage when coughing or sneezing, fatigue, etc. (Johnson MD, 2018)


Continue reading "What is Perimenopause?"

WHEW!!!! The HEAT!!!

Sunday, September 22. 2019

In Jan of this year, I experienced my very first hot flash. I had accompanied one of my clients to the emergency room. It was freezing inside of the ER. I had my jacket on and I was still cold. An hour had passed and I started sweating and feeling very warm. It lasted for at least ten minutes. I was cold again. At the time, I thought I was catching a cold. As the days passed, I never experienced any cold symptoms. I didn't think much of this incident.

Two weeks later, while at work, my heart started racing. The heart palpitations came out of nowhere. I thought I was having a heart attack. My chest started to heat up. This time the heat was more extreme. My skin felt very warm. My head started to ache. I was getting dizzy and I felt like I was going to pass out. I immediately sat in a chair. I was so weak. My coworker called 911 and the paramedics responded within minutes. My vital signs were taken and they confirmed that my heart rate was faster than normal. I was taken to the er via ambulance. The doctors drew my blood, ran a couple of tests and determined that all my vital signs/tests were normal. I was discharged from the er after five hours.

I made an appointment to see my doctor. Hormone tests were given. My doctor confirmed that my hormone levels were fluctuating and that I was starting perimenopause. At that time I thought, "I'm only 42 years old. That is way too young". My doctor informed me that you can start perimenopause in your twenties but typically it can start in your 30's, 40, or 50's. Every woman is different.


Continue reading "WHEW!!!! The HEAT!!!"

Welcome to Cultivating Fervor- Healthy Balanced Bodies Start With the Right Nutrition

Tuesday, September 3. 2019

Ladies, we all want to feel good and look our very best. In order to feel good you have to feed your body the right amount of nutrition. Of course this varies from lady to lady. That’s why it’s so important to visit your doctor/nutritionist.

Several months ago, I started the perimenopause transition. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a smooth one. One significant change for me was severe hot flashes. I would get so overheated that I almost felt like I was going to pass out. I felt so weak and off balanced at times. I just didn’t feel like myself. I had to do something. I did some research. I learned that my diet played a huge role in how intense perimenopause symptoms can be. I changed my diet. I exercised more consistently. I made other changes to my environment and I even started taking herbs. After a couple of weeks, I felt so much better. I haven’t had any hot flashes in the past four months. I have a renewed since of energy. I feel great!!

Ladies, you can also make perimenopause symptoms easier to manage or dissappear altogether by making lifestyle changes too. I will show you more specifically what I've been doing to keep those hot flashes away and feel my absolute best. I'm so excited to share my journey with you. Hopefully I can encourage you to live your best life!!

Nicole W.


Continue reading "Welcome to Cultivating Fervor- Healthy Balanced Bodies Start With the Right Nutrition"

(Page 1 of 1, totaling 3 entries)