AnnaRaven
Lovin' The Homestead
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Well, I haven't had a hysterectomy. I DID have HRT - I hit menopause (or rather it hit me) in a BIG way a few years ago. No one ever warned me about the brain fog. Hot flashes yes, brain fog no.
I was in school when it hit and went from being an A student to a C- student over the period of a summer. Went on a medical leave from school to get things figured out. It sucked - the apathy of depression, the lack of motivation, just no ability to focus, no ability to remember *anything*, couldn't read an article much less a book. The worst part was - my life *rocked* and I couldn't appreciate it because of this craziness. Finally met with a pshrink cuz my doc said the pshrink is better trained to prescribe appropriate meds for such things. The pshrink was this awesome older woman who talke with me, told my doc what tests to do, and then said "your brain is estrogen deprived".
We tried a pill, and that helped a little, but I wasn't feeling like it was right. Then we tried the patch and OMG it was AWESOME! It was like the sunlight finally coming out after months of clouds! I could think. I could *want*. I got my brain back, I got my life back!
I used the patch for a bit over a year and a half to get through school (went back to school and back to getting As). Finally went off after I graduated cuz I didn't want to be on long-term. But - I will say that for that year and half, it was invaluable.
I like using herbal stuff when I can. But in this case, the cohosh and evening primrose and all that stuff just wasn't cutting it. The patch was what got my brain working again. Now - I don't seem to need it anymore. But for the time I needed it, I was glad it was there.
I was in school when it hit and went from being an A student to a C- student over the period of a summer. Went on a medical leave from school to get things figured out. It sucked - the apathy of depression, the lack of motivation, just no ability to focus, no ability to remember *anything*, couldn't read an article much less a book. The worst part was - my life *rocked* and I couldn't appreciate it because of this craziness. Finally met with a pshrink cuz my doc said the pshrink is better trained to prescribe appropriate meds for such things. The pshrink was this awesome older woman who talke with me, told my doc what tests to do, and then said "your brain is estrogen deprived".
We tried a pill, and that helped a little, but I wasn't feeling like it was right. Then we tried the patch and OMG it was AWESOME! It was like the sunlight finally coming out after months of clouds! I could think. I could *want*. I got my brain back, I got my life back!
I used the patch for a bit over a year and a half to get through school (went back to school and back to getting As). Finally went off after I graduated cuz I didn't want to be on long-term. But - I will say that for that year and half, it was invaluable.
I like using herbal stuff when I can. But in this case, the cohosh and evening primrose and all that stuff just wasn't cutting it. The patch was what got my brain working again. Now - I don't seem to need it anymore. But for the time I needed it, I was glad it was there.
) 
My mom had a full hyst when she was in her late 30's and was put on HRT for years. I don't think it did her any favors and she wished she would have known about the natural alternatives back then. Also look into St Johns Wort for depression and exercise when you're healed up. SJW works as well or better that prescriptions in many studies without all the awful side effects. Regular exercise and vitamin D3 has taken care of my depression problems. (THAT one I do know about as I was put on several different ones with horrible results--talk about MAKE a sane person crazy...)
