Estrogen Schmestrogen, Who Needs Estrogen.

So, I am closing in on the big “Five Oh” (just in case you want to send a gift or something). It arrives next month. And in celebration of that momentous day I have decided not to renew my prescription for estrogen. I actually made that decision a bunch of weeks ago but I thought I would give it a bit of time before I actually wrote anything about it.

Too much information, especially for you male readers? Well, all except for my dad, Doctor Man, who is a retired OB/GYN. Remember, we are all about being an open book around here at Chez Knit so estrogen is what you get today.

Not in the physical sense, just in the internet sense.

So, I probably should tell you that I really hate taking pills. I really hate it. And I have had to take my fair share of pills in my life. Hey Mom and Dad, you remember all those steroid pills I was supposed to be taking when I was so sick in high school, the ones that you trusted me to take…..and that you aren’t supposed to just stop taking those kinds of drugs cold turkey. Ummmm, well. I really hated them, really. And so, I just didn’t take them. I got better, I went into remission. No one knew.

And then there were the massive, and I do mean massive, number of ibuprophen that I ingested in the years before the hysterectomy. It wasn’t that I actually liked taking those things. It was just that I wanted to be able to function certain days of the month (if you get my drift) and I couldn’t do that without a large number of pain pills. I could have gone the narcotic route on those days, I had the prescription for it. But me and narcotics…..we aren’t real good friends.

And now, now I have been on estrogen for 10 months, ever since the great removal. I will say that it took a bit of time to find the right thing for me. My doc, who I just love, at first had me on a patch. Slap one of those on your body somewhere once a week or so and don’t think anything more about it….except that the cost was $40/month.

I don’t think so.

So then she put me on a pill version. Name brand. You might see commercials for it on the TV. Worked fine. No problems……..except that the cost was $40/month.

Again, I don’t think so.

And then Doctor Man, who can always be counted on for good info, suggested that I just take estradial, the generic form of estrogen…..and the cost was $4/month. I could do that. And I have been doing that……

When I remembered to take the pills that is.

One would think I could be a tad more responsible with this wouldn’t you. I was really very good for the first 6 months or so. I had a mania for remembering. And one would think that by 6 months I would have built up a habit, sort of like brushing your teeth, and that I wouldn’t forget. But that wasn’t the case.

I would go a day, two days and then I would remember that I had to take that dumb pill. It kept happening again and again. And finally I decided to do some research and think about this and I decided. I was done.

I have been doing OK so far, 4 weeks into the great estrogen drought. My moods are good (for which HHBL is VERY thankful). HHBL will tell you that before the hysterectomy I was a little on the, hmmm how should I say it, moody side. Since the hysterectomy I am fine and dandy…

LALALALALALALALA

The only thing is, sometimes, it just sort of feels like someone turns up my internal bunsen burner to blue flame (sorry, I flashed back to college microbiology for a second). I will be just fine one minute and then the next I will be taking off layers faster than a stripper in Las Vegas, but with less pleasing viewing. So far that is all she wrote for symptoms.

Yes, I know that estrogen helps my poor old bones. But I am taking my calcium and my Vitamin D. I am drinking milk, eating cheese and yogurt, slathering my bread with butter. I don’t drink any pop except for the once a month small Coke that I allow myself.

If you are a woman and you are drinking pop, whether regular or diet you need to stop. It is bad for your bones. This has been your PSA for the day (public service announcement not prostate specific-antigen test). We now return you to your regularly scheduled blathering by Debbie.

I am not advocating that if you are taking HRT you need to stop. This is just what I have decided is best for me. The hot flashes are great in the winter….

We will see what happens come summertime.