Adventist Radio London inspiration for the song Welcome the Talking Point with Ray Pedro Angeler
discussing the hot topics and answering your questions, Saturdays five to seven pm on
Adventist Radio London. It's talking Point, it's talking Point, it's talking Point,
it's talking Point. Conversations you need to have. Okay, good evening,
Good evening, and welcome to Talking Point. It's a oh. It's
been another long Sabbath afternoon, but hopefully it's been a good one wherever you
are. Once again, I thank you for joining us. If you're out
there wherever you are, as per usual, I am joined with my two
co hosts, Zenya and Pedro, I want to thank you for joining us
today. It's going to be an interest another interesting topic, one that sometimes
many people don't talk about, as many of our topics are on Talking Point.
But together started, we're going to just start with prayer and get the
program started. So let's pray. Oh Bah God, I want to thank
you for blessing us with another sabbathday. Dear Lord, I want to thank
you for allowing us to come on this platform to share a message. We're
going to talk about another area that impacts many many people, not only the
women that go through it, but also the people around them. I pray,
Dear Lord that this program will be informative, somebody will learn something,
and somebody will definitely be blessed by it. Thank you, Dear Lord for
hearing an answering. Amen. Amen, So how are we? Both,
Senya and Pedro. It's been and I know I can probably speak for all
of you because I'm going to say it's been a really busy week, but
tell me how has your week been before I go into mine. Pedro,
Let's start with you. How many bals have he clocked up this week?
Actually, I have not done that many. It's been in a quiet week
this week. They've given me a little bit of a break in the two
jobs a day. So yeah, so I'm not being, you know,
not as bad. But I think it's because I had a little situation where
I kind of, yeah, where I kind of lost my cool little bit.
So I think they felt maybe I've been they've been pushing me, so
they said, maybe need give him a little break. I know my manager
she's yeah, she kind of was like, you know what, he may
be a little because I was under the weather with the chest. Colm feeling
much better now, still get some cold every now and then in my chest
passing it on. Now Kaya and Toy will both have it, so they've
been coughing a little bit themselves and making Kaya's asthma act up. But I
was for that, Yeah, I kind of a guy, was being patient,
being a little rules. I told him to come out and tell me
to my face. I left it on his voicemail. Yeah. So as
soon as I sounds like oh man, I was like, I have to
call my manager to be like yo, I just said this that he contacted
my boss, and my boss called me and yeah, so it was less
I think when they when I did that, which is really out of my
character because I'm really normally cool, I just let it fall off my back.
But I think I was like, not feeling well, and I was
just like he was just you know, being dis I hainte. One thing
I don't like is disrespectful people. Yeah, and he was the person was
being really disrespectful. So when they did that, I was just like,
yo, you know it comes say that to my face. I was just
like, what it's fun, Yeah, it's all you know, you know.
But you know, so it's all handled though, you know, I
didn't you know, it was my first time in two and a half years,
so I'm allowed to make you know, I'm allowed to make mistakes.
And it sounds like you probably the break as well. Yeah, so I
think they kind of eased up my work. So I've had a nice you
know, I have I've had work, but you know, it's been been
good. So yeah, my son has been away for a couple of days.
He went on the residential sports day something oh the time sleep. Yeah,
so they took him away for like three days. He comes back tomorrow,
Okay, So yeah, so, uh, it's been weird not having
extra kid in the house. It has been kind of yeah, quiet and
weird. Yeah, but that was for that. My wig has been been
you know good, just dealing with the It has been raining down there.
It's been off. Yeah, definitely like porn rain, because it's been porn
rain up there, like it's cats and dogs. And because I live in
the mountains, I've been driving through fog like every day, like thick fog
like you cannot like like fog where you you can't see nothing for like and
then it comes up when you're like ten twenty feet away and then it's like
far and then you can see where you are, but then maybe fifty feet
ahead you can't see nothing because it's nothing but fog because I don't know if
you guys realize Halifax is actually in mountains. So yeah, yeah, so
when you're yeah, like the highest elevation is actually M sixty two. I
think at extra twenty two is the highest elevation, so it's like really up
there. So it's really when it gets like ring like this and stuff,
it just really the clouds is really coming encompassed the whole area. Oh wow,
Yeah, No, definitely, we definitely know some of that summer is
over. It would appear definitely. There's a definitely chill in the air,
so I guess winter is on its way. So yeah, well does he
hear that? You're feeling much better to hear, So that's good. So
Xanya, how about you? That's your week been well? I have to
say that Pedro also gave me his cold the computer virus. She texted me
the other day. She said, I think you gave it to me.
I think you know you heard you heard the computer viruses, right, So
maybe it's a true essence. It's from a computer virus, It's true.
So I also have been down with the old chest direction perhaps just a whole
load of stuff going on with me, and I'm just grateful for the rest.
Have been off a few days from And it's funny, and you were
talking offline about how we are sometimes forced to stop. You know, we
go, we go, we go, We don't even know that we're moving
a million miles a minute, and then we just hit a brick wall where
the body just goes, you know what. It's time for me to put
a full stop right about here, and we just have to stop, rest,
restock, retake, you know, refresh even And that's sometimes where we
are. And like Pedro, you know, we can kind of go go,
go go, and then it's our responsibility more or less to stop ourselves,
but we we often don't. Yeah, yeah, it's funny. It's
funny. We talk a lot about self care and looking after ourselves and sometimes
and I know I'm guilty of this, and I you know, my job,
and sometimes I don't practice what I preach, But sometimes the signs are
there and we listen to our bodies, but listen to what you know,
we've been told until as she says, to come down. But definitely we're
coming into flu season. COVID seems to be making a big comeback because quite
a few people have been hit with that again, so well, increasingly more
important. I suppose as we go into the winter and full season to take
care of ourselves, stock up and vitamin D and you know, all that
good stuff that we know we should do, but perhaps don't take the time
to do it. And I'm sure maybe when she does come on can give
us a little bit morerant that as Yes, thank sure, this is one
of these two actually possibly tackles on a day to day basis with her clients.
Just we don't as women, maybe definitely, we definitely don't take the
care and what we're going to be talking we're not not not what we're talking
about. I'm just talking about the self care, yeah, definitely, But
I'm just talking about self care and I'm talking about what we're talk about,
but I'm talking about in the self care aspect. Yeah, I'm the one
I'm doing that. I hate hospital, so yeah, I have to be
like on my death bed to go to the doctor. I like that,
but I have to be really like really really really really sick to then go
to I'm not going to the doctor. Well that segues nicely into I guess
what we've talked a little bit about today, because I think self care is
going to be and looking after ourselves going to be a big part of all
of this. So October, there's several things that are celebrating in October.
Actually obviously Black History Month, and the theme this year has been celebrating our
sisters and actually a little bits around that, but actually we have been featuring
women who are making a difference and an impact in their communities and the lives
of other women. And our two guests today are definitely doing that as well.
So we're looking forward to speak to hearing from them. Got to adopt
her, but we're talking about menopause. And before a minute, I'm sorry,
one minute, one second, because I forgot you said October. You
know, I just realized, what's that along with Black History? It was
my anniversary eighteen year anniversity in October third so wow, wow y. Yes,
we never I never even brought it up, and I don't know why
I bring it up, But when you said celebrat I was like, what
else to be celebrated in October and then I realized eighteen years baby, So
yeah, that's amazing. Congratulations, thank you, thank you. Ooh,
that's for another that I know. I know because you tesch celebrations. I
have to put that out there, you know, I have to put that
out there. Get my wife a shout out, you know, shout out
to Tara, even though she gets on my nerves. We're not going to
go there, Petri. Let's not We're just celebrating. That's what we can.
Don't let me train them, you know. But I guess that was
segreate quite nicely into what's your podcast called again here my Marriage? Hear my
Marriage? So in My Marriage, which is on Avenger's Radio and then on
Sundays at four, Sundays at fourth. So yeah, any tips and you
do by someone have you? Yeah, definitely tune into that. So yeah,
big up to them. So, yeah, there's a lot happening in
October. Mentioned that it's Black History Month, celebrating our sisters, but it's
also World Menopause Month, and the eighteenth of October was World Menopause Day.
Now that kind of m word like many I suppose many conditions which you put
conditions or things that people go through, especially women, are often not really
spoken about. But I think I was looking at having looking at some stats
around this and estimated one point five million women are going to are going through
the menopause. It's something that women will no doubt go through at different stages.
It's very unique to people, but it has a major impact on people,
and it's just definitely one of those things that really we don't speak enough
about. I've had a few conversations this week with some of my friends,
and you know, we've had various kinds of responses to it. You know,
some people are more informed than others, as often as the case.
But I'm talking, I guessid do I want to reveal my age. I'm
of an older age, but I remember saying to them, you know,
as much as we're talking about it, and yes, awareness has been raised,
it's not something that I was talking to anybody in my twenties or my
thirties or even my forties. Dare I say that? Which, you know,
until I've started to have my own experiences coming into this, that's become
at the forefront of my mind. But it has been a thing that you
know, there's been a lot more awareness, and that's part of while we're
talking about this today, because we do want to raise awareness and for the
women that are listening and also the people that are around them as well,
because as much as it's something that women go through, it impacts everybody as
well, kind of impact everybody as well. So that's what we're going to
be talking about today. We've got a guest on with us today and we'll
hear a little bit from her a bit later, but I'm going to welcome
her now, So welcome Mavis to the show. Thank you so much for
joining us, and we will hear a little bit more from you, but
say hello to our listeners for us, Hello, thank you for having me
so much. Thank you. I'm looking forward to our conversation. Wonderful,
wonderful. And before we speak to Maybe, so we're going to hear an
interview another of our guests that we spoke to, or Zenya, spoke to
Dr Bimo, So she's going to a little bit about her conversation. Then
we're going to go into some music and then we'll hear the interview. So,
yeah, thank you. We spoke. I think it was last week
sometime in fact, we spoke on World Menopause Day Dr Sandra Bino. She
is the medical director of the Women's Health or Women's Holistic Center, Barbatos.
She's also consultant obstitution gynocologists there's a big words got them out and certified menopause
specialist. Yeah, we had a wonderful conversation. She came from a doctor's
perspective, from a mother's perspective, from perspective of someone who has been through
menopause herself, so full of knowledge. She trained in the UK and so
she has that overview, oversight, but she returned to the Caribbean. I
think she just got a bit frustrated with the weather and she backed up,
shopped and went to the Caribbean. But what she has done there is just
introduced her Islanders to the concept of having a menopause clinic where women can talk
about the issue, women can get support for the issue. Because, and
as she mentions it in the actual interview, we don't talk enough. We
don't talk enough here, and we certainly don't talk enough about menopause. And
she, you know, she's pioneering and blazing a trail here. So just
kudos to her. And yeah, that's kind of in a nutshell what we
shared a full sort of hour's worth of conversation. Cool. Okay, So
looking forward to hearing that. We'll hear from Dr Bno and Zim. Yeah,
greetings, Dr Viner. Thank you so much for taking the time to
speak with me today. I know you've got an extremely busy schedule. Thank
you for joining me on Talking Point. It's a program that we welcome do
every week. We try to do every week on several topics, and menopause
being the topic in question today. Happy well Menopause Day. To you,
Thank you, to you, Thank you for inviting meer great. I know
this conversation has been sort of weeks months in the making, and obviously nothing
happens before it's time. And I think today is perfect. We're Menopause Day,
and we're in the midst of Menopause Awareness Month October. And of course
this is a very tricky subject to maneuver for most women. It is an
issue that needs to be on the front burner because it is impacting our so
many and so many feel that they need to be silent about it. And
that's unfortunate because the more we speak up, that's the brilliance of awareness days.
The more we speak up, the more people are aware, the more
that can be done for people who are struggling, and of course for people
who are supporting persons who are struggling struggling. So I mean khodoes to you
and all those who sort of make this a prominent topic and who are in
the on the front line as it were. So yeah, thank you for
sitting with me today on this. Now I know you're Inbatos. I can.
I can just about see the sun beating on the wall, and I'm
extremely jealous. When I look up my window. It's rainy, it's gray,
it's cold, and there and there it lies all of the reasons.
Yeah, Barbados is gorgeous. What can I say? Yea Barbatos is gorgeous.
I am I'm jealous already. I'm sitting on the patio. If I
turned the camera in the cee the ocean and I can hear the birds and
it's beautiful, Oh lovely, lovely. Yes, this is this is This
is Caribbean life. And I don't know why. Every time I look at
the window and andys like these, I think, why enough, Why am
I here? Tell me? Tell me somebody please, and I asked myself
that for many years there was no justifiable asser anymore. So my wife,
I love the UK, but Barbados is where my heart is. All right.
Well that brings us lastly to talking a little bit about you, where
you hail from, perhaps as far back as where you were born, and
sort of what led you into medicine, and then sort of finally what led
you into menopause as your area of expertise. Tell our listeners a little bit,
I give your condense Virgin. Yeah, so I grew up in.
I grew up in Barbadoes. I hope you can hear the Barbados. Yes,
I can know I have a British accent. I grew up in.
I grew grew up in Barbadoes. I I've always wanted to be adopted.
That has always been my passion. I am always been fascinated by the human
body. So I've always knew. When I was a very young girl,
maybe ten eleven twelve, I always knew I wanted to be adopted. I
didn't know what type of daughter I wanted to become as yet my new medicine
with my calling. So I went to the University of the rest in days
in the Caribbean and I did my undergraduate training to become a medical doctor.
During my undergraduate training, we rotate as part of the training program. You
rotate through different specialties and you get to go to general surgery, pediatrics,
upset to and gynecology, so you kind of get a feel for everything and
you know kind of know where you belong. And I found out early where
I belong. So in my third year practice school, I did my first
upset to its in gynecology rotation and I absolutely loved it. I love working
with women. I love empowered women about their minds and bodies and spirit.
I just I just loved it. And I quickly realized that this was that
this was the field for me. You know, I would leave the hospital
like one o'clock, two o'clock in the morning, and this was that this
was a specialty that I didn't mind being there for. So I had that,
so I had the advantage of knowing exactly what I wanted to do when
I finished my undergraduate degree. So I moved directly to the UK afterwards and
I trained in South London Deanery. I did mine, not what I want
to score your Completion CCT Certificate of Completion of Special Specialist Training. In two
thousand and eleven, I got that certificate and I became a consultant in the
UK. I was actually a consultant in the NHS from twenty twelve to two
tenty eighteen. So you just missed, frankfully, I had just missed the
pandemic and perfectly time. I was a consultant that directly possible Kent And then,
like I said, I have loved London. I've had a love hate
relationship with London. But the weather that I cann't do anymore. Wh I'm
a caribbeane. I'm a Caribe Okay, I just with the best in the
world. I had everything going for me in lovely consultant, your lovely life
in London. But I just missed Barbadoes so much, so I moved back
to Barbadoes. But I'm I'm digressing how I became involved in menopause When I
became a consultant in the NHL. I realized from my secretary I was getting
so many refrals about menopause or health. So I said to my secretary,
why why am I getting all offers? I'm not going to sell to some
of the other consultants, and she said to me, they don't like to
see them, so you're you're the newbie consultant, so you're going to get
them, okay. And then I talked to myself, well, if I'm
going to be seeing these women, I must educate myself and how to take
care of them. So I started going on courses funded by the British Menopause
Society. I started attendant clinics all over the UK. Some of my consultant
colleagues were already menopause specialists, so I trained on the them and then fast
forward years later, after my returned to Barbados, I did a certification to
become a menopause specialist with the North American Menopause Society in the US. So
that was my journey to becoming a menopause specialist. And what I realized from
looking after these women was menopause encompass not only your physical health, but your
mental health and your spiritual health. And whereas that was what my colleagues were
running away from, that was what I gravitated to. I liked the holistic
way of looking after women. So that's my journey to become a menopause and
my journey back to Barbados. So when I moved back home, I opened
my upside gechecology practice with a dedicated menopause clinic. Yes, and I think
that's where we found you. I believe there was a fire circulating some point
and I don't even remember why I have, but I mean, I believe
in divine connections, and that fly came through to me and I thought,
well, let's see if we can get you on. And of course we
were looking from an international perspective, not knowing then that you had UK experience
and training, but you were just wondering, you know, is there is
there any sort of links, similarities, et cetera. And there you go.
You've started here. So you can speak to that, but also speak
to what those similarities may be in the Caribbean for people who are struggling and
sort of facing if not even struggling, facing money. Pause. So that's
actually I don't I don't like. I don't like the words to struggle,
Yes, challenges, Yes, similarity, the similarities. What can I say?
I find women in the UK are open mm hmmm, so whereas Caribbeane
women tend to be more closed off. It's like I give you an example.
So in my UK me and a pause clinic, my client would present
they would they would say, God, it's being very dry down there and
sex is very painful, and they would present that quite early up in discussion,
whereas in my Caribbeane clinic, regardless of ethnicity, they never tell me
that they had They ever tell me that I have to. This normally comes
after maybe about twenty five minutes for the consultation because menopositical consultations and are longer
than your average and consultation because you kind of you have to develop a wrap
war and go on with your patient so that they're comfortable. So I find
Caribbean women, even after you've developed that rapport, they still not share.
You then have to kind of drag it from them to say, so,
how is sex and then they will say what what set? And I would
say, well, it's is there something that's stopping you from upsets? And
they will say, well, that's hurts so much I stopped two years ago.
That's the difference between my Caribbean population and the UK population, the degree
of openness, the degree of sharing. Yeah, I mean I'm only hadzing
I guess I from the fact that because we are a very small community in
the Caribbean, I know for other topics, and it may very well apply
to menopause. Because we're such a pat knit community, we're very reluctant to
be open because we feel we're leaving our business outdoors. And I mean,
obviously it doesn't apply in this sense specifically because of the confidentiality that you will
share with them. But I don't know, We've just got that mindset that
we just we don't want to share, we don't want to tell everything is
hunky dory, and then we deal with our stuff privately. And yeah,
that's unfortunate because as I said at the top, we really do need to
talk about these things because the only way we're going to get through it is
if we are aware and we're informed, you know. So that's that's an
interesting It's definitely a cultural thing, and I think that because it's not it's
not even a color thing, because it's across the board with my different colorations
in Barbados. It is a cultural thing. It's ingrain and how we were
raised in the Caribbean, and there needs to almost needs to be a paradigm
shift. We need to talk more because we need to share with our children
as well, you know. So yeah, there needs to be a paradigm
shift in how we communicate. Yes, and we'll touch on that as well,
because not only our women dealing with menopause, but the people who support
our women, so our brothers, our fathers, our uncles, our you
know, employers, our children, our children, everybody needs to be on
board because it's going to be a journey that we all need to be on
board with. And so yes, that that's an excellent term analogy. Let's
peddle back for a second. And for the those who I can't imagine that
there'll be any listener who doesn't know, but for the benefit of those who
don't who may have false conceptions about what menopause is, because to be honest,
that was me a few years ago. I'm aging nicely, but what
exactly menopause? You don't really pay attention till it's that time, you know.
And for me, menopause was something that happened to unhealthy women, old
women. Menopause was something that only happened to specific few and it didn't apply
to all. And so there are several menopause is only a hot flash issue.
You know, I didn't understand that menopause can impact so many aspects of
your life. So let's let's debunk the myths. Let's talk honestly, what
exactly is menopause and what symptoms does someone look out for to know that they
are menopausal? Or is it perry menopausal? So let's let's talk. Let's
go back to basics and talk about that. So back to basics. So
what is menopause? Menopause is a retrospective diagnosis, So the diagnosis of menopause
can only be made after you've missed twelve consecutive periods. That's when you're doing
menopausal. Okay, if you've made six periods and then your period come back,
that's not menopause. It has to be twelve consecutive periods. Right.
Peri menopausal can start as early as in your mid to late thirties. Some
women can start having symptoms they still having periods, so for that reason,
they're peri menopausal. They may have skipped at least they may have skipped three
periods six speriens. But like I said, if you haven't skipped twelve,
you are still peri menopausal. So by definition, I can skip eleven,
but if it comes on the twelfth month, I'm still you're still peri menopause.
And the reason that definition is quite important, Dan is because there's something
called post menopause with bleeding, which has consequences. So whenever you see your
gynecologist and you present your fleeting, they're going to be really insistent at pinning
down when it was your last period. And there's a particular reason for that.
If your last period was six months ago, we're not as worried as
we are if your last period was thirteen months ago or fourteen months ago.
Okay, so that's important. So to recap perimenopause. You can have severe
menopausal symptoms, but you're still having periods, and this can start as early
as in your mid thirties menopause. Your periods have stopped in twelve months.
Right now, what are the symptoms of menopause? I see a lot of
women in the clinic saying menopause. I had no symptoms. I just sailed
right through that. Now, menopause is a very individual thing. Every woman
experienced menopause in their own way. Menopause has emotional, physical, and mental
components. So you have your physical manifestations, but whatever you're going through at
that time of your menopause will impact on your physical symptoms. For example,
a lot of women are cares for their elderly relatives. That is, especially
with dementia et cetera. That is, that's very trying, and that impacts
on that lady's menopausal health as well. So everyone's I share this to say
that everyone's perception and realities of their own menopause is individual to them. Some
women's menopause manifests as hot flushes, night sweats, anxiety. Some women don't
get that. Some women's menopause manifests as brain fag and ability to concentrate and
and panic attacks. But it's still menopause, it's just different symptoms. Some
women get decrease libido. Some women's libido increases, you know, and they
come in the clinic, what's wrong with me? All of my friends libido
is decreasing, and I just want to upset all of the time. You
know, you have to reassure them that there's nothing wrong with you, that's
okay, to embrace your life. Right what at what point, Because you're
saying it's after the fact that I then go to the GP or I then
let the diagnosis. At what point do I go to the GP? Is
it once I see these symptoms impacting my everyday life, because as you said,
some people sail through, and I hope I sail through. But is
there such a thing as sailing completely through menopause? I deal with that first,
Danyea for someone in there, it's such a thing as sailing true menopause.
But so let's discuss what's happening in our bodies and menopause so we can
get the best better understanding. So women's reproductive organs. We have a uters
which carries the babies, and we have two ovaries on either side which produces
or hormone estrogen and progestogen. Now, the average age of menopause is fifty
one, so around this time the ovariant functions start to decline and the overs
start to produce the best estrogen. So this, this decline in estrogen,
is what's responsible for our menopause. So basically what is happening is women are
now living longer than they did in the nineteen hundred. Absolutely, in nineteen
forty eight, we are living the way in the nineteen hundreds. Menopausal symptoms
wouldn't have been a huge problem because we weren't around. So basically what's happening.
We're all living ovaries mm hm. We are living a longer life and
we're outliving not always. So I always say to women, you have a
choice to make if you're suffering, how do you want how do you choose
to live your life the rest of the life that you have on deserve?
Do you want to spend it living in anxiety and fear or do you want
quality of life? And it's a choice I can't make for you as a
clinician. There are lots of programs about going on hormones, and I can't
make that decision, but I guide my clients into making that. So.
The average age of menopause is fifty one. However, not a myph is
menopause can happen early. There's a premature or very insufficiency or premature or menopause
as it used to be called. And this can happen my young decertetion.
I just said this on a program this morning. My young detasi is seventeen.
Yes, so premature stuffs can happen, can happen as young as seventeen.
I have another patient who I just interviewed recently, who is twenty six.
So I have a colleagune that was twenty six twenty seven, and she's
sort of blogged her journey through menopause, and we were like, huh again,
you know, sort of busting that myth for preconceptions that we have that
it's only for our elders though it's only for whenever, just for grandmothers.
That's what people think. You know, you're too young. So whenever I
give seminaris of conferences, you know, I would say, what's your view
on what a menopause a woman looks like? They would all say the grandmother,
you know, And I would say, well, what if I say
to you that I'm menopause it I'm on hormone therapy, you know, what
would you think? And they say never. But it's just the more we
the more conversations we have like this, and the more we break the taboo,
the more we're open to discussing, and I think more help we can
give you two women in that. So to summarize, menopause can happen at
any age. It's not an old woman's illness. It affects families. It
doesn't only affect a woman, so it's not only a woman's problem. The
average age is fifty one. Now it occurs when it occurs much early Black
women around the age of forty. You can't have premature over and insufficiency,
which can happen as early as in your teenage. And at that point,
if if you see that something is wrong, as you said, there's so
many there are maybe symptoms, whether it's you know, brain fog or or
you've got hot flushes or hot flushes, whatever it may be. And if
you see that these symptoms are persisting, then go to the doctor and speak
candidly about what you're going through so that you can be sort of advised.
Yeah, in the UK now we're advocating and every woman around the age of
forty has a menopause consultation. I think that's a brilliant initiative. I'm trying
to I'm trying to also initiate that here in the Caribbean because women don't know,
they don't understand what's happening to their bodies. And if you don't understand,
your may think that you're going crazy. I've had quite a few women
in my menopause clinic. Ooh, and therese are educated women. I remember
I gave a seminar every year, every warm menopause, for War Menopause Months
celebrations, we gave an annual semer done this is the last seven years,
and I remember I gave it the top. You're not going mad, You're
not going crazy, and you're not alone. That was the title of the
segment. And after that I saw quite a few women and like I said,
he'd a very educated woman who said to me, I was so scared
to come forward because I thought I was again all zimers. I thought I
was going I was getting dementia. And they just kept it to themselves.
I said, so you didn't tell your GP, didn't share anything anything.
And like I said to you that it is a very educated women. So
the very educated women are having this dilemma. I'm not sure what's happening to
their bodies. What's happening to the women who were less educated, who don't
understand even less about their bodies. That's that's it, and we've said it
before, and I think it's worth reiterating. That is importance of World Manipause's
Day, Menopause Awareness Month again is to push these conversations and not only on
you know, the nineteenth or the eighteenth of October, but to have these
conversations constantly, and to engage with your GP, your counselors, your you
know, your entire support network, just to ensure that you're getting the right
guidance and the right support through this phase of your life. And it is
a phase of life, isn't it. I remember talking to my colleague and
I was saying, you know what, women, I don't know if we
just drew the shortest state. But as soon as we get our handle on
one, so it's people just about getting underground this we've got, We've got
enough thing to get a handle and as soon as we get handle that here
it comes very minopause and then you know, it's just it just seems that
we just we're constantly shifting. The goal post is constantly moving. But it's
important, as you said, to have the conversations, to have a good
support network and then you know, get through it. As you said as
well, about living your best life no matter what, there are tools to
be able to do so. So that's me and I. We haven't this
job for sure. The menopause years can be the most beautiful years of your
life. And I can testify to that. You know, I'm fifty two
and this is the happiest, This is the healthiest of help because for me,
this is how I look at menopause. It's a time of resetting.
Mm hmm. It's the time of the cannot where are you in your life
now? Right? No, it's the time of asking yourself, well,
I now have less years ahead of me than I've had before. What do
I want for the next phase of my life? And see what comes up
for you. So it's a time of reflection and it can be the best
time for your lives. And that's what I try to teach women in the
menopause, and it happens. I see women just this month, I've seen
women just turn the corner and they're happy. They're so size, and they
eating well. Some of them are hormones. Everyone is going hormones. But
it's just so nice to see women turn their lives around because it's possible.
But you have to choose to live. You have to make that choice to
live. This choice far too as far as choice, far too many women
take. In the past. Menopause used to be known to any of the
change of life. Far too many women take these three words literally. Everything
must change, how they dress, how they feel, live, nothing needs
to change, you know, Embrace life, carry on because with your life
if you enjoyed it perfect And I think that brings us nicely into the next
segment. We're talking about living our best lives even through menopause. What are
some of the things that we've got to do to be able to do that?
Is it a whole lifestyle change? I know there's a lot of talk
about hormonal therapy. What are some of the things that we must do as
women to ensure that we navigate this space. Well, I'm in a really
good position to answer that now because I've just this the next three moms,
I'm interviewing some of my older pleasures, and I've just done an interview with
one of my oldest patients who on hr She's eighty six year as a woman,
she's she's been on HRT from age fifty one. Yeah, so that
I can't live they can't live without it. It's like a don't take it
away, don't take it away. Yes, correct, So she's eighty six
and her per video will be posted to our social media pages of Women's Holistic
Health Center. Now, I've also interviewed a eighty two year old who's not
on HRCH. So HRG is on a pre requisite. Just let me be
clear. But from the interviews, what I'm seeing is a prerequisite is your
family life. A strong family life, strong support system, and family life
doesn't have to be a husband. Women, get right, bug and I
don't have a husband. I don't. You don't have a husband. That's
okay. But you have friends, you have siblings, you have you know,
use what you have. You have support network and good support network.
So want of advice? Another lady said, don't take yourself so seriously.
Don't take life so seriously. Have a good sense of have a good sense
of humor and nutrition, be careful of what you put into your body.
Exercise my eighty six, your patient exercises three days a week with a personal
trainer. I can't even get my fifty year old patient to do this.
I'm shrinking in my seat. Are you guilty of that? Exercise is the
best gift women can give themselves. And I'm not alver exaggerating when I say,
Wow, everything that happens to our bodies in menopause. Exercise can help
with so during our menopause years, because of the decline and estrogen, we
are more predisposed to dementia, We're more predisposed to cardiovascar disease, and we're
pretty disposed to ask your prosis, exercise comeback or for your fields. So
I get a bit upset when women come into the clinic in this. You
know they don't want hormones, they don't, but they don't want to do
anything outside, and they don't want to exercise, they don't want to eat
healthy. So it's all a choice. It's all a choice, and you
get what you put into it. That's it. Do I sorry, Do
I try the others first? You said, ho, hormonal therapy, it's
not a prerequisite. But at what point do I then decide or would you
recommend that? Is it after I've tried sort of change of diet, change
and exercise routine or whatever it may be, and I'm still seeing that I
need additional help? At what point it's all your Yeah, it's all your
choice and it all comes down to you. You can start it right away
in the clinic. So how are we training in the UK? How dogs
trained centered care. We are there to give the risk and the benefits,
and you decide how you want to do this. And right blunt with my
patients, say you're coming. Your symptoms are very severe. You suffering if
anxiety, palpitations, your heart is raising, you haven't panic attacks, you
know functioning that work. You're having hot sweats and night sweats, and you're
not sleeping. But these are very severe menopausal symptoms. So yes, I
can start with lifestyle modifications, which is, if you take caffeine, stop
that, If wine we can take that. Anything that's triggering your hot flushes
we can stop. We would also work on your smoking, your alcohol,
your weight. These are the lifestyle changes that we can institute. We can
also start herbs. There's black cohort, there is red clover. Their stage
down. Hey, there also a route called back up, which is excellent.
So these are all things that we can start. But I'd be very
blunt and say that these only take you to a certain point. Okay,
these will maybe just take the edge of your symptoms. Your body is losing
estrogen. What your body needs to feel better is estrogen. However, if
you're reluctant to take estua, we can do all of these things, okay,
we also get we also develop our exercise training program free where you can
do this stuff which you should be exercising. You should have a program which
incorperates cardio at least twice a week because in the menopausal age women focus on
cardio a lot. But cardio is not what you need at this age and
the menopause. What you need is to build muscles, right because you need
weights, So weights and resistance training and what's going to be best for you
at this age group. But two often women just focus on carelier to treadmill
spin. That's not going to help as much as those are the lifestyle.
Those are the lifestyle modification that's come to the port of therapy. Hormone therapy
before two thousand and two was widely available to all women in the UK and
the US. I can still remember in two thousand and two, I was
an Assagho. I was a junior doctor in Dark Valley as well. Actually
I was. I was a message then and we all got this leaflet from
the NHR in the UK saying that we can no longer prescribe HRT because HRT
has been proven to increase the risk of breast cancer, increase the risk of
earlier vast disease, And it was just this horrible drug and just overnight switch
everything just switched off and inscriptions just went down. That was in two thousand
and two, and this study was called a Woman's Health Initiative Study, and
I remember it was splashed all across the times of the Guardian. I remember
vividly HRT is this horrible drug. The study was so early because HRT increases
the risk of heart attacks, et cetera. And I do remember there were
few diehard star wars who continue their men and it's regardless. I specifically I
remember at King's not a white head. He just he continued his man and
continued. So there were people who realized that this study was at the end
all in real. But now twenty two years later, twenty one years later,
this trial has walked back on nearly everything there said. The researchers have
apologized for putting the so much fear into women and women yeah, and making
women fear such fear their own hormones. So it's been a journey trying to
encourage women to say that HRD is not as bad as you talk it was.
It's not what was sold to you. Okay. For instance, obesity
carries more risk of breast cancer than char T. H Okay, having a
glass of wine every night carries more risk than a churchy. Oh dear,
Yes, And there there's the there's so many myths about hr T. So
char T is estrogen, progestogen, and testosterone. You may not need a
tree, okay, if you don't have a uterist, you just need a
estrogen unless you have indometrial in no matriosis history of indometriosis, then you will
need progestogen as well. Now, the benefits of estrogen only therapy, if
believe it or not, estrogen only therapy has been shown to decrease your risk
of breast cancer, not increase your risk of breast cancer. But women don't
know switch what was told. Women don't know that, so women and then
women are just being told by their daughters, no, you're not having that,
So they're not they're not being given a discussion. What I say to
women is, when you go to your health care practitioner, do your research
and go to have a conversation. Don't I anyone just shut you down.
You were there to advocate for yourself when advocate for what you want. If
the doctors against the HRT, let them tell you why. And if you
want the hr T and they're not willing to give it to you, they
must refer you to someone else who will be able to prescribe it. It's
not his choice or her choice. Is new choice. I'm new to this.
What are some of the reservations about HRT? Why would some doctors not
want to prescribe? Is it what you've listed before that the associations that have
now been overturned? Still is that still what causes socisely? Okay, precisely,
it's lack of education, because you have to remember how you introduced me
and how I told you I got into menopause. Doctors get very little teaching
and training about menopause and medical school or in the postgraduate training. I mean
now in the UK there is a special skills module on menopause that is new.
Back before I left, in order to be a menopause specialist, we
had to go to the British Menopause Society. But menopause is now so that
has changed in the UK, and we're now in the process of also changing
that in Barbados, so that we have more teaching about menopause. Now,
remind remind me of the question I'm asking, what are the drowbacks of that
some doctors start that's will hesitant, so, lack of due so. And
I started sharing with you that lack of training medical school, lack of training
the postgraduate program. Doctors are not comfortable having this discussion because they themselves are
not educated about it enough to have this discussion with you. So the Women's
Health Initiative study not only disadvantage all of those women back then, it also
disadvantaged a cohort of doctors who knew nothing about menopause training, and those the
doctors you're seeing now. It's unfortunate, yes, and these doctors are still
also holding on to this study from two thousand and two without looking at your
current data, which is saying no harch Espectually, the way that we give
it trans thermal estrogen micronize oral progestogen, which is body identical, identical structure
to the hormones in your body is essentially there is a small risk of bread
breast cancer with estrogen and progestogen therapy. However, it's the progestogen that's important
in that risk, and this newer where it's not new anymore, but micronize
or progestogen has been shown to have less of a risk of breast cancer as
compared to the oldest synthetic progestogens such as liken, Ittisterol, et cetera.
Right, So I guess the message here is, as you've said, do
the research, know the pros, know the cons or ask make sure you
get those details from your doctors, particularly a doctor who's hesitant in prescribing that
for you, so you're not risks and you step into that with knowledge,
wisdom, and if you and if you I find like on social media,
size I see who I'm saying. I went to my GP, but and
I'm suffering with that very depredicating symptoms and my GP didn't give me anything.
And don't let it end there. Know your body, know how you're feeling,
and if you're suffering, you seek help. I run a virtual clinic.
There's so many other The pandemic has been horrible, but it's shown us
that we can do claims different. So the the other menopauseist who run a
virtual clinic but seek help, don't let it stop at that person telling you
no, okay, excellent we're gonna share together. We've got a few moments
I'm sure with you we're gonna talk about because we've we've hinted at it.
We've spoken about the impact of menopause on caliovascila health. We've spoken about it
and terms of anxiety and depression and so forth. So we understand that menopause
can impact the whole body the mind. Are there sort of ways around or
support structures that we can put in place for our women who are struggling?
Because I'm even thinking, and I know we talked about it offline, how
do family members, friends, husbands, brothers. I mean, this is
this is for everyone, isn't it not just It's not just a woman's this
year. It's everyone's this year. How can they support a woman who is
going through this and we'll be going through this and these changes in so many
different aspects of their lives. What I'm going to stay then, yet,
that it is not only support for the woman, is also support for children.
Okay, so I share a personal a personal story. I remember when
I first started my perimenapology journey, I had hot flushes, yes, but
my worst symptoms were the mood swings and my mood swings were horrible. But
I say mood swings, I may you go from zero to one hundred,
you go from just calm to just angry, and I may really angry.
And I recall driving home one day with my son and it was like having
an outer body experienced. My son did something I gid you know that it
was Yes, it annoyed me, but on the grand scheme of things,
it wasn't. It wasn't no. And I watched myself just got him,
and it was as if I was watching my and I couldn't stop, and
it was going at him and angry until I see tears streaming down my son's
face, and I'm watching myself thinking who is this person? Who am I
become? Wow, And that is what happens to us. We don't recognize
the women we become. So you say support for the women, but I
also say support for the families, because you can imagine what my son was
feeling. I had to go to him afterwards and say, you know,
let me just have me enough time. I'm so sorry, just bear with
me. And this was this was probably the start of my hormone therapy journey
because I couldn't have my son living with this person. That's not fair to
him. It's not fair to me. So whomen come to the clinic and
they say, I'm not myself. I feel dead inside. I don't recognize
myself. I can't function at work. I'm in a meeting and I'm forgetting
things. I'm getting anxious over little things. You know, I used to
be able to do this job before even thinking, and now it's so challenged.
Don't lose your life if over this, recognize what it is, so
that that would be that that would be my message to the woman to seek
help, but also then get help. Get help. So seek help for
seek help for themselves. Okay by seeing the menopause, especially for your kynecologists
or your GP. But also talk to your husband. Talk communications. See
when my when my patients come the clinic and they say, my libido has
decreased, For example, I don't feel like I haven't said I don't know
how to tell my husband. I would say to speak to your husband.
Something has changed. Plainly, you don't feel like yourself anymore, but you're
working on it because you must understand how he must feel as well. This
is really not knowing yes, so have that conversation. Communicate your husband or
your partner can only support once you communicate. That's and how if we flip
the script now and we're talking to those husbands and those people are supporting,
what do we what do we say to them? Because obviously, as we've
seen, some women will not speak up, and we're hoping to change the
narrative there. But if you see a difference, so you recognize the difference,
what do you do as a partner, as a child, as someone
who's in their corner? So I get this, I get this question posed
differently so I would when I give. When I give, I mean seminars,
the women give me questions. When I give conferences to men. Women
write write things that they want men to know that they don't want to tell
them. So call me, please, what was that I missed that?
Sorry I'm saying, I'll tell honey, Honey, go and talk about to
binal for me. Yes, she'll tell you what's going on with me.
Yes, they don't want it, they don't want to communicate, but I'll
tell you something interesting. I do like to give conferences to men because I
like to know their perspectives. And I remember one man saying to me,
he said, I wasn't going to come to this letter today. It was
put on by his workplace, he said, because it was about menopause,
but it was mandatory, so I had to come. But I'm so happy
I came because now I have a better understanding about what my wife is going
through. So I would encourage men to go to menopause conferences. Read up
on what your wife is going first. Try to understand what's happening to her
body so you can understand, so you can understand her. I also had
a gentleman say, you know, my wife wouldn't say that sets is hurting,
but I can tell, and my heart breaks when I can feel I
know she's not enjoying this, but I don't know what to do, you
know, So men hurt as well as women. We see we think men
don't have emotions, but they have emotions, and they feel and they hurt
and they care about it and they don't like the suffering. So she's not
saying to him that says her, he's picked up. So for men in
that case, I've had many make appointments for their wives and my menopause,
I've had and ring up and say, my wife needs to see you,
so you can recognize the symptoms in your wife and you can speak to her
and encourage her to make an appointment to seek help. I guess that that
extends to anyone who is working with, living with someone who is going through
menopause, because that would be my next question, And you've hinted that at
that just a moment ago in that this colleague had to go to a mandatory
menopause session. What arell workplaces to do about this? Is it much of
the same put on these conferences, putting on these discussions and making it mandatory
that all men go as well? Yes, I think so. I think
that helps because I do really that man stands out in my heads. And
yet because I remember his words, I was going to come today, and
that's the problem. They don't show up at the conferences, and he's right
honest about it. I was not going to come today. But then his
next words were, but I'm so happy I can. So what workplaces can
help by making it mandatory? And they can also help I having a workplace
menopause champion, who you choose? This person needs to be approachable that people
feel that they can go to It makes no sense to having the most unapproachable.
That is the purpose, right, So you need you need to have
a person that people can feel is their person at work, so you know
that person who's going to menopause is comfortable to say, you know, I
had I've been having so many panic attacks recently. Maybe can I am more
comfortable working from home? Can I work from home maybe three times a week,
come into the office twice a week? I feel more comfortable. You
know, you don't want to lose women from the workforce because of menopause.
And women shouldn't be made to feel that because they passed their reproductive years that
they can no longer contribute in a meaningful way to the workplace or society.
So we need to look after our women better. Wonderful. Have you been
asked to do anything within the workforce yourself or are you able to do?
Yes? Virtual sessions? Yes? Well, oh yes I do. I
do quite a lot, not only in Barbados, throughout the Caribbean. And
yeah, we're having more conversations about menopause and people are becoming more aware,
which is a good thing. The more conversations like this that we can have,
the better it is for women right working up then with you telling me
how I as a employer as a supporter of someone with menopause, or if
I did say someone who is perry menopausal, how do I get in touch
with you? Because you're based in Barbados, but you were saying that you
offer virtual assistance. How do we get in touch or can we get in
touch with you? Yes? We can. So I'm based in Barbadis,
but I'm also registered with the General Medical CONVERSLAN in the UK. I'm on
a specialist registerday as well as the specialist in Badis. So I do have
a virtue or menopause planic from my UK patients and for patients throughout the Caribbean.
So you can get in touch with the center at the Woman's Holistic Health
Center. We have a Facebook page and we have an Instagram page and all
of the details are there. You can just simply book the Virtue Clinic.
Can I just say that your assistant is wonderful, She's been patient's she's been
amazing. It's been hard to pin you down, but she's been working with
me, with you. When I think we've made it happen, and I
want to just say Khodos to her. Thank you. So she is amazing,
She's she's my rock. We all need one. I can tell you.
I can tell and then then tell me a little bit about the conference
that you have. It's seventh, okay, ye're running. It happens on
Saturdays. Tell me it happens, happens on the twenty eight. So I
wish, I wish I could show you a picture yourself. Even my center
is called a Women's Holistic health Center. So we are located have you ever
been to Barbadisenia? Have just landed skirted around, but I haven't really seen
it in depth, So yes, it's okay visits, so tell me tell
me how I can. So we're located by the Garrison Savannah and it is
just a beautiful, amazing expanse of property and we're holding it on the moon
at night where there's a full moon. There's going to be outdoors. And
we have a band performing just just just no big band, sorry I say
band, but live entertainment. Someone's singing and we usually have because I said
that I focus on the holistic way of looking after a woman. We have
nutrition is presenting and how you should eating your menopause years. We have an
exercise especialist about the type of exercises. We have a sessional mindful eating,
we have a session of mindful sex, we have a session what else do
we have on meditation? And in touch on that, I'm going to vary.
In fact, I can't end before touching on that. Looking at yourself
as a female, you must feed your spirit, and you can feed your
spirit. You want two ways for it and meditation, whichever you choose.
Whether you choose you want to booth, you do need to have one or
both. But you do need to have some way of nurturing that spirit.
Because you asked me, Zani, how what is it? How? What
would I recommend to age gracefully? And that is fivoital. So we're going
to have We're going to have some meditation exercises. Yes, and sharing what's
also important. Lots of women come and share their stories, and women had
to learn a lot through share. We overcome by the word of our testimonies,
and that's that's crucial. I can tell I can see that you've been
through it and you've conquered it, and you've survived and you're doing well on
the other side of me. So I tend to. And also you can
help me, you can help me across. So it's very important that we
hear from each other on that. How how did it start? It's seven
years running? You say, how did it? How did it start?
Come about thirty when I first moved back here. So when I first moved
back so when I left the UK, I don't know if you remember.
Back in two tenty fifteen, menopause is becoming quite topical. The British Menopause
Society was really coming out. The National Institute of clin Collectcellence issued guidelines on
menopause, so there was like a menopause revolution going on. So when I
left the UK and I came to Barbados, menopause wasn't very topical at that
point. So I thought, you know what I saw how my patients in
the UK appreciated menopauslic how they embrace the a charity and just a new way
of living. I thought that would be a beautiful gift to bring to Caribbean
women. So I started it as a way of raising awareness. We started
out in a small room in a hotel with thirty women. That was our
first one thirty women, and that was in twenty seventeen, and last year
we had over two hundred. Oh amazing, yes, amazing. So it's
and then I help women's women asking can we do it virtually? Can they
see it virtually? But we haven't. We haven't progressed to my next quession.
Maybe next year. We haven't gone to that point just yet. Well,
yeah, well keep us in the note I'm going to share again.
It's Women's Holistic Health Center. It's all one word two four six at gmail
dot com if you want to contact the doctor and are getting additional information,
and she's also pointed you towards her Instagram and Facebook pages, so if you
want more information, feel free to reach out. I am looking forward to
a virtual invite at some point, the saying, but it's been a wonderful
speaking to you. I know you're quite busy. You said you had an
interview or radio session earlier. You've got one later, so I don't want
to keep you any longer. Thank you so so much, and all the
very best to you and the work, the amazing work that you're doing in
this field. You're welcome. Before I go, I just remembered one more
minute, yes, yes, yes, I just remembered we I didn't think
about it because we run our first menopause support group and it was person.
It was sorry I'm launching was it was in person? So I run it
out the clinic and it was only in person. But I am piloting running
the menopause support virtually. Right. So this is eight sension group. It's
a mind body medicine group, and it teaches you ways to strategies before so
we look at who you are as a person, how you want to evolved,
and how you're going to get there, and we teach you ways to
how to get there and cope. So and again to find out more about
that, is it that we look for your your social handles that it's all
on the social pages. Yes, perfect, anything else you want to add
just before we know? No, So again, enjoy enjoy the rest of
the day. Oh my gosh, bob it yeah looking out the window again,
I don't even know what doing, but yes, enjoy the rest of
your day. Enjoy the rest of your month of celebrations. And I hope
that your event goes well, to success, and we look forward, as
we said, to a virtual invite at some point and to having you back
if you might to approp Thank you, gratitude, thank you, no worries,
take care, all the best, go bye. Yeah. So we
heard from Dr Bino there as I said, a full length conversation about the
issues that surround menopause, the women who go through menopause and the people who
support them. For me, from that interview, I took away that menopause
doesn't happen at fifty five, it doesn't happen at sixty. Menopause can happen
quite early for women. I have a friend in fact, and this conversation
just sort of jogged my memory because she's got a whole Instagram social media campaign
going because she is only thirty something and she has been through menopause, so
you know, she's talking about that journey, and it just for me reminded
me that, yeah, it's not for the fifty something year old, it's
not for the sixty something year old. It's not for the age and the
old. It happens to even the young, and it happens sometimes before we
expect. So so you know, we need to have these conversations. And
Angelie, you mentioned that at the very top twenty year olds, you know,
young women, young men, everyone, we need to have the conversation.
We need to have the conversation early so that we're doing the research so
that we're prepared to either go through and go through it gracefully or support the
women who are That's what I drew from that conversation. And there's lots to
learn, there's lots to know, so we really have to do our due
diligence. Yeah, And I think the key thing for me from that as
well is the fact that actually there is still I mean, I think it's
getting better, and you know whatever, every conversation that we have and people
who are working in the field, people are still still quite reluctant to talk
about things. There is an element it feels like an element of shame.
It feels like an element of embarrassment. I think the whole idea around menstruation
anyway, I think there is a lot of stigma around that, even though
it's a completely natural, natural process that we've can go through. It's not
something that you know, we should be hiding. But there's a lot linked
with that, and I think that then just feeds into where we go with
the menopause as well. And you know, it was quite interesting her saying
that over She's worked in the UK and we're a bit more open over here,
but in the Caribbean they don't really want to have the conversation. And
I can imagine that from a cultural perspective that actually can that's like an added
layer to that, you know. And then you kind of think in some
cultures where women may speak about these things months themselves, but the men in
their lives and possibly other people don't necessarily recognize it and understand and what comes
with that as well, So it can be real you don't want to know.
I could imagine in some cultures, in some hole, the men don't
really want to know. Yeah, the funds don't really care. It's not
it's not anything to do with them, until some you know, the woman
flies off the handle or something like that, like oh wait, wait a
bitte. Yeah, And I think also it's also about how people where they
take it seriously enough as well. You know, I'm sad to say that,
you know, I've had conversations with people I'm not even saying it's men,
men and women as well, where sometimes you know, things around periods
or maybe it's menopause are seen as excuses for not doing something. You know,
and it's a reason why oh yeah, you're you're and other things then
become You can become labeled, you could be seen as lazy, or you
can't keep it together, you're not resilient enough. So I just know there's
all of those things that will come with that. And I think, you
know, when we speak to Mavis as well, you know, in her
experience of working with the women who are going through this as well, I
think we're gonna get some good insights on that sort of say, actually,
there's a lot of stigma that we need to kind of debunk. Really we
kind of want so if we want to be talking about this, it's a
natural thing. People women are going to go through this, you know,
each should be something that we talk about and it shouldn't be anything to be
embarrassed about. So so yeah, so that was a really it was a
really interesting, insightful conversation. So did youth Stretch. No. I did
not have a chance to listen to it yet. Okay, I admit I
haven't. But what you guys are talking about is got me scared because I
didn't realize something because you know, I got I got my wife, and
I got two girls, you know, one has started her menstre and the
other one is close to at some point, you know, when she gets
a little older. She's only nine, but you know you can start any
time. And I'm thinking ook, and my wife already, so I'm thinking,
okay, so my wife is going through metro cycles now, which that
week is I stay away from? And now I have two other girls that
I have to stay away from. Those two so like me and my son
are gonna be like hold up in a room. You know, I'm not
trying to be funny. I'm just saying because you know, because like you
know, it's like no matter what. Sometimes you know, the pain,
you know, like like oh the pain me so much pain, And I'm
like, okay, what can I do? Nothing? Okay, well just
go do nothing over there. So you know, I'm not see. But
then what you guys are talking about, wait a minute. So after they
that ends, then they go to metoplause, and you were saying something about
you know they go off you you can't some women kind of go off the
handle or you know, like just you know, so I have to I
have to worry about that now coming up. Indeed, be funny, serious,
smiling, I know, and I'm just saying that is why these conversations
are so critical, because I need some tips. The more you know there
you go. The more you know, the less you will be because well
I'm like, oh, I needn't make enough money. I can vacation during
the time or something. Okay, So this seguy is nicely into our next
part where this is where we're going to bring in our second guest, Mayvis
Maxwell don Cole. So yeah, because again it's quite interesting Pedro that you
will say that, because I guess raising awareness. Having the conversation is really
about, you know, people having an understanding and then look in at the
ways how we can kind of support each other. So I'm going to bring
Mavis in now. So Mayvis, thank you again for joining us and having
this conversation. No doubt you'll probably smiling at some of the things you've been
hearing. Well, I want to smack it's crazy, No, Pedro,
not at all. I'm laughing because that's exactly how i'd expect men to be
feeling. Yes, yeah, I mean I tell you how I feel,
and that's how I feel. What we want. We need more men,
to be honest. I'm a mother of two boys. I'm the queen in
my house and I'm their first experience of a woman going through menopause. Perimenopause,
so we are all learning through this journey to catch cool. Well,
I'm glad you said that because I don't want people to think I'm being insensitive.
I'm not really being insensitive. I'm just how I feel conversations. So
yeah, I'm being and how I feel like I'm scared. I'm like,
just like, what am I going to do? Hopefully by the time we've
you've had more knowledge, you won't be scared. That's the point. That's
that's our aim, that's the point of this a talking point. Cool So
maybe telling a little bit about yourself and I guess what's your links with menopause.
But you mentioned a little bit of their your own experience, but tell
us a little bit about you know yourself and the work that you are currently
doing. I am a certified life coach, did that in lockdown. Currently.
My day job is a support manager, so getting people into work.
And I hit perimenopause April fifteenth this year. Wow, it came as a
big shock. Not to my doctor though, I mean I've got a great
doctor, so she was very much aware of what's going on with my body
and my symptoms. I think I was just not aware of what's going on.
And I'll start from the beginning. There are times where things were dark.
When we say dark, I mean black. Your whole being, your
whole attitude to life, your whole connection with everyone is dark. And as
women were very good at masking things, and I particularly was masking how I
was feeling different in my energy, in my mood, and what I wanted
to achieve and what I wanted to do, just connecting with people. And
very sadly, I lost my sister in law unexpectedly November last year, and
thank you, thank you. That same day she passed away, I got
the phone called that my university friend, college friend had also passed away unexpectedly.
So that was November last year. If you can imagine going through sorrow,
going through morning in a very dark place, not really able to connect
or move forward in life, but still did my day job, had no
complaints, My day job was great, my clients were happy, and went
through the funeral process and everything, and come March I was like, no,
something's still not right. I'm still not moving forward. Nothing gives me
joy. I've got two amazing boys and I'm an amazing supportive husband, and
I will still not feel enjoy So I went to the doctor. You cannot
really there is no test for menopause, and I'm sure the doctor said that
before. However, there are There's called a symptom Menopause Symptoms Checker, which
had I known, I would use it and I'd recommend it to anyone and
everyone now that look it up online Menopause Symptoms Checker. There is a list
of things you can tick, things like mood, swings, black or sleep,
motivation, energy and as so, once you have an idea of what
your symptoms are, that can help towards going to doctor. But for me,
I went to doctors blaming what was happening. She looked on my levels
and she said, maybe you're perimenopause. I was like, nah, no,
no, of course not nowhere. I'm not fifty to may come on,
No, no, no no, And She's like, to be honest,
you've kind of been for about a year and a half. But obviously
I've also got living with her lung condition. That has been the focus of
me progressing through life. And what I what I would say was the passing
of my system and all my friend is astibated and brought it forward, and
I'm glad it did, because I think I kept masking it for too long.
I did take the choose to go on to HRT to try it out
because I wasn't happy. I was down and I didn't like that feeling.
All I can say is like this miserable being inside you that just pulls you
down when you should be joyful. You're still brought down no matter how you
try. And from there I started to talk to other women. My mother
never spoke to me about it. She had an operation that meant she wouldn't.
She didn't get it, so she had nothing to say. My aunt's
never spoke about it. No one spoke to me about menopause. I've gone
out and done my own research, and what I'm now doing is talking to
other women. I'm being honest about my experience. If we are honest,
you are open the door for somebody else. I'm going to say, I
too, am going through this. I resonate with you. What you just
said is exactly how I've been feeling. And since I've started to do that,
I am beginning to hear more women's stories and more women coming out and
saying that's what happened to me or X y Z, and how did I
cope with it? What did I do to manage it? There are all
sorts. There are many things out there that we can use and take to
support the menopause. It doesn't have to be medically induced. There is a
book I'm currently reading about the natural way. It's called The Natural Menopause Method
by A. Karen Newby, talking about natural ways of doing it because a
lot of women want the natural way of managing the menopause. At work,
I am now a facilitator for the Menopause Peer Group. I put my hand
up. I'm not medically certified. I don't know you know where is zactly
to go? But I can guide my peers at work and my friends and
family that are around me where to go and look what to do? Someone
said to me just two days ago, Oh I think I am perimenopause.
What do I do? First of all, you go to a GP.
You need to have a GP that has menopause training because not all of them
have to do the training. They don't have to do the training. So
it's key to ask have you made menopause trained or can I have a menopause
specialist or guynic collegist that's there to talk to about the symptoms, because what
we don't want is so many women being misdiagnosed, being told noah, it's
anxiety or depression x X y z, and not actually focusing on the problem
with the situation being the menopause itself. Interesting. Yeah, that's really interesting.
Thank you so much for sharing that. And you know, again,
it's interesting that you're saying that, you know, you're starting to you're starting
to have that conversation with women and more and more women and then talking and
saying, yes, I relate for you. You said that you're you know,
you didn't nobody spoke to you about it. Again, did you know
anything about the menopause beforehand? Obviously you said you went to the doctors.
I mean, were you kind of a is it something that you thought about
before it kind of happened for you? My view, I thought about it,
Gosh, I think about forty five because I remember putting on my Facebook
page let's talk about menopause, and a friend's side to put message me why
m M, And I said why not we talk about women's health. We're
talking to our young girls about women's health, the menstrual cycle, the periods,
and the boys. We need to talk about menopause. Yeah, really,
it's part of the journey of our life. And the more we acknowledge
and the more knowledge we are given an education that is given around the menopause,
the easier it's going to be for our men and our boys and for
us women as a whole. Right, the first story one woman said to
me was she luckily she's gone through it now. And I know she won't
mind. I'm not going to mention her name, but I know she won't
mind me saying her story. She was misdiagnosed depression anxiety and was given those
tablets. It was so bad for her her situation. She asked a friend
to come and live in her house so that she could keep an eye on
her and her children. She took time out of work so that she could
just go out as soon as the children were at school and go for long
walks and not be left at home on her own. But she's gone through
it, she's gone, she's at the other side. But two and a
half years of going through that because of your mis diagnosed. Now that we're
talking, she's like, those are the symptoms I had. Yeah, that
makes sense. These were the moods I was receiving. These were how I
was feeling, you know, the energy to get up in the morning,
to do anything, the energy to smile at people, or even to go
out. I would always have a reason why I wasn't going Now, yeah,
and I love going out. I'm a sociable person, but I was
going through something. I was like, no, I don't want to be
near people. Maybes, Can I ask you a question? You said that
you went to the doctor and the doctor said you were very menopauthal. Yeah,
how because in the conversation I had with doctor Baiano, she says,
it's once you have not seen or had period for twelve months, that's the
ment. That's when you determined that someone's menopausal or Perry is a it's a
precursor to that. So how is it a gap of a certain number of
months that determines Perry? Is it a list of a significant number of symptoms
what determines Perry menopausal? There are various symptoms. Is there a change?
I think there is? For many people they think you know you're losing you're
what's the word, No, what's the thing? I was going to say,
your energy like of sleep. For me, it was like a sleep
because I would be up till two three in the morning, be up again
at seven. It was lack of energy to do anything. I was getting
migraines a lot more than normal, and just everything was a drag. And
my doctors known me before my boys, so she has always seen this upbeat
patient come in and suddenly I'm dragging my feet. Oh doctor, this,
this, this, this, this, and she could see the pattern.
But at the same time, I wasn't predominantly giving as much of the symptoms.
I mean, one of the symptoms people say menopause is the hot flushes,
right. I get it once in a while, literally very minuscule amount
of it. I think for me, the hot flush came when I was
at three o'clock in the morning. It'll be too hot and I'd have to
literally robe myself because it was so hot. But I'm known women who are
sitting in front of you and just dreaded ripping. Yeah, menopause. Everyone's
journey is individual. So I don't want to say to you there is this
there is. Yes, there are certain signs to check out for like if
you go to the if you look at the menopause symptom, it says low
mood, mood swings, irritable. Oh my goodness, the least thing was
irritating. Irritating me, the least thing snappy, tearful. You're sitting there
watching something and then suddenly you're crying or my husband said something nothing to upset
me, and I mean tears and he's like what, Yeah, And even
I was asking my stuff, what's going on? You know, there are
so many, you know, difficults. I've talked about difficulty my going pop
flash and night sweats. Muscle pain that's the other one. Yeah, and
they talk about things like joint pain as well. Because I was looking,
there's been about some unusual things even and I think I've I have pre experienced
for these as well, where your skin really my skin really itches, it
feels that something is crawling on it. Definitely the joint pain and the muscle
cramps, that kind of thing. And again something just put that down to,
you know, just aches and pains you're getting older. But actually you
said, sometimes enough of those symptoms come to in a cluster. Then it's
time to go see your doctor. And see going to see your doctor and
just have the conversation like this said. There is no real test, but
they can check your hormone levels. I believe, okay to be all to
determine. Yes, sometimes it could be just our process of aging. And
like you meant earlier menopause, perimenopause, you can start at early as thirty.
Yeah, yeah, no longer. It's not the old people's illness,
as I was once told. Indeed, I have a question. Go ahead,
Patrick, go ahead. I have a question. Because you said your
husband would just say something and you would just start crying. So I know
we're kind of jumping ahead, but because it just popped in my head,
like how how has your husband and your two boys? How old are your
boys? Of your mind saying seventeen and thirteen? Oh wow, so they've
okay, see they're not even they're teenagers. How have they adjusted amazingly?
You know what? I am so blessed. I am so blessed because even
I wouldn't live with me. Well that's how I'm asking, because I'm like,
I'm thinking, like, Lord, have mercy. I'm trying to think
like Okay, what how do I do I just say nothing? Do I
walk away? Do I just be comforting? Do I just you know,
don't don't Like I have thick skin, so you know, it's not like
it's going to affect my wife is And I say this to my wife is
emotional already as it is, so I'm used to it. That's she's from
the South, She's from Alabama, so she's just got I call my little
Southern firecracker. So that's what I called a firecracker. I call it the
Southern firecracker from Yeah. But so that's what I was I was just wondering,
how you know, like has been hard for them or do you see
them being more mindful to you because of they know that you're going through what
you're going through they have it's been all of that. Well, my husband,
when the doctor said I think you need to go, I would suggest
maybe we try HRT. As soon as I walked out, got in the
car, text him. Doctor's given me HRT reason perimenopause. Sent him a
link. Please read this when you get home. Let's have a conversation.
There you go and communication and he read and we talked about it and I
explained, you know, I'm looking at the symptom checker and I've ticked it
and actually now there are several things that are clicking in place that I can
be snappy. I'm in emotional and the children say, oh, where's our
mum gone. She's never seems happy. Everything we seem to do upsets her.
Now what's going on to me? And my husband talked a lot and
through that we then said, look, let's call the boys in. And
we call the boys over and I said, Mum's perimenopause. This is what
it means, this is what it's This is a journey I'm going through.
There will be days that are good days, I call it, and there
are days that are just Plathora plateau, and there are down days. But
what I want you to all know is I still love you unconditionally and we
will get through this. If you will help me get through it, excuse
me. Then I've sent the boys links to read on it, and they
are very mindful of if I'm having a bad day, which a couple of
weeks back, sorry, I had my husband gone up to work, called
him and spoke to him at the weekend, and then I finished a call
and I just felt really weak and dark, really sad, all of a
sudden, out of nowhere. Nothing my husband has said saddened me. Nothing
in that conversation. And I said to the boys, look, i just
need to go into my room for a bit. I'm going to close the
door. I'm switching off my phone. If anyone calls, I'm not here,
and if it's an emergency, you can wake me up, but just
leave me alone for a while. They did. They understood because by allowing
me to have that hour, you know, two hours on my own to
just sleep off whatever was happening to my body. I came out right,
what's the what have you got homework done? Do you need this? Do
you need that? They're very aware when my mood goes up and down.
And that's the blessing I can have is their understanding about it. And I
say it to men, now, if you see your partner is changing in
their mannerism, in anything, there behavior have the conversation. And women be
more open to our partners, our male partners, because it's so important that
they are let into this journey, because it's a journey they're going to go
through together. It's not like my own, it's our journey. I like
that just saying that because I think in general, as couples or partners,
we don't communicate what's going on in our lives. I like that you said
that that you did that, and that you called the boys and then explain
it to them because we I think sometimes as a ventist I'm talking about from
my experience, we don't like to talk about things. We just or Mimi's
okay, she's just having a bad day, but we don't say why,
and so then the child's like, okay, what's that's that's what a bad
day is. So now they think, okay, when I have a bad
day, the act fact same way. So they act, they imitate what
we do. But if they understand what we're why we're doing what we do,
then they can better adjust. Because children nowadays specially are much more resilient
and much more understanding of what we're going through as parents than you know.
So I like I like that you said that, you said that that your
committed, because that's the key word it is educating. We all need educating
more. I like that you have not You've not underestimated that the young your
young boys, your sons, can be part of the journey that they will
be able to understand and and have compassion for you, because sometimes we think
they're too young to include them, they won't understand or you know, it's
it's it's it's not children, it's not a child's it's your place, you
know. But this is famous word, this is business, that's it.
But yeah, we have to include them in the conversation, whether you sort
of you know, change the wedding or whatever it is to get the point
across. But of course we can have a conversation with them because, as
you said, maybe they are part of the journey. They are, well,
they're still under your roof together. They've got to help understand what you're
going through. It's not fair. And I think that goes back to why
I maybe never knew much about it as a young person going up because it's
adult conversation. That's adult thing. But is it really They've been taught life
education, sex education in schools. I'm now advocating they need to even add
the topic of menopause in there so to raise awareness. Don't get to my
age get hit by perimenopause. And now I'm reading every little nook and cranny
and understanding more, which is fine because actually now that is my life's purpose
is to advocate for more women and men as a whole world. Let's understand
what perimenopause, menopause is all about. It's not an illness. It's part
of the woman lot. I just had a question. I had another question
that papped in my head. So you you started perimenopause, yes, so
does it turn into full blown menopause at some point or I just thought about
like when you because you kept saying perimenopause. So like menopause as a word
is what we use to as a general word for the perimenopause. So you
start at perimenopause, and the menopause is when you've not had a period,
gotcha. Okay, yeah, after twelve months or something I think as the
umbrella of it all. Okay, does that make sense? Yeah, I'm
trying to, Like I said, I'm I don't know, so I'm information
so you know, I want to know for future because you know, I
know I'm be dealing with it soon. So at some point, So I
don't want to get away with my wife's age, but you know, I
know I'm going to be dealing with it at some point. So it's good
to know that have an idea, you know, you know so absolutely,
and we get talking about it now, So like people that are listening can
if you can, start talking about it now because this is what we're talking
talking about it now, so that when it does happen, you already kind
of have a foot in the door where you kind of know this was good.
We knew that this was going to happen. We can communicate, we
can talk so absolutely. So it brings me also nice into thinking about So
you've talked about a couple of things that could be helpful. What kind of
things are helpful? Are there any kind of particular whether it's we talk.
You know, the word self care is a bit of a buzzword these days,
but you know, in big proponent of that, are there any particular
things that are going to be really helpful for dealing with perimenopause or menopause or
symptoms that women have. No, I know, everybody's unique, so I
think things are going to be very different for each person. But what kind
of things have you found either been helpful for yourself or have been helpful for
women that you've spoken to? You've mentioned about going for long walks, and
we're taking a break from things. Is there anything else I think from the
biggest thing has revaluate my lifestyle. I didn't sleep properly. I have really
bad sleep health. Now by ten ten thirty everything is off. If I
can't sleep, I read and then fall asleep, wake up and try and
be active, whether it's a thirty minute exercise or a thirty minute walk around
my area. It's review how I eat, what I eat, my alcohol
intake. It's you know what I say, review your lifestyle properly, like
really address what you eat when you eat. Had I known about done my
research a bit more beforehand, I think I would have looked at my lifestyle
two years before it, because then I would have generally a consistent pattern of
life in my behavior of my lifestyle. Now, I'm now teaching myself to
say, well, no, you can't have those suites that used to or
a borrow of chocolate. You can sit there with a glass of wine in
the evening and here or they'll you know, drinking champagne every twenty four hours
you're on parties. No, I've had to readdress it and I work from
home remotely so my job predominantly is sitting down. I've now learned at least
within the hour, I'm up and stamping for five minutes. Movement is key
in helping us. Finding what gives you joy is so important, and that
can be a walk around the block. It could be the long walks,
it could be the short walks. It's about being moved mobile, that's the
key thing. And looking at our lifestyle because you know, you can go
on this fad die that fad diet. It's more about how you look after
yourself, and self care is so important. It's the key thing. It's
the fundamental process of us getting through this journey in a way that's more manageable
for all of us. Yeah, and other particular are the particular resources that
are available out there. So you know, if I'm as we've said,
you know, we've all kind of we've been talking a little bit about how
people don't necessarily know or if they do know a bit, they need to
research a little bit more in preparation. Where does one go. Obviously you
talk to you, I know you go to a GP, but are there
other resources that we can get this information from? You mentioned the book earlier
that you're reading, and this website, I've got a page on menopause.
There is, I mean everyone knows doctor Louise Nuisan, who is the menopause
doctor. She wrote the Menopause Manual. She's also, i believe, the
court co founder of the Balance app Balanced Menopause. Yes, yes, really
great. The British menopause societies out there. There is the Menopause Charity.
Yeah. The book I'm currently reading is The Natural Menopause Method by Karen Newman
Newb sorry Newb. And then actually doctor Louis Newson herself, Louis Newsen wrote
Preparing for the Peri Menopause and the Menopause. Okay, so there's quite a
few things out there, you know. And then there's also the National Institute
of Health Cares. Nice, right, Yes, my website I've got you
know, tips on there. Okay. Instagram is full of it now,
Yes, I've noticed. I've noticed that, and it's it's quite interesting.
I mean, I guess there are people can make content about anything, but
actually there's been I follow quite a few accounts where they are talking about that.
And actually, you know, that's been quite a learning experience for me
because there's been some unusual symptoms that I would just be like, oh,
this makes so much more sense. Now, just give me a bit of
a picture. And I think there's also something in the idea of community as
well, coming together where you realize we're not alone in this. And that
sounds almost ridiculous to even say that, because there are millions of women around
the world and this is a natural press that we're going to go to,
but it can still be a very lonely place, so you know, to
know that there is there is a community of people out there talking about it
and what have you. So I would definitely, you know, encourage anybody
who is starting to kind of wonder. And it could just be the fact
that you're getting older and it's your age, but if you're experiencing some of
these things, definitely there is resources and services out there that can support you.
Now you know, I'm going to access question because I'm a guy.
I got to access question, and I'm not asking you personally. Someone did
think I'm asking you to be by you, But how does it affect intimacy?
That's the best way I could put it. From your from your your
from your gathered research and what you gathered like I said, I don't want
to do you some something. It doesn't you know, there is this myth
that menopause sex life. No, it's true and it's not true. You
know, women do you get vaginal dryness, irritable and fatigue. You know,
when you're fatigued, the last time thing you have energy for is yeah,
rump a pump in the garden, the you know bedroom, because you're
tired, your emotional as well, your emotionally drained and emotionally down. However,
I have heard for some women it has exasturbated. Yes, start to
buy it was saying that, actually, yeah, she was saying that for
some yep, increases it. Yeah, it decreases it. Yeah. But
then for those who have said it has decreased it for them, it's because
you know, when they talk, when you talk further about about it,
it's feeling tired, feeling emotionally drained, and just not feeling able to connect
with their partner. Not because their partner has done anything wrong, but they
themselves cannot connect. Okay, I had to act. I'm sorry, my
guy, please ask to ask you. For many a guides who knew that
question was coming from me, she just was like they organize that question,
but I don think I want to touch it. And we're coming to the
end now because time is fast spent as usual. Obviously, women make a
big proportion of the workforce, and I know it can impact our workplaces,
and I'm kind of again, looky that sort of you know, many companies
are starting to kind of recognize that this is a challenge for some of their
workforce and putting in place policies. I know at my workplace there is one
which I was really surprised to see, very glad to see it actually,
because you know, it's part of I guess it's part of the inclusivity,
equality, et cetera. Sort of remit there is that something that you're seeing
more of. Obviously you work within your your your you know you're a practitioner,
a facilitator in your workplace. Is that you're seeing a lot more.
They're trying to encourage that a lot more. Yeah, my company in the
Short Trust recently were given accreditation as a menopause friendly company. Wow. Okay,
And that's so key because it recognizes the journey we're going through. So
I believe even on the HR link, there is a if you need time
off for menopause. It's recognized. If you need adjustments for work, it's
recognized because we do notice, you know, you lose your memory, brain
fog comes in. I know for me, I started doubting my ability and
my job, which I don't know what, you know it was part of
I do believe it's part of the menopause where I doubt in my strength and
my capability of doing my job. And I'm constantly going back to the manager
to get reassurance, which I've never in my career really required reassurance. I
know my worth and my capability, but suddenly I'd lost that. So for
me, I'm very much advocating it. I don't think a lot of businesses
can see the benefits of it yet, similar to women, you know,
being pregnant and going off for maternity leave, it took a long while,
and you know there are things, you know, there are people out there
championing that more companies are credited and recognized menopause as part of women's health as
a whole. And you know, the more we can talk about, the
have the conversation, educate people, it will happen. Yeah. Cool cool.
As for usual, we're kind of running ass. It's always the way
we start talking about every topic, and there's always so much, so much
as we could cover on this. So I always always say there's always gonna
be a part two, potentially a part three, but ultimately is about continuing
the conversation. I guess if we're going to think about obviously we're talking about
lifestyles as well. I mean, you know, for many of our listeners
are Christians, having their spiritual life must play a big part in this.
And you know, the things that you said bring you joy, So if
there's things like prayer, singing music, you know, being out of do
you talk about being outside, being out of nature, All these things can
make a big difference. So I would really encourage anybody out any women out
there, to really find those things. You know, sometimes just taking the
time out and finding some peace sounds like that's actually going to be very very
beneficial for many different things as well, but especially in this life as well.
If there's the kind of one thing that you really wanted to highlight,
may this as kind of as a clothing closing thought, what would that be
for any women out there who are starting to experience I'm saying starting to experience
women who maybe have not got there or starting to experience, or maybe going
to have the unside. How can we be talking about something we're talking about
connecting and supporting and having a conversation. What would be your kind of closing
thoughts on that? You are not on your own? Okay, it's key
because it feels like you're on your own when you're going through it. You
are not on your own. Reach out. There is no such thing as
a silly question. Every question is important to find out more. Talk to
others around you. If you know someone experiencing it, reach out and get
the support. There's so much online, there's so much on social media.
It is not. Every journey is individual. No one menopause perimenopause is the
same. It's it's an individual journey, so how you navigate through it will
be different from how someone else is. I can't tell you you do this,
do this, do that, because I can only tell you from my
experience. But what I want everyone to know is you're not on your own.
Please do not sit there on your own. Reach out and get the
help, get the support you need, and talk. No, that's perfect.
So I want to thank you so much. Maybe it's for joining us.
We'll definitely have to get you back on again because there's so much more
we could I'm sure talk about this because I guess it's as you said,
it's so unique, and I guess any kind of you know, going forward,
any tips or any things that we can learn, because it's about learning
from each other, you know, So there's a lot more that we could
talk about this. So I do thank you so much for your time,
but I thank everybody for joining us on talking point. Our time has been
spent well. There's a lot to be learning here, and I just want
to encourage everybody who is this thing that has maybe said you're not alone,
and ultimately we have God on our side as well. God is going to
And I always love that text. I think it is Isai forty one,
verse ten that says that God is watching over yous. I think it's that
one one I can ever remember. But the concept of God upholding you with
his righteous right hand. I love the idea that we've been cradled, we've
been held, and we're here to support each other and God's got our back
ultimately as well. So I want to thank you all for joining us on
talking point. We've come to the end of October, at the end of
our Black History months, so we've been celebrating our sisters, and throughout this
month we've had some amazing women who it has some amazing work yourself, including
maybe so thank you so much, and also big thank you for doctor Baino
as well Sunning herself probably in sunny Barbados. I'm not envious at all,
but so we're gonna say goodbye, thank you for joining us. We're coming
into November, which is going to be our men's month, I do believe,
so, Pedro, We're going to be handing the reins over to you
for some of this. We're gonna be looking at some men's health issues and
again we want those men to have those conversations. And I know, Pedro,
we often talk about saying that men I'm not always talking as much as
they should do in their own circles. We know they do, but we
want we want to encourage it more. But we want obviously highlight things that
men are finding challenging and how we can be supportive with that. So there's
there is maybe space to have another menopause conversation from a man's perspective. Yes,
it's very true. Just just just with that in the mind. Yes,
because they're I mean scared, scared mind. There you go. I
had a friend who listens to Dr Bayno and that's what he said. He
said, you know what, this was just so eye opening, so informative,
but there's so much more that he wants to know. And yes,
that's probably something that we can consider. Well maybe for next October to have
the men sort of tackle that conversation, because yeah, we all need to
have it. Definitely cool. Alrighty, so thank you want me to pray,
yes, pasure if you could do that, be fantastic. All right,
Heaveny Father, we thank you for this opportunity of given us to have
the discussion about women and the things that they go through. We ask Lord
that we and everything you do is for a reason. Everything you have done
and have made our bodies to do is for a reason. So we ask
Lord that you will continue to bless us and be of us, and whatever
issues we may have, continue to guide us and lead us down the path
that you want us to go. And we ask Lord that you will continue
to be with everyone at the sound of my voice. But whatever issues they
may be, going through that, they may be able to turn to you
and you will help them to get through these issues. Thank you again for
your loving, your mercy. Let us all have a good week and come
back next week. You're freshed and ready to go for this our praying your
Holy name. Amen. Amen, thank you, it's been talking point,
it's been wonderful. Thank for your us. Do tune in to Adventage Radio
London. Life programming continues Sunday morning with family matters in the news and actually
there's a desole business and marriage marriage, don't forget that one. And that's
good night from us. See you again, Take care. Adventist Radio London.
Inspiration for the song