‘Baby Boomers’ Next Step’ Elicits Mixed Responses

Linda Roach Monroe’s article gives a good description of what women in their 40s have to look forward to.

I wish that Monroe had done more investigating into the hormone replacement therapy available to menopausal women. The source of estrogen, which the pharmaceutical community calls “natural,” is pregnant mares’ urine. While this is fine for horses, it does very little for human females.

I am one of these unlucky women who was placed on replacement estrogen as a result of a hysterectomy. This surgery, which turned out to be without basis, has ruined my life forever. My gynecologist did not tell me that some women cannot tolerate hormone replacement therapy. In any dosage, I experience hypertension, edema, nausea, rapid heartbeat and lethargy. I never had these symptoms before.

In the Monroe article, it states that, “Fortunately, estrogen replacement therapy can relieve many problems associated with these forms of early menopause. . . .” I’m afraid that this does not apply to post-hysterectomy patients.

JENNIFER C. COCHRAN

Newberry Park