The experience of going through menopause is extremely variable. Some women breeze through it with little or no troubling symptoms, others are made miserable by hot flashes, sleep disturbance, heavy menstrual p... continue reading  about  I had surgery to have my uterus taken out because of a large fibroid. I don't have periods anymore, and have not had any since my surgery in 2011. How will I know when I am actually in menopause? I turned 50 in May.

Constipation is a condition (not a disease) where a person passes small amounts of hard, dry stool, usually fewer than three times a week. The person may also have a feeling of incomplete elimination of stool. ... continue reading  about  I've always been very regular, but now in menopause I'm constipated. I eat whole grains, fruits and vegetables, drink a lot of water. I'm normal weight and I exercise. I eat prunes and take Benefiber, but I still have small movements with lots of gas.

A routine pap test screens for abnormal cells from the cervix associated with cancer or pre-cancer of the cervix. Depending on one's age, we are also testing for the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which is now fe... continue reading  about  What does a routine Pap smear show? Are there other routine tests should I ask for?

Most breast lumps are benign cysts, particularly in younger women. Size and tenderness may vary with the menstrual cycle. When lumps are tender, they are more likely benign, but about 10% of breast cancers do c... continue reading  about  What does a breast cancer lump feel like? I heard the lumps that move when touched aren't as much of a concern.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are very common in women. This is due to the short urethra that leads from the bladder to outside the body and the plethora of bacteria that reside in the surrounding areas inclu... continue reading  about  How do I prevent, or treat, recurring urinary tract infections?

For women who have a history of endometriosis, and they choose to go on hormone therapy, it will not stimulate endometriosis if they take continuous estrogen and progesterone. The progesterone reduces any stimu... continue reading  about  I was told that my endometriosis will go away once I pass menopause. What if I decide to take hormone therapy during menopause - will that continue to aggravate the endometrial lesions?

While nearly anything is conceivable or possible in individual situations, it's my understanding that the pig dermis is treated to remove all cellular components, leaving just the natural, treated sterile colla... continue reading  about  Regarding stress incontinence and using the pig skin mesh sling option - is it possible for a patient to reject the sling?

The type of surgery you had is a supracervical hysterectomy. If your ovaries are still functioning, then you are still having monthly ovulatory cycles. The monthly cycle causes bleeding from the endometrial tis... continue reading  about  I had a hysterectomy in June. I still have my tubes and ovaries and a small bit of cervix. Why and how am I still having full periods every month? Where is this blood coming from?

The pneumonia vaccine helps protect you from S. pneumoniae, a bacterial germ that causes serious lung infections like pneumonia as well as blood infections and meningitis. It protects you from the most common t... continue reading  about  At what age should I have a pneumonia vaccination? Thank you!