EpilepsyBlogger's Women - Welcome!

Hello ladies! I'd like to welcome you to a new series of posts which will be called "EpilepsyBlogger's Women". These posts will be dedicated to helping women with Epilepsy specifically, since we experience an entire spectrum of issues that men do not, simply because we are women and our bodies have been designed to carry children. These problems range from our "monthly gift" (or should I say, our monthly gift from hell?) to choosing whether it is safe or not to concieve. None of it is easy, and I have prepared several posts full of reviews on awesome products, resources and tips from doctors and medical specialists, and lots of other information to help you on your journey.

You can send your questions about the topics below to me by e-mail at MandyKrzywonski@EpilepsyBlogger.org or on Twitter @EpilepsyBlogger. I will accept questions for the next 5 days!


- Irregular or "intense" periods. This was my first to mention because it is one of the most common. And not only that, but it isn't always caused by Epilepsy. It can be something that runs in the family, or something you had all of your life. And what is so interesting about irregular periods? Well, they can also interfere with Epilepsy - it isn't always the other way around. This is why being a woman is so tricky when it comes to Epilepsy.

Irregular periods can mean a range of things. This can mean you have periods that are not always on time. Maybe you find that you have two periods a month, or a period that comes whenever it feels like coming. It could mean that your period is very, very heavy... or sometimes so light that you hardly recognize it. Your cramps may be so intense that you find yourself in tears, or you might notice a severe migraine during or approaching your time of the month. These are all problems (although I wouldn't mind a light period, to be honest!) and they can be caused by your seizures due to the change in hormones.

However, on the other hand, your body's change in hormones can upset your seizures and make them more frequent. It is quite tricky figuring out if the Epilepsy is to blame or your body's naturally off-track hormones, but there are ways to help no matter who is guilty. I will write about some tips to help keep your period on track, offer resources to learn more about these issues, and even answer questions you may have about your time of the month/hormones.

Click here to read more in-depth about IRREGULAR PERIODS.


- Yeast Infections/ UTI's. Irregular periods and some AED's can cause vaginal yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis, and even UTI's in some cases. This article will be brief, but it will cover a variety of things you can do to decrease the likelihood of these infections. I will offer links to articles by doctors and health professionals to give you more information along with answering your questions!


- Metabolism and Weight Gain. This is a problem for men too, but women seem to have the biggest struggle due to the fact that our metabolisms are not as strong as men's. Women may gain ten pounds due to the addition of a new AED, while a man may only gain one or two pounds. There's nothing worse than going out on Friday night and feeling like you are the largest of your friends, or realizing that your work pants don't button anymore. This article will contain tips to help control your eating, a list of questions you can ask your doctor for help on your weight loss, and even some links to great healthy recipes that you'll love!



- Fertility. Many women worry about having children because of the fear that something will go wrong. One of the biggest worries for many is fertility. Being on so much medication, and having seizures seems like enough make a woman's fertility disappear. Thankfully, that is not the case. Some women with Epilepsy have been shown to have slightly reduced fertility, however, this is usually treatable in a number of ways including the following:

• Hormone-based fertility drugs
• Contraceptive pills (birth control pills)
• Reducing your AED's
• Increasing your AED's (Some women are more infertile when they have too many seizures)

Click here to read more in-depth about EPILEPSY AND FERTILITY. You should also ask your doctor if you have any concerns regarding this topic as it is very important to start planning for conceiving ahead of time.



- Is it SAFE for me to have children? This is a question women ask far more than you would think. There are a number of reasons women are worried about getting pregnant with Epilepsy. You may be worrying about the same things yourself.

• I am pregnant unexpectedly, what do I do? (If you are currently pregnant unexpectedly, be sure to call your Neurologist/Epileptologist AND OB/GYN as soon as possible.)
• Are my AED's too harsh for my body? (See FERTILITY above)
• Do my AED's cause birth defects?
• Can my body handle a pregnancy right now?
• Will pregnancy cause me to have more seizures?
• Can seizures cause a miscarriage?
• Can my seizures hard my child while still in the womb?
• Will it be okay for me to breastfeed?
• What if my Epilepsy is genetic? Will my child have seizures too?

There are a lot of steps when it comes to having a child as a person with Epilepsy. However, if you take these steps you can conceive just like any other woman. Granted, there will be what you might call "setbacks", but it has been done before and can be done with careful planning.

Click here to read more about PREGNANCY and EPILEPSY. Please consult your doctor if you feel you may be pregnant or if you are pregnant and have questions.



- Menopause. One of the most difficult times in a woman's life (as if we don't already have enough!). You may be approaching menopause, or just now starting menopause and you probably have so many questions you can't keep up. Some women experience seizures for the very first time as they go through menopause, and others find that their seizures disappear entirely. New types of seizures may start, but a lot of women notice no change in seizures at all. You may be curious if hormone replacement therapy will interact badly with your medication. No worries! I will be doing a wonderful article answering plenty of those questions with the help of the Epilepsy Foundation and other fantastic sources.

Click here to learn more about EPILEPSY AND MENOPAUSE. If you are approaching menopause and have urgent questions, please consult your doctor as soon as possible.

- Menstrual Cups. I will also be writing reviews for different menstrual cups. To learn more about them stay tuned for the individual articles and reviews, or see one of my older reviews for LadyCup HERE. This is a product I have used for years and it has completely changed my life as a woman for the better in so many ways. I have even purchased a few Diva Cups and will be GIVING THEM AWAY to a few lucky ladies! To give you an idea of why menstrual cups are awesome...

• Easy to use
• Far more hygienic
• Cost friendly: The average woman with regular periods spends between $48 – 84 per year on disposable tampons and pads. A menstrual cup is a one-time cost that can last up to 3 years
• Made from medical-grade, non-porous silicone which cannot hold or harvest bacteria. This means NO smell, NO discoloration, etc.
• Re-usable: Wash with warm water and antibacterial soap and you're ready to use it again! Lasts about 4-8 hours before needing to be emptied and washed.
• No leakage!
• Eco-friendly: Tampons and pads cause tons of waste to our earth. Menstrual cups cause ZERO!

 

I hope you are all excited for these new articles and please send your questions in to see them answered here on the blog! You can send your questions to me by e-mail MandyKrzywonski@EpilepsyBlogger.org or on Twitter @EpilepsyBlogger. If you would prefer them answered anonymously, please send them by e-mail with the word "ANONYMOUS" as the subject. Tweets will be shown with your Twitter name (Example: @EpilepsyBlogger) and photo.

MandyKrzywonski
EpilepsyBlogger