Latest / From Recovery to Wellness | Life After Heart Surgery, Aneurysm Repair & Cardiac Healing / Hysterectomy & Heart Risk

Transcript

Hysterectomy & Heart Risk · From Recovery to Wellness | Life After Heart Surgery, Aneurysm Repair & Cardiac Healing

• 0:07
  Welcome to From Recovery to Wellness, the podcast
• 0:10
  where we explore the path to better health, one
• 0:13
  conversation at a time. I'm Arnita, heart surgery
• 0:16
  survivor, wellness advocate, and your host. For
• 0:20
  too long, heart disease has been thought of as
• 0:22
  a man's disease. Yet it remains the leading cause
• 0:25
  of death among women. Many of the health events
• 0:28
  women experience throughout their lives, from
• 0:30
  pregnancy and preeclampsia to menopause, autoimmune
• 0:33
  diseases, and hormonal changes can have a lasting
• 0:36
  impact on heart health. Yet these connections
• 0:39
  are often overlooked. In this special women's
• 0:42
  heart health series, we'll examine the unique
• 0:45
  factors that influence cardiovascular health
• 0:47
  in women across every stage of life. Together,
• 0:51
  we'll explore the latest insights. cover hidden
• 0:53
  risk factors, discuss practical prevention strategies,
• 0:57
  and empower women to become stronger advocates
• 0:59
  for their own health. Each week, You're hearing
• 1:03
  heart health lesson, a did you know segment,
• 1:06
  a heart supportive food of the week, and a reflection
• 1:09
  question designed to help you apply what you've
• 1:11
  learned to your own wellness journey. Whether
• 1:14
  you're seeking information for yourself, a loved
• 1:16
  one, or simply want to better understand women's
• 1:19
  heart health, you're in the right place. Thank
• 1:21
  you for joining me. So let's begin today's conversation
• 1:25
  and continue moving from recovery to wellness.
• 1:28
  Now, this week is episode four. This is hysterectomy
• 1:32
  and heart risk. A hysterectomy is often discussed
• 1:36
  in terms of reproductive health, but its impact
• 1:39
  can extend into cardiovascular health, especially
• 1:42
  when performed before natural menopause. Hormonal
• 1:46
  changes following surgery may influence vascular
• 1:48
  function and long -term heart risk pattern. The
• 1:53
  key issue is timing, not just the procedure itself.
• 1:57
  And what happens is it kind of throws things
• 2:02
  off. I always equate the hysterectomy to the
• 2:07
  thyroid. When your ovaries are removed, you know,
• 2:12
  the ovaries give you the hormones that you need.
• 2:16
  And for women, the estrogen, and it throws things
• 2:19
  off when those are removed. And just the same
• 2:24
  as the thyroid, it regulates. It regulates your
• 2:29
  body as well. And so without your ovaries, if
• 2:33
  you are one that has had a total hysterectomy,
• 2:36
  it can cause your blood pressure to rise. It
• 2:39
  can cause, you know, mood swings, all kinds of
• 2:42
  things can happen. And then don't even think
• 2:45
  of the hot sweats. They come early and... you
• 2:51
  know, and you may suffer those longer. And so,
• 2:55
  but I won't go into depth because like again,
• 2:58
  I'll say that I'm not a medical professional.
• 3:01
  And so I just go through, I'm just sharing through
• 3:05
  lived experiences. And so I just wanted to, you
• 3:09
  know, just, just. put that out there to help
• 3:11
  others. And so with that, I just want to ask
• 3:15
  the question, a reflection question. Why is cardiovascular
• 3:19
  monitoring rarely included in post -hysterectomy
• 3:24
  care discussions? And then I also want to give
• 3:29
  you the food of the week, which is the avocado.
• 3:32
  And it supports healthy fats and that benefit
• 3:36
  vascular function. So, with that... I just want
• 3:41
  to thank you for joining me for today's episode
• 3:44
  of From Recovery to Wellness. I hope our conversation
• 3:47
  has provided information, encouragement, and
• 3:50
  practical insights you can carry with you on
• 3:53
  your wellness journey. Remember, heart health
• 3:55
  is not defined by a single appointment, diagnosis,
• 3:58
  or stage of life. It's shaped by the choices
• 4:01
  we make, the knowledge we gain, and the steps
• 4:04
  we take each day to care for ourselves. So if
• 4:07
  you found this episode... helpful, although brief,
• 4:11
  please consider subscribing, sharing it with
• 4:13
  a friend, and leaving a review. Together we can
• 4:16
  help more women understand the unique factors
• 4:19
  that influence their heart health and empower
• 4:21
  them to become advocates for their own well -being.
• 4:24
  So, until next time, take care of your heart,
• 4:27
  take care of yourself, and continue moving from
• 4:30
  recovery to wellness. And be well.