Q: Hello,
This may sound strange, but I am wondering how I can restore at least in part, some of the chemo induced menopause? I have your book, "Breast Cancer, Breast Health, The Wise Woman Way", but I have not seen any books that seriously deal with the subject of restoring fertility after cancer (in my case, early stage hormonally negative breast cancer at age 42) for the purposes of conceiving a child. My husband is 43 and as far as I know, healthy in terms of his fertility. His sperm count was tested around 2000 and it was at normal average range.
I have had secondary fertility before 2002, was diagnosed with mild endometriosis at age 40. I had a successful birth and delivery at 33. Doors keep closing in terms of adoption so I am revisiting this as an option once again. I like foraging in my yard for green plants. I notice that when I eat salads of: dock weed, lambs quarters, primrose rosette leaves, sorrel, and dandelion leaves, that my nails grow in thicker and stronger. My mother says this is a genetic tendency--she has the same thing, but the bad upshot of not assimulating your minerals correctly is that your teeth enamel begins to mysteriously erode at the gum line. AS you said on the internet site, capsules really don't do it and I find it strange but true, even though I take calcium citrate, magnesium citrate, boron, etc. I have to admit that I just turned 48 so maybe this is all just a wild goose chase.
I noticed you mentioned chasteberry and I think you said rasberry leaf. I have noticed when I was perimenopausal (right before chemo eliminated that stage) that vitex helped to even out my hormonal cycles. I take it now, I think it's doing something--in capsule form. I also take Black Cohosh capsules. Without Black Cohosh, most likely, I would be suffering flashes 24-7. As it is, I seem to need more of it, as I have lost a little of the fat tissue around my hips from a few supplements I've been taking over this past summer. I'm still experiencing vaginal dryness more now, that I've lost the extra weight. Vitamin E doesn't seem to be helping any more.Still, glad that I did lose some of the stubborn fat, on an otherwise, slender frame--before, I looked a little like the woman that swallowed the doughnut on the billboard ads. Even though I am glad that I did lose the weight (and with it subsequent loss of even more residual hormones, paltry though they may be), I would like to see if the possibility exists that I could turn a seemingly cut and dried situation around, if not for fertility sakes, then perhaps at least for preservation of bone and teeth sake.
This may sound strange, but I am wondering how I can restore at least in part, some of the chemo induced menopause? I have your book, "Breast Cancer, Breast Health, The Wise Woman Way", but I have not seen any books that seriously deal with the subject of restoring fertility after cancer (in my case, early stage hormonally negative breast cancer at age 42) for the purposes of conceiving a child. My husband is 43 and as far as I know, healthy in terms of his fertility. His sperm count was tested around 2000 and it was at normal average range.
I have had secondary fertility before 2002, was diagnosed with mild endometriosis at age 40. I had a successful birth and delivery at 33. Doors keep closing in terms of adoption so I am revisiting this as an option once again. I like foraging in my yard for green plants. I notice that when I eat salads of: dock weed, lambs quarters, primrose rosette leaves, sorrel, and dandelion leaves, that my nails grow in thicker and stronger. My mother says this is a genetic tendency--she has the same thing, but the bad upshot of not assimulating your minerals correctly is that your teeth enamel begins to mysteriously erode at the gum line. AS you said on the internet site, capsules really don't do it and I find it strange but true, even though I take calcium citrate, magnesium citrate, boron, etc. I have to admit that I just turned 48 so maybe this is all just a wild goose chase.
I noticed you mentioned chasteberry and I think you said rasberry leaf. I have noticed when I was perimenopausal (right before chemo eliminated that stage) that vitex helped to even out my hormonal cycles. I take it now, I think it's doing something--in capsule form. I also take Black Cohosh capsules. Without Black Cohosh, most likely, I would be suffering flashes 24-7. As it is, I seem to need more of it, as I have lost a little of the fat tissue around my hips from a few supplements I've been taking over this past summer. I'm still experiencing vaginal dryness more now, that I've lost the extra weight. Vitamin E doesn't seem to be helping any more.Still, glad that I did lose some of the stubborn fat, on an otherwise, slender frame--before, I looked a little like the woman that swallowed the doughnut on the billboard ads. Even though I am glad that I did lose the weight (and with it subsequent loss of even more residual hormones, paltry though they may be), I would like to see if the possibility exists that I could turn a seemingly cut and dried situation around, if not for fertility sakes, then perhaps at least for preservation of bone and teeth sake.
I also noticed that you have mentioned tinctures over capsules, in terms of potency, i.e. Vitex. I haven't tried comparing this. I have a whole cabinet filled with capsules. I have been accumulating books about foraging for wild edible plants, although I've mostly confined my activities to my front yard, which seems to have quite the variety, I am still not very knowledgable with what I can do in terms of: plants that would help strengthen a flagging fertility. It's really amazing how the hormonal levels (which I was taught to regard as 'the enemy' as a breast cancer patient) can be linked to an overall healthy state of the body, in various ways. Certain books have step by step instructions to making a tincture. However, who has vitex growing in their front yard in northeastern CT?!
I've taken this 2:16 alpha hydroxy metabolic hormone ratio. My two separate hormonal pathways are in a good range, however, their ratio means that my estrogen tends to take the 16 metabolic pathway over the 2 pathway, inferring that my body is more likely to be receptive to estrogen cancer cells, or something like that. I'm not too concerned because my aim is still: I'd like to restore more of what I had before it disappeared, for me, literally overnight after fourth A/C chemo treatment, and I know what kinds of foods help to preserve the breast health, i.e. cruciferous veggies and ground flax seed; naturally fermented foods. I make my own kefir and kombucha. The latter, I am attempting to make again, because I noticed when I was drinking it, it seemed to assist the flagging estrogen levels.
I've tried looking on the more standard medical sites and there's a paucity of info regarding people in my status.
Thanks for any more info,
A: So nice to hear from you. It sounds you most wish Susun's thoughts on this.
I know you have her Breast Health book... do you have her New Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way book? she does speak about restoring fertility even once one is into menopause. You can read a bit Cessation of Menses and Fertility After Forty - sounds like you may have read the latter. And yes it is Vitex and Red Clover (not Raspberry) she speaks of most for fertility herbs. I work with tinctures myself so also prefer them to the capsules. Vitex is a nice landscaping plant and you may find some in your area!! Besides the tincture can be made just the same from the dried berries in this case, as many of us have done.
I do not know if you can get pregnant. It sounds like it has been a few years since you last bled.
I hear you want what you once had. We can never go back, but with your focus on health you certainly can nourish your health and vitality and watch it grow - I am confident of that!
I hear you read and think much about how to care for your health.This is wonderful!! I too support you, as I hear you saying, on focusing most on overall good health with foods and food-like herbs.
Please let me know if I can help in any way further.
Blessings,
Karen Joy
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