Tracy Posner

According to The American Cancer Society, roughly 22,240 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed, and more than 14,000 women will die of the disease this year.

Ovarian cancer occurs when cells develop errors in its DNA, and these mutations tell the cell to grow and multiply rapidly. There are different types, subtypes, stages, and grades that classify ovarian cancer.

Women with a BRCA1 gene mutation have an increased 40 to 60 percent risk of developing ovarian cancer by the age of 85. Women with a BRCA2 gene mutation have a 16 to 27 percent risk at a later age, according to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s website.

Due to the high risk associated with BRCA2, I wanted to take preventative action to catch it before it caught me. I had a relative with ovarian cancer on my paternal side and breast cancer on both my maternal and paternal sides as young as 30 years old. Leading up to my robotic hysterectomy, my only concern was how I would feel entering menopause, which scared me. Now that I am through it, the only thing I face is no patience and being tired. 

Life after a hysterectomy is one of the many challenges I have had to overcome. Three years after my operation, I had been fighting a losing battle. I honestly was beginning to feel like there was no end to the side effects that the hysterectomy was causing.

My life was starting to become overbearing because of the six to 10 hot flashes per day, night sweats, low energy and my lack of sex drive that lasted 18 months. I often found myself feeling physically and emotionally overwhelmed.

I would sometimes cry to myself because I thought, “Who wants a sexless relationship with a 35-year-old single mom of two?” It felt almost impossible that things would get better and my outlook on finding some relief was starting to become pessimistic.

Then I found a plastic surgery and holistic spa and wellness center that finally offered some relief. At first, I thought to myself, "Of course, they all say that, and nothing ever really helps." Then I hit a breaking point.

For 10 days straight, I was only able to get one to two hours of sleep a night. I was desperate and needed relief. I rang the center and soon after got an appointment.

Once there, I was told that a menopause tincture could help. Tinctures are herbal extracts from organic herbs, and certain herbs are used for different tinctures. For menopause, there are certain herbal supplements we can use, such as black cohosh which help moderate menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, mood balancing and sexual side effects.  Most of these plant-derived substances have estrogen-like effects on your body.

Do natural supplements work? While it seems unlikely your symptoms will disappear completely, some supplements can certainly make menopause more manageable, particularly in relation to hot flashes and moods. The tincture I went on has drastically changed my life. I was having eight to 15 hot flashes. Since starting the tincture, my hot flashes have depleted. 

I knew I was not going down the path of taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT). I decided not to go on estrogen replacement as my family had estrogen receptor-positive cancer and I took preventative action to save my life, not to put it back in. So, I decided to buy the menopausal health tincture. Just in these past weeks of taking the tinctures, my life was changed.

I now only have a few hot flashes per week, I can finally sleep throughout the night, and best of all, my sex drive is coming back. Even though I'm single, it's great to know that I have one less worry.

Ladies talk to your health care providers and see what products work for you. There are several on the market that are plant-based and safe.

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Life after a hysterectomy is one of the many challenges I have had to overcome.

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