Liz Earle - the person

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maymorganlondon

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I was reading a copy of Hello! Magazine dated 19 August at my hairdresser this morning. I came across an article about 7 older women who are "menopause champions", one of which was a completely unrecognisable Liz Earle. Has she had more work done I wonder? I never read or listen to her pronouncements on menopause, as I don't like her one-dimensional "expertise" on the subject which ignores anyone whose health situation means they cannot take any hormone replacement type supplements (natural or pharmaceutical)...

Did anyone else see the article? Another QVC alumn Andrea McLean was also featured.
 
What fragranced Liz has had work done!:mysmilie_17:

I mean every time she was on QVC they used the soft focus golden light. Until the once, they forgot quite a difference in how she actually looked.
 
I never read anything about women's health; I've always attended the necessary screening appointments & know what I have to do with regards alcohol, diet & lifestyle so other women's stories are irrelevant as far as I'm concerned. This has become even more apparent since I had my menopause, it happened two months after I was 50 & can only be described as a non-event leaving me with a few weeks of hot flashes a couple of times a year & no other problems. I can't think of a single woman I've ever known who experienced the problems these celebs endure, that could be down to many things, not least the fact that they knew it was part of life & just got on with it. The most recent photo I saw of Liz Earle showed a woman who looked as though her face had been ironed it was so devoid of character.
 
I never read anything about women's health; I've always attended the necessary screening appointments & know what I have to do with regards alcohol, diet & lifestyle so other women's stories are irrelevant as far as I'm concerned. This has become even more apparent since I had my menopause, it happened two months after I was 50 & can only be described as a non-event leaving me with a few weeks of hot flashes a couple of times a year & no other problems. I can't think of a single woman I've ever known who experienced the problems these celebs endure, that could be down to many things, not least the fact that they knew it was part of life & just got on with it. The most recent photo I saw of Liz Earle showed a woman who looked as though her face had been ironed it was so devoid of character.

And they nearly all die giving birth.
 
I never read anything about women's health; I've always attended the necessary screening appointments & know what I have to do with regards alcohol, diet & lifestyle so other women's stories are irrelevant as far as I'm concerned. This has become even more apparent since I had my menopause, it happened two months after I was 50 & can only be described as a non-event leaving me with a few weeks of hot flashes a couple of times a year & no other problems. I can't think of a single woman I've ever known who experienced the problems these celebs endure, that could be down to many things, not least the fact that they knew it was part of life & just got on with it. The most recent photo I saw of Liz Earle showed a woman who looked as though her face had been ironed it was so devoid of character.

Sorry, Twilight but I have to disagree with you about "just getting on with it" as I am currently going through just about every menopause symptom out there at the moment. Getting on with it isn't an option for me and as much as I'm loathe to admit it, at least these 'slebs are bringing some attention to the worst menopausal symptoms.

Only about 20% of us do suffer badly so when we complain to someone belonging to the other 80% we get looked at as if we have two heads. My OH's mother sailed through the menopause and couldn't believe it when she walked in on me in front of two fans, dripping with sweat and absolutely exhausted - in the middle of winter. I've also had a fight to get HRT from female GPs. I'm a drama queen apparently.

The Menopausematters website is where I like to hang out a lot as the women there are going through the same thing as me and understand how awful these symptoms (and the way we're treated by many health professionals) are.

I also suffered REALLY badly with debilitating PMS - now recognised (by some) as PMDD. I'd love to know if any ladies here have gone/are going through a bad menopause and also had bad PMS. Surely there must be a link?

I also have TM (a nerve condition similar to MS) which causes me to react badly to heat. Including the ****** flushes! It may be this that's triggered all my hormonal problems but after speaking to some of my former school friends I don't think so. Some, like me, are suffering badly, some like you are sailing through it.

My mum had a lot of health problems but was on steroids (which eventually killed her) but she looked "healthy" so was considered by many people (as I overheard in a shop one day) as an attention seeker. Mum always used to say "walk a mile in my shoes" which is something I always remember when I meet someone who is having health problems.

I have an absolutely wonderful gynae now who also used the same phrase when talking about certain treatments prescribed making you look well but don't work as well as they look. She's got me on a regime that's just starting to help in some ways but not in others. I have faith that she'll help me through it, though. After seeing some other GPs and gynaes, finding her has been like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Knowing my luck she'll retire next year!
 
I’m quite proud of myself when I look back and think of all the smears, laser treatment, biopsies, colposcopy eventually leading to a hysterectomy at 28 (November 11th I’ll be 54, God spares me) that I went through at such a young age. We had our first beautiful son at 19, that’s when the cervical abnormalities were noticed on my eight week check up at the maternity hospital, so he literally saved my life because I would never have gone for a smear at 19. We decided to have our second child a couple of years later while I was getting checked regularly, after our second beautiful son was born I was 22 and after that it was all systems go, smears, laser, colposcopy, hysterectomy, in that order. I agree with T, when you’re faced with women’s health issues you don’t really want to know how others are getting through it, or at least I didn’t, when I was going through my ordeal, all I wanted was to concentrate on my own personal battle. Thankfully I won that fight, and our two gorgeous sons are tall, dark, handsome amazing men, sons, fathers and husbands with professional jobs, beautiful homes and gave us an amazing grandson each. I say, what ever gets you through is right for you.......hey! I’m a poet and didn’t know it. :mysmilie_17:

I now have adult onset asthma and under active thyroid, oh the joys of gettin’ on a bit :mysmilie_17:
 
Alter Ego I had awful PMS although not as bad as some of my friends (who turned out to have undiagnosed endometriosis). Their symptoms were off the scale awful!

I had an early menopause courtesy of tamoxifen, and although bumpy, I felt I got off lightly compared to those who couldn't endure their symptoms and had to stop tamoxifen earlier than the recommended (at that time) 5 years.

My symptoms got progressively worse over time. By the time I was nearing the end of 5 years the weight was piling on, uninterrupted sleep was a myth I'd once heard of...And the guidance had been extended to 10 years!! I threw in the towel at that point after discussing with the consultant. I felt the health risks of weight gain and lack of sleep were worse than the risks of stopping tamoxifen. The weight is still a stuggle, but it's stopped increasing.

I had a second "natural" menopase, which was worse. I still get power surges at random times, and overcome with heat in unpredictable ways at inappropriate times. Dealing with menopause symptoms in their worst manifestations is not for the faint hearted. I still feel I got off lightly compared with a number of my friends...
 
Here in Ireland and I think Scotland women are far more open talking about such things with each other. I remember as a small child about 4 being taken to see my Mum in hospital and she had the big operation as it was called. My granny was a Scot and her and other older women opening talked about such things. Back in the 60s and I think up to the mid or later 70s women taken into hospital for a hysterectomy was normal women in their mid-40s.

A friend who is 68 still swears she gets the hot flushes. I admit in my 50s perhaps 53+ I sailed through mine, I have a dodgy thyroid. But I know women who had to get up and change the bed twice a night because of the night sweats. My GP did not agree with just handing out HRT unless you really needed it. A friend who is going through it now tried 3 different types of HRT and thought she was taking a heart attack do now just getting on with the sweats and bone-numbing tiredness.

I always went for my breast scams and cervical the latter I always had trouble with they used to give me valium before I went. Turns out I had a tilted womb and cervix too. My periods always very heavy but strangely not that painfull super plus Tampax and pads for me. Now after an x-ray for my hip they have found calcified fibroids the ultrasound did not work because of my tilted womb so have to wait to be called by gynaecological for an MRI. So I might have to have the big operation like my Mum.

Ah, ladies the wonders of being a woman.
 
Alter Ego I had awful PMS although not as bad as some of my friends (who turned out to have undiagnosed endometriosis). Their symptoms were off the scale awful!

I had an early menopause courtesy of tamoxifen, and although bumpy, I felt I got off lightly compared to those who couldn't endure their symptoms and had to stop tamoxifen earlier than the recommended (at that time) 5 years.

My symptoms got progressively worse over time. By the time I was nearing the end of 5 years the weight was piling on, uninterrupted sleep was a myth I'd once heard of...And the guidance had been extended to 10 years!! I threw in the towel at that point after discussing with the consultant. I felt the health risks of weight gain and lack of sleep were worse than the risks of stopping tamoxifen. The weight is still a stuggle, but it's stopped increasing.

I had a second "natural" menopase, which was worse. I still get power surges at random times, and overcome with heat in unpredictable ways at inappropriate times. Dealing with menopause symptoms in their worst manifestations is not for the faint hearted. I still feel I got off lightly compared with a number of my friends...

May - I'm so sorry you've had to go through all that. My PMS made me a complete bitch that I could not keep in check even though I knew I'd be sorry for saying what came out of my mouth every time I opened it during PMS week. Now I'm having HRT PMS and I'm hitting bitch mode even more frequently (I'm in bitch mode right now hence my OH has buggered off down his shed!).

I hate myself for saying things I don't even mean but can only stop myself with a supreme act of will. This makes me very depressed when I see how hurtful I've been, especially to my lovely OH. I'm just lucky that he understands.

Oh yes, the uninterrupted sleep myth. I've not slept longer than four hours for years - and that's when I'm extremely tired and with the help of meds. Mostly I wake every two hours and take ages to get off again. My mental health has certainly suffered over the years through hormones and lack of sleep.

And the weight. Yep, been there, too. I'm currently on Provera which was supposed to be a no-bleed regime. Ha! I'm doing nothing but (not helping the fatigue), and as it's also used to stimulate appetite in some people I'm sure you can guess what's happening now.

My PMS was miserable, menopause is 10x worse. I hope from the bottom of my heart that you can beat the symptoms you've been having and get back to your normal healthy self again soon.
 
Here in Ireland and I think Scotland women are far more open talking about such things with each other. I remember as a small child about 4 being taken to see my Mum in hospital and she had the big operation as it was called. My granny was a Scot and her and other older women opening talked about such things. Back in the 60s and I think up to the mid or later 70s women taken into hospital for a hysterectomy was normal women in their mid-40s.

A friend who is 68 still swears she gets the hot flushes. I admit in my 50s perhaps 53+ I sailed through mine, I have a dodgy thyroid. But I know women who had to get up and change the bed twice a night because of the night sweats. My GP did not agree with just handing out HRT unless you really needed it. A friend who is going through it now tried 3 different types of HRT and thought she was taking a heart attack do now just getting on with the sweats and bone-numbing tiredness.

I always went for my breast scams and cervical the latter I always had trouble with they used to give me valium before I went. Turns out I had a tilted womb and cervix too. My periods always very heavy but strangely not that painfull super plus Tampax and pads for me. Now after an x-ray for my hip they have found calcified fibroids the ultrasound did not work because of my tilted womb so have to wait to be called by gynaecological for an MRI. So I might have to have the big operation like my Mum.

Ah, ladies the wonders of being a woman.

I agree with your comments about Irish and Scottish women being more open. I worked with two ladies from Ireland and one from Scotland when I was younger and loved how open they were. They were older than me and had started going through the menopause. If I hadn't heard their experiences I probably would have pinned a lot of my problems of my mental health (like my GPs have been trying to).

I've also suffered with extremely heavy periods but only had extreme pain twice. I could live with normal period pain and would rather that to many other pains I've had. I'm tilted with fibroids, too! I usually have TVS scans rather than belly scans. I also go to the GUM clinic for my smears as they seem to deal with awkward anatomy far better than my GP (plus I also used to work there so much prefer the attitude of the staff - nothing worse than a nurse trying to do a smear who won't look at what she's doing and seems embarrassed by the whole thing!).

I have to be honest, I'd much rather have been born male. None of this crap to put up with AND higher pay!
 
I’m quite proud of myself when I look back and think of all the smears, laser treatment, biopsies, colposcopy eventually leading to a hysterectomy at 28 (November 11th I’ll be 54, God spares me) that I went through at such a young age. We had our first beautiful son at 19, that’s when the cervical abnormalities were noticed on my eight week check up at the maternity hospital, so he literally saved my life because I would never have gone for a smear at 19. We decided to have our second child a couple of years later while I was getting checked regularly, after our second beautiful son was born I was 22 and after that it was all systems go, smears, laser, colposcopy, hysterectomy, in that order. I agree with T, when you’re faced with women’s health issues you don’t really want to know how others are getting through it, or at least I didn’t, when I was going through my ordeal, all I wanted was to concentrate on my own personal battle. Thankfully I won that fight, and our two gorgeous sons are tall, dark, handsome amazing men, sons, fathers and husbands with professional jobs, beautiful homes and gave us an amazing grandson each. I say, what ever gets you through is right for you.......hey! I’m a poet and didn’t know it. :mysmilie_17:

I now have adult onset asthma and under active thyroid, oh the joys of gettin’ on a bit :mysmilie_17:

Did they ever give you HRT, Shopper? I know they give it now for bone health. If they didn't, you should ask for a bone scan just to make sure your bone health is tip top for your age.
 
Did they ever give you HRT, Shopper? I know they give it now for bone health. If they didn't, you should ask for a bone scan just to make sure your bone health is tip top for your age.

No ae, my ovaries were left in, it was the womb and cervix that was removed, called a Total Hysterectomy so I’d just go through the menopause as “normal”. Touch wood up to now I’ve only had two weeks of hot flushes which was either down to infection when I had Bronchitis or the menopause and touch wood (again) because I’ve been ok since the Bronchitis, it must’ve been down to infection (phew!) Thank you that recommendation though that was very kind xx
 
Sorry, Twilight but I have to disagree with you about "just getting on with it" as I am currently going through just about every menopause symptom out there at the moment. Getting on with it isn't an option for me and as much as I'm loathe to admit it, at least these 'slebs are bringing some attention to the worst menopausal symptoms.

Only about 20% of us do suffer badly so when we complain to someone belonging to the other 80% we get looked at as if we have two heads. My OH's mother sailed through the menopause and couldn't believe it when she walked in on me in front of two fans, dripping with sweat and absolutely exhausted - in the middle of winter. I've also had a fight to get HRT from female GPs. I'm a drama queen apparently.

The Menopausematters website is where I like to hang out a lot as the women there are going through the same thing as me and understand how awful these symptoms (and the way we're treated by many health professionals) are.

I also suffered REALLY badly with debilitating PMS - now recognised (by some) as PMDD. I'd love to know if any ladies here have gone/are going through a bad menopause and also had bad PMS. Surely there must be a link?

I also have TM (a nerve condition similar to MS) which causes me to react badly to heat. Including the ****** flushes! It may be this that's triggered all my hormonal problems but after speaking to some of my former school friends I don't think so. Some, like me, are suffering badly, some like you are sailing through it.

My mum had a lot of health problems but was on steroids (which eventually killed her) but she looked "healthy" so was considered by many people (as I overheard in a shop one day) as an attention seeker. Mum always used to say "walk a mile in my shoes" which is something I always remember when I meet someone who is having health problems.

I have an absolutely wonderful gynae now who also used the same phrase when talking about certain treatments prescribed making you look well but don't work as well as they look. She's got me on a regime that's just starting to help in some ways but not in others. I have faith that she'll help me through it, though. After seeing some other GPs and gynaes, finding her has been like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Knowing my luck she'll retire next year!

You have no reason to apologise. Maybe the women I know, & have known, are all reticent to talk about their health & the two closest to me who had hysterectomies, mum & sister, would have been those who gave birth in a field, picked up the baby & got on with threshing corn. I know I'm lucky that my menopause began & ended in a week & I never had period issues either. The two pregnancies I carried to full term were straightforward & totally wonderful experiences, something I can remember telling my midwife who responded that I was peasant stock which explained why I was like this. I empahise with all that you have to put up with & your symptoms sound exhausting.
 
You have no reason to apologise. Maybe the women I know, & have known, are all reticent to talk about their health & the two closest to me who had hysterectomies, mum & sister, would have been those who gave birth in a field, picked up the baby & got on with threshing corn. I know I'm lucky that my menopause began & ended in a week & I never had period issues either. The two pregnancies I carried to full term were straightforward & totally wonderful experiences, something I can remember telling my midwife who responded that I was peasant stock which explained why I was like this. I empahise with all that you have to put up with & your symptoms sound exhausting.

I think this is why it's come as such a shock to me.

I was ALWAYS as strong as a horse and healthy with it. I had heavy periods and miserable PMS but got on with it and always apologised to anyone (mostly very close people - we always hurt the ones we love) I may have offended during "that" week.

Nothing stopped me doing anything or got in my way of living life the way I wanted when I was younger but this... this is just debilitating. The only other thing I suffered with that hit me this hard was depression and anxiety as I simply couldn't function properly as my mind was just flat. I've always said that depression and anxiety can stop someone's life as firmly as most physical health problems.

Without good mental health you simply don't put up a fight.

It probably is made worse by the physical symptoms on TM but I've fought that as hard as I can (whenever my mental health hasn't been compromised by my ****** hormones). I think this is why so many women are prescribed antidepressants at menopause. They present with anxiety so they're given something that does work short-term.

As someone who's mum suffered osteoporosis in the spine which eventually killed her, though, I'd always tell a menopausal woman to get her bones checked regularly so they can keep them in good health. HRT helps with that and many of the other physical problems us 20%-ers suffer whereas antidepressants don't.

I was always proud of my peasant stock and ultra-wide hips for easy childbirth, too :mysmilie_3: I knew I'd pay for my good luck somewhere along the way. Karma's a bitch.
 
Those who have written about your health concerns are brave, honest & proof that good health, mental & physical, is everything. Presumably it's only been within the past century that the majority of women have experienced all these issues with the menopause because only the upper class would have lived long enough; I saw the shocked faces of girls in a history lesson when I told them the average life expectancy for a woman in 1841 was 43.
 
I've worked in a mental health unit, so I know how ill many are with mental issues, and that there is never enough funding for the department.

I do feel though that once a celeb starts giving interviews about their journey or battle with an ailment, then it becomes bandwagon for the rest of the celebrity world to jump on if it gives then 'coverage'.

Personally I'm fed up with the numerous magazine articles and newspaper column inches given over to the likes of Carol Vorderman, Andrea McLean, Jane McDonald, Chloe Maddeley, the Nolans, Jenny Éclair, Nadya Hussein - the list is endless, of how they coped with anxiety, panic attacks, menopause etc etc.

Surprisingly it hasn't stopped any one of them from stepping in front of the camera in front of millions - quite big in terms of having an anxiety attack I would have thought ? or getting dolled up for yet another red carpet appearance.

Sorry, but those I witnessed in the mental unit, could barely make it through the day - not just once, but for months/years on end with their problems, so I really have no time for Vorderman and the rest of them.
 
I've worked in a mental health unit, so I know how ill many are with mental issues, and that there is never enough funding for the department.

I do feel though that once a celeb starts giving interviews about their journey or battle with an ailment, then it becomes bandwagon for the rest of the celebrity world to jump on if it gives then 'coverage'.

Personally I'm fed up with the numerous magazine articles and newspaper column inches given over to the likes of Carol Vorderman, Andrea McLean, Jane McDonald, Chloe Maddeley, the Nolans, Jenny Éclair, Nadya Hussein - the list is endless, of how they coped with anxiety, panic attacks, menopause etc etc.

Surprisingly it hasn't stopped any one of them from stepping in front of the camera in front of millions - quite big in terms of having an anxiety attack I would have thought ? or getting dolled up for yet another red carpet appearance.

Sorry, but those I witnessed in the mental unit, could barely make it through the day - not just once, but for months/years on end with their problems, so I really have no time for Vorderman and the rest of them.

Can I just say thank you for the work you did. I'm grateful for everyone who does a job I know I couldn't, and which I know is so important and undervalued.
 
I've always been annoyed when people have said "I'm starving" only a few hours after eating their last meal & feel the same way about someone saying they're depressed because the weather's bad, they've broken a nail or their favourite has been eliminated from a reality show. Our younger daughter was bullied when she started her first teaching job, the only career she'd ever wanted, her slide into the deepest depression was horrendous & the recovery took all of her strength & mine. She came through but when she had her baby last year I watched her for signs that she was about to go under. She's fine, & more importantly, aware that she's ok but it shocked me to the core & made me think again about the fragility of life. I do wonder if this was the point that I looked at the vapid commercialism of selly telly & saw it for what it is.
 
And they nearly all die giving birth.

Read Myleene Klass's birth story - she lost 5 hours having Apollo - baby, not the god, space shuttle or theatre... To be honest I know the time when our children were born but can't account for the hours after so what's she going on about?
 

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