Rhonda Cash calls herself a breast cancer “thriver.” She practices self-care by giving back to her community and shares comforting gifts with cancer patients going through treatment. “I want other cancer patients to be as blessed as I am. I want them to have that little something special that they can use more than once,”…
At Norton Healthcare, we believe annual mammograms are one of the most important forms of self-care a woman can practice. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual reminder to do a self-check for signs and symptoms, schedule a mammogram and keep in mind those who are fighting breast cancer or have lost their lives…
Menopause can cause an increase in sex drive or a decrease as hormone levels fluctuate, but very often it’s the symptoms of menopause — mood swings, weight gain, hot flashes and vaginal dryness — that can leave you uninterested in sex. Lower estrogen levels can lead to vaginal dryness as blood supply to the vagina…
The body goes through many changes after having a baby, and having some yellow discharge after birth is normal. This type of discharge is called “lochia.” It is part of the body’s way of healing itself after delivery, and it is a normal part of recovery after a vaginal birth or cesarean section (C-section). How…
Bladder control, bladder incontinence, urinary incontinence, peeing when coughing — whatever you might call it, it’s an issue that affects many women. It’s not just a “change of life” or aging issue — urinary leakage affects women of all ages. There is a certain stigma to it that keeps many women from getting treatment. However,…
For many women, it may be difficult to relax during a pelvic exam, but it can be a traumatizing experience for survivors of sexual abuse. Although a pelvic exam can help screen for various gynecological conditions, including fibroids and cancer, the procedure may feel intrusive or triggering for some trauma survivors, said Rebecca P. Walker, M.D.,…
Period cramps can be annoying or painful, but not everyone experiences uncomfortable menstrual symptoms. If you don’t get period cramps, you shouldn’t be concerned. An absence of discomfort could be a sign of a healthy period. What causes period cramps? Cramps in the lower abdomen and bloating are very common, and most people experience them…
Hormonal changes after menopause can cause women’s bones to weaken so much that they can break easily, but there are several ways to increase bone density and overall health while aging. Estrogen levels drop significantly during menopause, causing bone loss that can lead to osteoporosis. “Even though it is impossible to recover the bone density…
With your health provider as your co-pilot, you can navigate perimenopause and menopause. Perimenopause, also called the menopausal transition, describes the months or years leading up to menopause, when the body goes through vast changes. This transition can be more difficult for some than menopause due to dramatic fluctuations in reproductive hormone levels. During perimenopause,…
Norton Women’s Care, with childbirth services at Norton Hospital and Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital, has been recognized as High Performing in Adult Maternity Care (Uncomplicated Pregnancy) by U.S. News & World Report. This is the first time U.S. News has published a list of Best Hospitals for Maternity Care. To be recognized among the…
Laura Chamberlin first noticed a lump in her breast when she was a graduate student living in Seattle, Washington. She mentioned it to her primary care doctor, who told her not to worry. “She said, ‘You’re young. You just have dense tissue,’” Laura recalled. After moving to Louisville a year later to work as an…
In 2017, Kimberley Marek received a call after her mammogram, letting her know that something had come back abnormal. It wasn’t the first time this had happened. Since she has dense breast tissue, she had experienced this call before, but the follow-up had always produced a normal result. Not this time. This time it was…