Menopause Education Event with Dr. Deirdre Lundy
A full house at the Hibernian Hotel in Mallow.
I had the absolute pleasure of attending a menopause education event at our favorite local Hibernian Hotel in Mallow on 3rd November. Organized by an amazing Davis College student, Amanda Grisolia, the event was called “A Talk on Women’s Reproductive Health and Menopause” and was organized as a fundraiser for The Hope Foundation. The event was packed and there was a wonderful energy, as I have found at so many menopause events — an audience excited to be a part of learning and sharing information.
The event organizer, Davis College student Amanda Grisolia.
First there was a presentation by certified personal trainer Will Geary, who gave a compelling set of reasons why women in menopause and beyond would be well served by engaging in fitness training, and resistance/strength training and conditioning, in particular. I was particularly struck by research showing that strength training performed twice a week for thirty minutes per session increases bone density and mass and muscle mass in post-menopausal women with osteoporosis/osteopenia. Learning that such training can also significantly decrease the chance of falls occurring was also very encouraging.
Next we heard from psychologist Dr. Emil Grisolia who spoke about the importance of caring for our mental health in menopause. He drove home the point that mental health must be a top priority for women in menopause, and how if mental health is poor, physical health often is negatively impacted as well. He highighted the need for reducing stigma around seeking psychological help, emphasizing that we must prioritize our mental health and that we are not alone in dealing with these issues.
Finally, we heard from the incredible Dr. Deirdre Lundy, whose book “The Menopause” you will find recommended on my Resources page. It is always such a joy and a privilege to hear Dr. Lundy speak, and she started off this event by recounting how a conversation about menopause on the Joe Duffy radio show exploded into a days-long event, followed by a documentary called “The Change,” and an explosion of discussion about menopause. She shared a wealth of useful information about the menopause, symptoms, and treatment, and recommended the British Menopause Society website (www.thebms.org.uk) as “the authority” and a great resource for free information for patients. Citing the difficulty some people experience in accessing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to support their mental health in menopause, Dr. Lundy shared that there is a CBT app called Silver Cloud which, with a referral from their GP, patients can access for free. She also informed us that the Complex Menopause Clinic at Cork University Maternity Hospital just opened, and that their team can provide advice to GPs on treating patients who perhaps cannot make it in to the clinic for a specialty appointment. It would be impossible for me to share all of the information that Dr. Lundy included in her presentation and the lively question-and-answer session, so I would once again recommend her book for those who want to know more.
From a grateful participant, many thanks to Ms. Grisolia and all of those who participated in and contributed to this terrific event!
