Tuesday, April 19, 2011

My conundrum

I am fat. Fatty McPhatterson. Peppermint Fatty. And this book, Between a Rock and a Hot Place, came out at the perfect time for me.

It's about one woman's journey through menopause. And "the change" has unquestionably contributed to my burgeoning waistline.

When I was at the lowest point in my struggle with depression, both my shrink and my GP agreed that the uptick in my downward spiral was tied to a dip in estrogen and my now compromised serotonin delivery system. Because I heard so many horror stories about HRT, I told both of my doctors that I reject it out of hand. So they conferred and agreed I should be on Lexapro. And now I'm fat and happy. Or as happy as I can be, being fat.

So to review this turn of events:

1) I had refused HRT because I have heard about increased risk of cancer and heart disease
2) HRT would have (among other things) helped the moods and bloating
3) The anti-depressant I take contributes to weight gain
4) Bloating contributes to weight gain
5) Weight gain increases risk of cancer and heart disease

So am I not right back where I started from?

I think I shall have to revisit this with my shrink and GP. This time I'll add my gynecologist's opinion to the mix.