Before anyone gets all upset, the headline was just designed to awaken your curiosity, so you would read my rant.

I do not take HRT. I am 51 y.o. I began to show menopausal signs some 3 years ago. My doctor suggested hormonal replacement therapy and I said simply NO.

What is HRT given for? HRT is most often used to treat symptoms of menopause such as "hot flashes," vaginal dryness, mood swings, sleep disorders, and decreased sexual desire.

Okay, so I am over the hill, get hot as hades and have sweat dripping off of me in 75 degree F. I have mood swings - oh heck yes, I most certainly do. From zero to 60 in 60 seconds at a blink of an eye.

Do we have to take a pill for everything?? Or is Nature taking care of something in Her wisdom?

If society did not have this attitude that "there must be a pill for that" we would have tons fewer problems, and a lot less abused animals overall.

Why not appreciate the natural stages of life?
Why not respect the Creations and live by this respect?

No animals suffer from you being moody or dry.
And before hormone replacement therapy, couples were still able to figure out ways to arouse that old desire on occasion. Between family, 'gran-kids', my own animals and rescue work, I have no time to roll around in the hay daily anyway, unless I am looking for lost eggs or new puppies.

I am 60 years old and at age 43 I had no choice but to have a hysterectomy and therefore forced menopause. I took a synthetic version of HRT called estrace and it worked just fine. Ten years ago my doctor told me that I would be better off without hrt because at that time it was believed they did more harm than good. Anyway, to make a long story short, eventually all the systems of menopause disappear, at least they did for me, and if you can hang in there or use a synthetic, you will be OK and spare a lot of innocent horses from lives of misery. I have six horses and could not think of causing them to suffer the way PMU mares and foals do. Educated yourselves ladies. HRT from PMU is not necessary. It's all about money.

I had a hysterectomy 4 weeks ago. I am 45 and a UAN volunteer. I discussed hrt therapy with my doc before my surgery and made sure he knew I would not take any hrt that were animal based. He said the other two options are plant based and synthetic. There is no need to suffer because there are other options that don't envolve the abuse of animals. I am currently not taking anything because I an not having any symptoms.

I was asked to share my comment on this subject after receiving the email and request for the pledge - so I will share with you now how I answered. I will be 54 on my next birthday

I wrote:

I would NEVER take Premarin and I do everything within my power to educate all women about this drug - I don't even like the idea of taking a replacement - as I think it is a natural process and unless one has extremely serious problems with our ' change ' I think it is best to just let nature take it's course .



My dear mother educated me about this when I was just a child ( back in the 60's ) - she took me to a horrid PMU farm back home in Canada - even back then she was aware and refused the drugs and talked openly to people about it - because of the cruelty to the horses and foals I know she adopted many of these horses even though we had no land to keep them, but placed them into homes with friends who had farm land and could care for them.



I thank God for my mother's compassionate heart I miss her very much but what she gave to me was a gift that lives on - in me, and my girls



Cheers

Mary Alice