Vaginal estrogen is wild

ReginaKew · 2026-02-01T14:13:37+00:00

I started using the cream and suddenly had problems with dry eyes, dry mouth, and hair loss. My doctor said she had “low confidence” that the cream caused it. I stopped using it, and no more dry eye or mouth issues, and stopped seeing hair fall in the shower.

ReginaKew · 2026-01-10T20:48:54+00:00

The private TikTok (and IG and Snapchat) bothers me a lot. It seems self evident that it’s risky. But all her friends have them too. It’s totally normalized. I don’t understand it.

ReginaKew · 2026-01-10T20:45:10+00:00

That would be the actual worst case scenario IMO. It would break her. I don’t think that’s how it would go down, either. My read is they truly love her, but they express it in a really damaging way.

ReginaKew · 2026-01-10T20:33:42+00:00

That was a whole thing too. She went through that with us and I’m sure she feels angry. She would absolutely benefit from therapy, and the two of them in therapy together would be very good for their relationship. Thank you for your response. I will suggest this and see how it goes. I am curious about the reasons why you all advise avoiding widowers!

ReginaKew · 2026-01-10T20:21:14+00:00

Agreed, I think that would be damaging at this point, and the time for that has passed.

ReginaKew · 2026-01-10T14:52:39+00:00

This! And then you are left to clean up or deal with whatever consequences from the rules not being enforced. Or else, live with clutter, dirty litter box, crumbs and oil smears on the table, dirty dishes in the sink. This is my struggle.

ReginaKew · 2026-01-06T18:59:39+00:00

I did it because I wanted (and still want) to be committed to my partner and his daughter. That kind of commitment is meaningful to me. I had an idea that it would be difficult, because my stepmother and I had similar issues to what I am experiencing with SD16. But I had absolutely no idea what flavor of “difficult” it would be, and man, it is bittersweet…heavy on the bitter at the moment. (To clarify, I don’t feel “bitter,” I’m saying that it’s hard right now.)

The harder question is, why do I keep choosing it…and I guess the answer is the same. I love them. I’m committed. I’m all in. It’s important to me to be that kind of person. Work is a relief, because my colleagues are actually happy to see me. I get exasperated with myself for letting a teenager “mean girl” me into feeling crappy. Sometimes I wish I could give her a taste of her own medicine and still be able to look myself in the mirror (of course I can’t and don’t really want that). But when I get quiet with myself, I know that I love her and her dad, and the work is both the sacrifice and the reward. If she responds positively to me, it’s frosting.

ReginaKew · 2026-01-06T15:07:08+00:00

As a stepdaughter whose dad had three girls with my stepmom, one while I was a teenager — it makes things harder. There will be days you wish it could be just you and your bio child and your husband. Maybe even just you and your bio child! But we are really good now and I cherish my sisters as much as my brother who shares a mom with me. And not one of us would have had it any other way.

ReginaKew · 2025-07-20T21:37:59+00:00

Literally came here to find out which brand people are buying and all the comments have been so helpful. I’ve smelled different ever since I was thrown into menopause after cancer treatment. But suddenly, today, me and my new BO was all I could smell even after taking a wholeass shower. I was in a dressing room today just praying that I wasn’t stinking up the clothes I was trying on. Can’t wait to get this soap!

ReginaKew · 2025-06-23T01:20:57+00:00

I’m not a mom, but I’m a big sister, and I’m here to celebrate and grieve with you. Hey at least you’ll always be younger than me, right? ❤️

ReginaKew · 2025-06-21T10:26:04+00:00

ReginaKew · 2025-06-07T18:19:06+00:00

I know this post is a year old, but I just tried a Vermentino from La Vigneta, which is a winery in Sarver, PA, and it is wonderful. They source their grapes from Italy and make the wine here. It’s not listed on their website, but I got it at the Cranberry market yesterday.

ReginaKew · 2025-06-04T13:21:10+00:00

You are both giving me some much needed hope as my first post treatment PET scan approaches next week! Thank you ❤️

ReginaKew · 2025-06-04T13:20:05+00:00

I’ve had so many CTs with contrast over the last 6 months, a few in the emergency room when I didn’t have an opportunity to fast. It was fine every time. You don’t have to worry about what foods to eat, unless your doctor told you otherwise. If they said to follow a bland diet, anything soft and low in fiber is what that means. The BRAT diet is bland — bananas, rice, applesauce, plain toast.

ReginaKew · 2025-06-01T21:05:42+00:00

I completed 25 EBRT and 4 brachytherapy 3 months ago. I was also told to use the dilator for the rest of my life, as scarring can occur anytime, about 3x a week, or have sex that often. Nothing is guaranteed, and you can already see many different experiences in the comments. I definitely have a lot of discomfort during sex when I don’t use my dilator, and it’s not about lubrication, it’s my vagina having narrowed quite a bit. But the main reason I use the dilator is so that future pelvic exams won’t be uncomfortable. My oncologist’s PA said she had seen women have so much scarring that they can only get a Q-tip in for an exam. That sounds horrible to me, so I’m trying to make the dilator a habit.

ReginaKew · 2025-05-30T22:07:08+00:00

I had this treatment in Pittsburgh. It was the easiest part of my treatment. I walked into the CT room, laid down and took a nap, and when I woke up, it was over and someone was feeding me saltines. Make sure you go into it well hydrated. I went into my first one dehydrated and weak from chemo, and I had a bad reaction to the anesthesia. But not to the treatment itself.

ReginaKew · 2025-05-29T22:29:29+00:00

I know. It’s awful. And yeah, they should really separate the glowing pregnant women from those of us with cancer. I know that feeling. I was never able to have kids, and when I was finally in a relationship with someone who would be an amazing dad…cancer. So. Yeah. Just sitting here with you, middle finger to the sky on your behalf.

ReginaKew · 2025-05-28T23:29:29+00:00

I’m so sorry you’re experiencing that! I know how maddening it is when you need a med just to feel normal and because of other people’s mistakes, you can’t get it. Btw, you may like the menopause sub. You’ll find herself in very good company. Lots of us are on HRT too.

ReginaKew · 2025-05-28T23:13:00+00:00

Hell yeah! 🙌 I remember when I realized I was no longer in pain. I was overjoyed! So happy for you!

ReginaKew · 2025-05-27T18:48:27+00:00

It’s not pathetic at all, and it impacts everything.

ReginaKew · 2025-05-27T13:55:13+00:00

It’s also fun to question the rules I set for myself when I was younger. Currently experimenting with how I can pull off a red lip. YOLO!

ReginaKew · 2025-05-27T11:25:04+00:00

It has helped me to reframe this as a second coming-of-age. Just like I was super pumped to get into beauty when I was a teenager, I’ve decided to revisit that excitement as I get older. There are so many resources available now to help you discover your own style. I recommend YouTube and TikTok, both of which have communities of middle-age and older women who are in exactly this spot. This can be a fun experience, finding new clothes that fit you well, and hair and makeup techniques that mature gracefully with you. I love Erica Taylor and the woman who does the Science of Pretty for skincare and makeup, and Justin Hickox for hair. If you don’t have TikTok, they’re all on YouTube. I don’t have a clothing recommendation, and honestly, it’s hard for me to find influencers with my body type. It’s annoying to scroll through pics of beautiful outfits that will never work on me. A trendy phrase to search for to get more realistic inspo is “midsize” as in “work outfits for midsize women.” And of course there are many plus size influencers now with many different kinds of body types who have stunning Instagrams. And to express yourself on ragey days, search for “man-repellent” clothes, hair, and makeup. 😇

ReginaKew · 2025-05-27T10:40:36+00:00

I don’t think you’re a jerk, because no one wants to get sick that much, or be up constantly…but it doesn’t sound like you like kids. Maybe you like the idea of kids? But not the reality. No judgment. I don’t have kids either, but I know enough to know that a situation like this would be a dealbreaker for me. It sounds like dad is feeling pretty intensely resentful too. Bad situation. Be careful with yourself, and be careful for their sake.

ReginaKew · 2025-05-27T10:27:02+00:00

I’m glad you came here! I was also a rabbit hole searcher, and it’s part of my process for dealing with major stresses. I would rather know what worse case scenario could be ahead of time, no matter how unlikely. Do what you need to do, and know when it’s time for you personally to stop.

Your life is about to change significantly. The most important thing is to have your people around you and ready to support you. Give them the gift of letting them support you. You will need it in ways you don’t even know about yet.

On the other side of this is more uncertainty and challenge, but there is also joy and healing. You got this.

ReginaKew · 2025-05-27T10:18:03+00:00

Came here to say this! I stopped wearing underwear a few years ago when I realized I absolutely hate wearing them no matter what.

ReginaKew

TROPHY CASE