Women's Health Blog

Cancer of Breasts & Mastectomy:

Mastectomy is a surgical procedure to remove partial or complete removal of breast in cases of advanced breast cancer patients.

Mastectomy is divided into 4 categories depending on the degree of cancer present and procedure adopted:

1. Subcutaneous mastectomy: The entire breast is excised except Nipple and areola, pigmented circle around the nipple.

2. Total Mastectomy: Excision of Total breast except lymph nodes or axillary nodes present in the arm
pit.

3. Modified Radical Mastectomy: Excision of Total Breast along with most of lymph nodes under the arm.

4. Radical mastectomy: Excision of the chest wall muscles also (pectorals) along with breast and axillary lymph nodes.

Operative Procedure:

This operation is conducted under General Anesthesia. The incision is made in the breast. Breast tissue is separated from the skin covering it. Glandular organ is removed. In cases requiring axillary dissection it is through same incision. Affected Lymph nodes are located and removed.

While stitching the wound one or two small plastic drains are left in the wound to drain blood and exudates present and prevent accumulation of fluids on the site of operation.

After observing the fluid collected the plastic drains are removed when there is decrease in fluid ozzing to the accepted level in the operated area usually within 2-3 days.

Many women are dischared with their drains intact and the same are removed on their follow up visit.
Considering the symmetric look the excised breast can be restructured by artificial implants or any other area self tissue before closing of the wound or at a later date.

Reconstruction of Breast is a decision between the doctor and patients and it’s timing is decided how the operation progresses.

Indications of Mastectomy:

It is usually the Breast Cancer present prompts the patient for Mastectomy. Mastectomy is an alternative to breast conservation surgery. The type of Mastectomy to be performed is based on the views of the surgeon and how the operation progresses and the involvement of only Mammary Gland or the Lymph nodes also, Size of the tumor viz a viz breast size.

Mastectomy is performed, when there is all over the breast ductal carcinoma. It is a stage when the cancer is in its initial stages and can result in to invasive cancer if not operated upon.

Prophylactic Mastectomy: as the name suggests it involves excision of one or both breasts in patients having a family history of Breast cancer. Prophylactic mastectomy should be performed genetic testing and psychiatric evaluation.

Subcutaneous or total mastectomy should be performed I highly susceptible patients to breast cancer. Such a surgery reduces the can be done. This surgery significantly reduces the risk of breast cancer in women having high genetic risk of breast cancer affliction or in women who have a positive family history of breast cancer.

Associated Risks:

Mastectomy is a safe surgery, most patients achieve recovery with no reported complications.

In common with all surgeries, there are risks. Like bleeding, infection, possible injury to nearby tissues.

Post-operative pain, soreness, presence of scar etc. in actual practice complications in mastectomy are very rare.

There is general anesthesia risk in patients having breathing and heart problems.

Detection of breast cancer in early stages initiation of appropriate treatment increases the life span of the patient.

What is a hysterectomy?

Hysterectomy is a surgical procedure for removal of uterus. Almost in 33 % percent women have their uterus removed before they reach age of 60 years.

After cesarean operation, hysterectomy is also performed in many cases in the interest of ruling out the growth of a cancer of uterus or cervix.

Hysterectomies are performed on a large scale in cases of fibroids of uterus with symptoms excess menstrual bleeding causing great discomfort all though other non-invasive alternatives are available.

Uterus is a dispensable organ after the child bearing age of the woman. Now a days the medical opinion is to save the uterus because of its role in hormones regulation.

Criticism of Hysterectomy:

There has been lot of criticism about unnecessarily removal of uterus, in conditions, where other alternatives available could have been considered instead of a hysterectomy. Hysterectomy has been resorted to achieve the objective of birth control even without consent of the patients whereas other very safe and effective measures are available.

The most significant drawback of hysterectomy is the loss of fertility of a woman. Some women lose the sexual desire. Women who have been forced to get hysterectomy done have a negative feeling about it.

Indications for Hysterectomy:

With the presence of advanced stage of cancer of uterus, cervix or ovaries, hysterectomy is a life saving measure to prevent metastasis or spread of cancer to other organs of body. Presence of large uterus fibroids is also an indication for performing hysterectomy. Besides in conditions advanced pelvic inflammation, severe complications associated with pregnancy.

A second opinion may be taken, regarding other effective and safe treatments available, before undergoing hysterectomy.

Alternatives to hysterectomy:

During initial stages of cancer of the cervix, ovaries, or uterus, alternative measures can be considered and hysterectomy may be performed, when other measures have failed. Fibroids of uterus also can be first treated with medicines in case of no response hysterectomy is performed as a last resort.

Preoperative Preparation:

Hysterectomy is performed under general anesthesia or local anesthesia depending on the choice of the doctor considering the health and age of the patient. General anesthesia requires patient to be empty stomach overnight and rectal enema in the morning to avoid vomiting on the operation table.

Post Operative Care:

The patient is kept in the hospital for few days changing the dressing and administration of antibiotics and anti inflammatory agents and analgesics to ensure healthy healing of wound. During the stay in the hospital patient is maintained on IV fluids and urination with the help of a catheter. Patients stool are also managed with a bed pan. Patient is advised bed till the wound has completely healed.

During the recovery period lasting a month patient is advised not to lift heavy objects and abstain from sexual intercourse.

Side Effects of a Hysterectomy:

There is possibility of decrease in libido in few patients. Because of uterus contractions are associated with orgasm; it may be missing in some patients after hysterectomy.

Because nerves to the bladder are located near the uterus a nerve damage is possible during hysterectomy and such women develop stress incontinence i.e. urine getting passed out on sneezing, coughing or abdominal pressure. Pelvic muscular exercises help in improving situation.

SAFETY TIPS FOR LONE WOMEN

Woman alone at a lonely place carries a risk of an attack by vagabonds roaming about either alone or in a company in a drunken state. Because of the high risks the lady should be vigilant and always ready to fight back when in danger. Following are the handy steps to be remembered and practiced ward off a threat boldly:

• The women with long hairs or pony tail are vulnerable targets because the attacker can grab the hair and overpower the woman. Woman with short hair are in an advantageous situation.

• Women who are over busy in a conversation on the mobile phone or searching their hand bag while walking are also easy to attack because mentally they are some where else.

• Early in the morning a lonely lady can be easily attacked.

• The most common place where a woman can be attacked is Parking Lots, Public Rest Rooms from where they are grabbed and taken to a secluded place.

• The rapists never carry a weapon because if one is armed the sentence is for a longer period if convicted.

Escaping the Onslaught:

This is an occasion to challenge the on slaughter in a fight, which discourages his advances, and shall retreat back from the scene, with an apology or excuse me expression. If you are carrying any article to hit back from a safe distance like Umbrella or a stick, he gets scared and runs away realizing you are brave enough to put a challenge. Hitting with small articles is not safe.

The handy Defense Tips:

• On seeing you are followed in a street, on an elevator and you have sufficient suspicion, have a glaring look on the face of the person and ask a question “what is time or comment about bad weather” Having seen his face he shall get scared that he can be recognized and shall refrain from any advances.

• When a person is approaching you fast, keep your hands in front, and shout loudly stop or stay back. When a rapist is confronted he runs away to safety from possible thrashing. They are on the look out for an easy defenseless prey.

• Carrying a Pepper Spray is an additional small handy weapon enough to discourage the person in his attempt. Simply position the Pepper Spray towards his face and shout “See the Pepper Spray How it works”. Slight pressing the trigger shall work wonders.

• In the event a person grabs you, hit hard on his testicles or catch and squeeze till he cries to stop it. Once hit he shall go limping.

• Getting grabbed you need to apply tricks instead of force. When the wrist is captured pull it with jerks the person shall get destabilized and hit him hard on the face, teeth and head.

• Finding grabbed around waist, pinch the attacker hard in the armpit or between the elbow upper inner thighs or in the upper inner thigh.

• Catch hold of his two fingers and bend them backwards with full pressure. He shall feel hard hitting and beg you to leave.

It is advisable to remain fully aware of the surroundings and let not any thing distract your attention. Always try to go in a company of some friends. If you notice any abnormal activity, be alert and use your best sense and act by all means to protect yourself.

Un-planned Second pregnancy happens quite frequently in young couples and is a cause of tension because the first child is still milk feeding and has not reached an age to self manage any of the nursing functions. The mother is worried how to bring up the two children of small age. Some times the budget of the couple does not permit to have two children within a period of just say 2 years.

Momentary Feelings:

Such a situation is very embarrassing even just to talk of, actual condition is much more complex. The information, which one learns in the next month of missed period makes one difficult to believer or accept. There are very wild thoughts coming in mind what to do of this pregnancy, to carry it through or go for its termination. One parent proposes of carrying through, whereas the second parent insists for termination. For months no decision can be arrived at and the pregnancy proceeds to be delivered.

Coping With the Situation:

First Step: Crying Over the Spilt Milk although it is not worth while, but it helps in realizing and releasing any fear associated with the unplanned pregnancy. It is necessary to make your head clear and think in the right perspective.
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Step 2: Since your First Pregnancy experiences are fresh in your mind, use it to plan your time based needs and start making your purchases. Since every thing to be purchased is fresh in your mind it can be best made use of.

Step 3: keeping your emotions under check is very important. It relate to your future child and father of the child. If emotions are not dealt with properly, you can lose your husband as well as the future child, because high emotions can lead to stress and living under stress can lead to depression and miscarriage.

Step 4: Forget the chapter of Unplanned Pregnancy. You cannot blame any one just carry through and be more careful for the future. The entire thought process has to be changed.

Step 5: Your unplanned Pregnancy can act as thought provoking affair and with the situation you are in you can organize a support group of members, where similar experiences can be shared among the members. A support group on this topic is great step to cope with the unwanted pregnancy stresses and in fact you can help many families to plan their conception plans and enjoy living with joy and a purpose.

Women are very creative and have very fine senses for Art & Culture. They are subdued because of an element of shyness present in them. They have very excellent capability of cooperation and mould them easily suiting the circumstances they are surrounded by. They display a very high level of efficiency. To the contrary there are some rare exceptions behaving stupidly ignoring their Gender and ethics required of them by the society.

Women by their different Nature, Anatomy and Physiology play procreative role, which is initiated on puberty onset and continues regularly during pre-menopause phases of their life, which has been inherited from human ancestors during the pre-historic period and shall be continued generation after generation. The basic plan remains the same only the scenes and performers change.

Made for Each Other Concept:

Both the sexes are basically same it is only the X and Y chromosomes which make such a vast difference of displaying same characteristics in different proportions among both the sexes so that one characteristic weak in woman meets the same strong characteristic of a male and vice versa to make an endurable bonding between each other.

Same is found in nations a weak nation comes under the fold of a strong nation to get support and protection, although there is an element of interference or revolt even, which is equally true in man woman relations. Most of the times, they differ in their ideologies, yet meet and cooperate at common platforms ignoring their desires and wishes.

The Woman Anatomy & Physiology:

Female anatomy, which has inspired many writers to describe exhibiting their fancy for the nature and it’s too generous work and devotion to make a female body and the complex Physiology of the organs to maintain and keep the natures creation in perfect working order for more than 30 years and after besides carrying on other attributes of service and sacrifice for the partner and the coming generations.

This is possible because of by a perfect coordination of Ovaries with the Pituitary as a result of which, different hormone secretions at different period of the cycle, promoting egg formation, creating favorable acceptable circumstances for it’s fertilization willfully or un-willfully and sustaining the pregnancy till full term, besides taking care of perfect nutrition, respiration and excretion of the fetus. Not only that after birth of the new born provision for round the clock breast milk supply to the infant, protection from disease and craving in the mother for infant care.

The Ovary & its Attachments:

Ovary is responsible to mature the ovum (female gamete) under influence of Estrogen a Hormone secreted by pituitary. The ovum released on 14^th day of the cycle into the peritoneal cavity is sucked into the fallopian tubes by the attached receptacles, which ciliated inner walls helping the ovum move forward towards the uterus finding it fertilized in the way by the presence of sperm cells or male gametes, which because of their motility reach the fallopian tubes before the release of ovum.

The Adipose Tissue:

Women are bestowed upon with more adipose tissues by nature to give effect of delicacy and lovely and attractive contours to the female body. Underneath the skin there is strong muscular structure helping her to perform many physical activities with ease as compared to men.

The Premenstrual Symptoms:

Premenstrual Symptoms of pain in the back and legs start appearing before the onset of menstruation because of sudden cessation of Progesterone secretion and Estrogen secretion has yet to pick up. One has to depend on regular use of analgesics during this period. Many doctors recommend that no drink containing caffeine should be taken, which can potentially increase the headaches, excessive anxiety pertaining to minor issues of daily life. In the event of Depression, depression the woman should take 8 to 10 glasses of water and salt intake be reduced.

It is also advised to take some biscuits, potato chips etc as snack in between the meals helps in relieving the symptoms of depression, fatigue. Snacks increase serotonin levels to uplift the mood and provide required energy. Snacks should be taken to replace protein rich meals, which need to be avoided. One should take a supplement providing about 1200 mg of Calcium, which also relieves pain in the legs.

Women & Incidence of Malignancy:

Women are more prone to suffer cancer of the reproductive organs, which includes the breast also. It is necessary that breast should be regularly self examined and if any irregularly observed it should be brought to the notice of the doctor for further investigation to rule out malignancy of the breasts and if confirmed the treatment my be started immediately with regular follow ups.

Self Examination of breasts:

Most probably malignancy of breasts are associated with presence of hard tissue. Tumors may not be exactly as described, there may be variations in description. Any variance felt by you, requires examination and investigation by a doctor. Although a normal mammogram is reported, if there is tissue hardness it needs to be further evaluated, to completely rule out a cancer possibility.

• Standing facing the mirror with arms at sides. Observe any change of size, breast contours, or color of skin of breasts, or any differentiating surface appearance. Look for any discharge taking place. A blood like discharge requires further investigation by the doctor immediately.

• Hold your hands firmly behind your head and observe the changes in the mirror in respect of size, shape of breasts. Now keep your hands on the hips and bend forward and observe any change in the breast structure.

• Lye down on your back on the bed, which provides an easy approach to examine undersides of breasts and the breasts are spread naturally support less now abnormalities can be felt more precisely with comfort.

• Keeping your left hand behind head, by using the three middle fingers of right hand experience presence of hard mass beneath skin of left breast. Make little circular movements and now begin below left collarbone, put pressure of fingers in a small area comprising a quarter of the area of breast and feel the underlying structures for any hard stuff superficially or deeper inside breast tissues to look for something differing in general consistency of the breast in any manner. Similar checks can be made in the rest of breast also

Presence of Hard Tissue in Breasts:

It is quite normal for breasts having some hard tissue in breasts, or for one to be slightly larger or lower than the other.

Make an appointment with your doctor if you do come across something that seems atypical. If what you’ve noticed is indeed suspect. A pathologist doctor shall help the lady by removing a small suspected tissue and have it analysed to rule out presence of cancer. There should be no delay and good news is that more than 80 % chances are there is no cancer involvement, it can be a harmless benign tumour. The surgeon can safely remove it by a small operation.

After the age of 40 women should have their breasts mammography investigations done every year. Women are having a high risk of breast cancer. Besides annual mammography, women likely to have a risk of breast cancer should get magnetic resonance imaging.

Jobs for Working Moms:

There is lot of convenience for working mothers in western countries, where the jobs are 5 days a week and 2 days weekly off to devote to personal engagements. One needs to forget at about mother’s role and while at home forget what you are doing in office and what you have to do.

While accepting the job one should be diplomatic and disciplined in matters of respecting others and in turn get respect from others. There is need of confidence and efficient performance and perfect undisturbed concentration at the job and have faith in the person, you have engaged to take care of the kids, when you are away.

Necessity for Second Income:

Working mothers is a necessity if they find that a second income is required to augment the shortfall in the domestic expenditures or to pay the installment of mortgage loan.

If you remain worried of the financial burdens, your employer shall not be satisfied by divided focus and energy while on job. If you feel that you have to work in certain conditions, make it clear while accepting the job and see that the same are followed without exception. If you require leaving office at 5.00 P.M. to pick up your child from day care centre, your employer should ensure that all meeting involving you are scheduled well in advance so that they get concluded by the time you have to leave.

Leave Provisions for Working Mom:

Working mothers have to some times be on leave for attending the sick child, in such situation the leaves available should be used very judiciously to avail them, when there is dire necessity.

The coworkers, who do not have children, may consider these leaves as unfair. If the leave is not available persuade the spouse to take leave to take care of the child.

Sharing Responsibilities by Spouse:

Such an arrangement increases the sharing responsibilities feeling of bringing up children in respect of two income concept in a family. The successful performance of job depends on absolutely keeping your office concentration during your working hours. Forget office after finishing the day’s work, when you reach home. There is a possibility to be a perfect mom at home and a respected devoted employee at office job.

Other Options:

Work a Part-Time Job: If you find difficulty in sparing time for a full time job, there are lot of opportunities exist in Part Time Job. You can select your working time based on the free time available with you.

Perhaps this is the most suitable work alternative, which can be conveniently managed without disturbing your domestic work schedule. Thus children are not deprived of their time and you earn money in your spare time.
Home Based online Work:

Freelancing activities have become very common, where a buyer of service is listed for bidding on the project and service providers consisting of mothers, who have difficulty of going to office, offer their skills in writing some thing, doing proof reading some research work on the internet and compile a report. In return for the satisfactory completed work they are paid by using on line paying services.

One can offer the services of virtual assistant to the service provider carrying on specified jobs of posting comments on blogs with link back to the service provider website for traffic generation on the website or helping in writing articles for search engine optimization to achieve higher ranking of the website of the service provider Depending upon the working hours involved the service buyer pays to the virtual assistant an amount agreed upon.

Pregnancy is very tricky it happens, when one does not want and does not happen when one desperately tries to get pregnant. So planning is a bit out of reach most of the times. When the woman after 4 to 5 years period of marriage fails to conceive, it becomes mandatory that medical help available should be sought.

Dial a Help:

Simple to complex methods are available like intrauterine insemination, hormone therapy for both the husband and lady after ultrasound investigation of the lady and sperm count and motility of the sperms, which can be determined by laboratory checkup of the semen sample.

About 20 years ago ‘test tube baby’ was hot news, now it is a reality. If other methods available fail, one can try test tube baby to at least have a baby to leave as your heir. The procedure is called in vitro fertilization, the objective is to get the egg fertilized in the laboratory and then to implant in the uterus. Hormone therapy is given to increase the success rate of pregnancy. The initial procedure has been improved upon and called Assisted Reproductive Technology. This new technology has successfully employed on a large scale.

The Success Button:

There is relatively better success rate in the procedures being practiced. Depending on the individual couple age and other favorable factors, there are evidences of success in the application of procedures.

Obese Mother & Child Health:

There are reports that child born to obese mothers are likely to have major birth defects as compared to child born to mothers having standard weight as per the Age height relation chart. Hence it is necessary that mother’s panning for a pregnancy should shed their excess weight as a pre-pregnancy measure.

Over weight Women have an increased risk during delivery of the child endangering the life of the child or mother.

It is an established fact that pregnancy related to obesity, can have many diseases affecting the health of the woman during the pregnancy period like Diabetes, high blood pressure, increase in blood clot in the vessels, increased viscosity of blood etc. I t is well known fact that obesity in pregnancy can lead to pregnancy related diabetes, high blood pressure, an increased risk of blood clots, a higher risk of infection and a risky Cesarean Operation.

Obese Mothers & Child at Birth Risks:

Child born to obese mothers have a tendency to have a large size causing difficulty in normal delivery often results into their death on birth.

An obese mother gives birth to child with birth defects like ill formed neural tube, spina bifida, various heart defects, cleft in the lip and palate, and defects of brain development. Birth defects are responsible birth of a dead fetus or death of the infant shortly after birth.

Birth Related Diseases:

One of the possible causes of birth defects in obese mothers is undiagnosed diabetes in them.

The Second Next possible reason can be nutritional deficiency during pregnancy like deficiency of folic acid. It is difficult to have a proper ultrasound image of an obese woman and in early pregnancy period fetal abnormality can not be determined.

Pregnancy requires that the pregnant lady should have best Physical and Emotional condition before conception. To achieve this, the lady should take nutritious food, keep the weight under check. Pregnancy counseling should always be availed and be careful about nutrition and weight under check.

The Health Challenges:

Woman is subject to numerous health challenges due to a number of diverse roles she has to perform as a daughter, Individual Personality handling domestic and professional responsibilities in a balanced manner, a devoted wife, a mother caring for the children and in the late phase as a Grand mother caring for the grand children and always facing an element of dependency.

Phases in Life Cycle:

A woman’s life cycle divided into well demarcated phases requiring increased or changed nutritional needs. Any lapse on the part of the woman can have serious effects on her health making her incapable of coping with the demands on her paving way for departing from health to disease. The various phases in woman’s lifecycle are discussed as below:

After Puberty around the age of 13 years a playful girl experiences metamorphosis stepping into womanhood exhibiting peculiar characteristics in her appearance, behavior under the influence of endocrine Hormones secreted by the pituitary, which cause appearance of secondary sex characters like development of breasts, Axial Hair and hairs around the genitals. After the age of 45 a phase of Menopause sets, when there is drop in the secretions of these hormones causing withdrawal symptoms like mood swings, irritability.

Vexing & Waning Effect of Hormones:

Woman during her life continuously is under the influence of two hormones Estrogen and Progesterone. The first Phase, when the Progesterone Peak level of previous Phase is on the decline, with Estrogen gradually increasing, to attain its Peak Level. During this phase Ovum or egg in the ovary matures simultaneously growth of the endometrial wall also takes place.

The matured ovum is released in the peritoneal cavity. Fallopian tubes attached to the uterus catch the released egg by it’s cilia lined receptacle. Thus the Ovum travels from the ovary to the Uterus. If the ovum does not get fertilized in the absence of sperm a male gamete, this marks decline of Progesterone and simultaneous gradual increase in estrogen levels.

With the decline of Progesterone levels the endometrial wall growth cannot sustain itself and sheds off and all this mass is thrown out in the form of menstrual bleeding which lasts 4 to 5 days. Now under the influence of estrogen another ovum in the ovary matures in a cyclical manner. This regular cycle is completed in a cycle of 28 days and continues till a conception takes place or menopause sets in.

Fertilization of Ovum & Thereafter:

After release of Ovum the Estrogen levels in the blood decline making way for the Progesterone to gradually increase and reach its peak level. During the journey, if the ovum from the ovary and into the fallopian tubes if it meets the sperm the male gamete fertilization of the egg occurs called conception. Under the influence of Progestrone, there are increased chances of the fertilized egg getting implanted in the Uterus, which is followed by a gestation period. During gestation period the embryo receives it’s nutrition through a Placenta which takes over the function of Progesterone secretion. Thus the Woman plays a dual role Child bearing, Breast feeding of the child during infancy.

The fertilized egg grows and develops into multi-cellular embryo, which gets attached with the uterine wall through a placenta, which becomes highly active and prepared to receive the embryo under the influence of progesterone hormone.

Now ovary ceases to produce progesterone because after progesterone peak level it is not followed by its decline and this function is taken over by the Placenta till the fetus is fully formed to be delivered at full term. During this period cyclical activity of the ovary gets suspended and is resumed after the lactation period, which is usually 6 months after child birth.

Lactation Period:

Now a phase of Lactation starts to breastfeed the new born baby. Nature provides that during the lactation period the activity of the ovary remains suspended for some time so that the new born is in a position to receive breast milk devoid of the effect of hormones on the milk produced.