Today I am talking with a 65 year old woman who is also an avid golfer and lover of life! Nancy has just a truly beautiful attitude about her cancer survival story...how cancer won’t define her! She says that cancer is behind her and now her focus is on living her life with her partner Sandy with great vibrance and joy. She did want to share her own personal story, though, relating to the challenges of living with diminished estrogen with no ability to correct those levels due to having had estrogen positive breast cancer. I’m sharing this story with all of you as breast cancer is so pervasive in our community. The Patient Lived...But What About Quality of Life? Nancy talked to us about her cancer diagnosis at the age of 54, and her chemo, surgery and radiation treatments. The good news is that her cancer was eradicated (and now some 9 years have passed since her treatment). The bad news is that the doctors never told her that a side effect of her cancer and treatments would be something called vaginal atrophy. Vaginal atrophy includes such symptoms as vaginal dryness, vaginal pain, loss of libido and diminished sensation. And as Nancy described it, is also takes away one’s sexuality. It naturally occurs and progresses as we age due to declining hormone levels, and it can also be a side effect of cancer treatments. On top of dealing with ongoing vaginal atrophy symptoms over the past 9 years, another issue for Nancy has been recurring yeast infections. Seems unfair that a woman has to suffer vaginal dryness - and yet suffer from yeast infections (usually associated with excess moisture!), too! But Nancy is a golfer and self-diagnosed the yeast infections as the result of long days out in the heat while golfing. She didn’t realize that estrogen imbalances can also contribute to her getting them. At the time of her treatment, her doctor told her she needed estrogen hormone replacement to address the vaginal dryness and other vaginal atrophy symptoms, but because of her breast cancer that was impossible for her. So, she tried every over-the-counter solution she could to resolve the dry, irritated tissue she was experiencing 24 hours a day, every day. While the cancer was gone, she described the lingering symptoms as, “enduring!” Nothing worked, and the yeast infections continued, too. And Then Nancy Tried Julva Two days after starting Julva®, my feminine restorative cream for the vulva, Nancy was already raving about the difference it made in her symptoms and quality of life! As Nancy put it, she felt “normal” again. And Julva uses pure, natural ingredients, like plant stem cells from the alpine rose, coconut oil, shea butter and DHEA, which is native to our bodies. DHEA has shown to be protective, with research indicating it is beneficial for brain, bone and breast health! In particular, research is very supportive of DHEA in regards to women having had breast cancer. However, if you have had breast cancer always confirm with your doctor what is right for you. You can read much more about the breast cancer and DHEA research here. Learn how, Topical DHEA does not cause an increase in intrinsic estrogenic activity. It only impacts local cells and has not been found to circulate throughout the blood. DHEA may provide a protective role against cancer! DHEA has been determined to be “useful in the treatment of breast cancer” Vaginally applied DHEA has been shown to treat vaginal dryness, pain and other vaginal atrophy symptoms (including libido) especially in women having had breast cancer Going from the Sahara to the Amazon! We also talked about the issue of recurring yeast infections. I have written a very informative article on yeast infections which you can find here. The article also includes the recipe to my favorite DIY (do it yourself) Yeast Infection Treatment! Yeast infections can occur for many reasons and one is either high or low fluctuations of estrogen...another is moisture. Sandy used Julva for two weeks wh