By: Marsha Chisum | Category: Health & Fitness | Issue: February 2007
The Red Hot Mamas Task Force Back Row (L to R): Lisa Richardson, Dr. Michelle Brotherton and Peggy Trease Front Row (L to R): Marsha Chisum and Ashley Bruce
You are a mature woman. You are in control—cool, calm and collected. Then, without warning, you feel as if a thermostat inside your body was just pushed up to high. You can feel the heat rising, your face is flushed; you want to tear off your clothes and jump into a pool of cool, clear water. You are having a HOT FLASH.
And as if that is not enough, there are the night sweats, memory loss, irritability and sleep deprivation. Not to mention the changes going on inside your body. You are in the throes of menopause.
For years it was referred to as “the change” and it was not a topic for polite conversation. But times are different and women are taking better control of their health. They want to talk about it and learn how to manage their menopause.
Claremore Regional Hospital has just the thing for any woman, in any stage of menopause. It is “Red Hot Mamas,” a four session educational program aimed at women between the ages of 40 to 60, who are experiencing the signs and symptoms of menopause.
“We are so proud to be presenting this program for the women of our community,” said Peggy Trease, Marketing Director at Claremore Regional.
“This is the fourth year we are offering the Red Hot Mamas series and we have had fantastic feedback every time,” she continued. “I think we found a topic that holds a lot of interest for a lot of women.”
Red Hot Mamas is a national health organization dedicated to providing menopause management education and psychosocial support to its members. Its mission is to empower women to be educated consumers in their healthcare and active participants in the management of their menopause.
According to Karen Giblin, who founded Red Hot Mamas in 1991, there are over 4,000 American women a day entering menopause. It is no surprise that women are clamoring for the necessary information they need to confront the physiological and emotional changes that may occur at menopause.
Teaming with Red Hot Mamas, Claremore Regional Hospital has developed a program that covers the gamut of menopausal issues and involves a number of Claremore physicians and other local health professionals.
“We have been fortunate that our doctors have been so supportive of Red Hot Mamas,” said Trease. “It has been great having them involved with the program.”
Trease was referring to Melinda Steelmon, D.O., and Michelle Brotherton, M.D., both local OB/GYN specialists, who have been instrumental in developing and presenting parts of the Red Hot Mamas program. Dr. Clark Tingleaf, Claremore urologist, and Dr. Dwight Korgan of Claremore Health Associates, have also provided information and insight during their series lectures.
Topics to be covered in the upcoming Red Hot Mamas series will include: Transition into Menopause, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Heart Disease, Osteoporosis, Urinary Incontinence, Memory Loss, Mood Swings, Sleep Loss and Changes in Libido. The program will also address alternatives to hormone replacement therapy.
“We will be covering a lot of material and we’re going to have fun doing it,” explained Trease. She went on to say that at each of the four sessions there will be a theme with food and decorations.
“Our programs begin with a sort of happy hour at 5:30 p.m. so that no one has to worry about eating dinner before they come,” she continued. “The actual class will begin at 6 p.m. and there’ll also be lots of prizes and promotions.”
“I do believe that any woman who is experiencing menopause will benefit greatly from the Red Hot Mamas program and they are going to have a lot of fun too,” she concluded.
The Claremore Regional Hospital Red Hot Mamas 2007 four-part series will be held on March 12, March 26, April 9 and April 23. Cost is $10.00 and enrollment will be limited. To enroll call 342-6742.
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