Women Make Their Health a Priority at Health Care Expo

It was no doubt an interesting way to spend a Saturday morning. Speakers dished about heavy monthly bleeding and touted the benefits of lubricators and vibrators to help the sexless get their groove back.

While the discussions were more informative than tantalizing — including the six, bulleted sex tips — no topic was taboo.

Because what woman really knows how much blood they lose each month? What is considered normal and when does that amount teeter into the abnormal? And then, what’s one to do?

When a woman’s period is so heavy that she has to wear a tampon and a pad and is still worried she will bleed through her clothes, it becomes inconvenient and interrupts her lifestyle.

It also is time to seek medical help and there are medical and surgical options, according to Karin Stanton, a doctor with Women’s Care Florida. Stanton spoke about heavy periods at the second annual “Healthy Women, Healthy Communities Women’s Expo”.

“My goal, our goal, as a gynecologist, is to help women to improve their quality of life,” she said.

In its second year, organizers shifted the annual event from April to January to capitalize on the good intentions to focus on health that come with a new year.

“January is when more people are motivated to get healthy and to take care of themselves,” said Patty Montgomery, director of marketing and public relations for Brandon Regional Hospital.

The Brandon hospital and South Bay Hospital of Sun City Center hosted the half-day event at the Greater Brandon Crowne Plaza near Interstate-75.

The event attracted about 200 health-conscious women and 30 health-related vendors and sponsors. The goal for the lecture line-up and the handful of medical screenings is to “help educate women on putting themselves first,” she said.

Organizers specifically boosted the number of screenings the year, such as diagnostic tests for bone density, blood pressure, hearing, skin cancer and arterial disease, so that women would “know where they stand, right then and there,” Montgomery said.

Many women are well-educated about heart disease and breast cancer, but many aren’t as well-versed in the emotional strains that may trigger those larger health problems, she said.

The lecture topics addressed two important medical issues – heavy menstrual bleeding and heartburn reflux – while other talks tackled the emotional side by offering ways to reduce stress and depression and to boost one’s sex life.

Mary Marquette, a dental hygienist from Valrico, signed up for the seminar after receiving an email about the event from her doctor.

She decided it was time to get selfish about her health after years of putting her family first. She also has noticed some physical and emotional changes with each birthday.

“We need to be enlightened about our body,” Marquette said. “Our bodies go through so much, and go through so many changes. I need to look towards the future and (there is) no better way to face the future than to know what to expect.”

Leott Wydetic, a pharmacist at The Compounding Shop in Riverview, said as baby boomers begin to age and enter menopause, she fields many questions about the pros and cons of hormones.

“With hormones, we’re customizing, so they’re getting exactly what they need. We’re actually making it patient specific,” she said.

Wydetic said the expo is an excellent opportunity for women, who are typically busy working or caring for their family, to put a priority on their health and well-being.

“It’s important for them to get as much information as they can to make decisions on their health,” she said. That way "they can make a decision on what is right for them."

Anne Pierre of Seffner took advantage of the blood-pressure check as well as trying out the Zumba Fitness game on the Xbox 360 Kinect gaming system.

Pierre said she suffers from monthly heavy bleeding and knew first-hand about many of the treatment options outlined in the seminar, but none have worked.

The discussion was enlightening nonetheless, especially when the speaker filled a wine glass ¾-full with rose-colored water to show how much women who have abnormal menstrual bleeding lose, she said.

 “When she poured the water in the glass, I was thinking there was no way that’s all we produce. There is no way. It was very informative,” she said.

As for the overall event, “the women seemed to have enjoyed it,” Montgomery said. "That’s what is important."