I had my hysterectomy before I was 40, so I don't really know when I entered menopause. At 40 my doctor automatically put me on HRT, at the time Premarin. As time passed the doctors changed me over to Estradiol, which I still use for heart health (and the accompany un-wrinkled skin). Two years ago I experimented by quitting, hoping it would lead to weight loss, but all it led to was night sweats. So I went back on, and my body reverted to normal, which is no night sweats, no hot flashes.

Based on the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), Medicare says no HRT for women over 65 so it's getting harder to talk a doctor into writing HRT prescriptions. My dosage has always been 1mg, but this week I started cutting my dosage to every other day to stretch my stash. I hate it that my medical fate is in the hands of my healthcare provider instead of my own. Will it take the AMA 50 years to find out they're killing women with their "care?" Food Pyramid anyone?