From endorphin highs to perimenopausal lows, hormones can wreck all kinds of havoc on our bodies and emotions. So how are people dealing, and why don't we talk about it more? Ten Canadians get real about navigating through puberty, perimenopause, male infertility and all the other hormonally charged events that turn our worlds upside down.
What happens when your instrument betrays you? Winnipeg Boys' Choir singers Colton Johnson and Sal Tait open up about the awkward, funny and heartbreaking reality of singing through puberty.
13-year-old Rayne recently came out as transgender to his mom, Jolene Murdoch, and has begun talking to her about gender-affirming care options like hormone therapy. It’s something Jolene is just beginning to wrap her head around, but now there is a new sense of urgency: The family lives in Alberta, where the provincial government is considering using the notwithstanding clause to implement a law that would prevent doctors from providing puberty blockers and hormone therapy to youth under 16.
Abbie Hentges knows just how impactful hormones can be. Last year, she was diagnosed with a mood disorder called Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) that is so debilitating, her husband Ryan describes it as 'At breakfast, she's one person. By dinner time, she's another person." Abbie is now on a journey to rebuild her relationship with her husband and her condition.
Is there anything funny about perimenopause? Saskatoon musician Farideh Olsen thinks so. She is channeling her hot flashes and mood swings into hilarious songs and videos about riding that hormonal rollercoaster without losing your sense of humour.
When Laura Spencer and Emanuel Nazareth were trying to conceive, they no idea of the emotional roller coaster that lay ahead of them. Male factor infertility. Two gruelling rounds of IVF. And years of ups and downs as they struggled to create the family they’d always dreamed of. They tell us why it's so hard to talk about male infertility, and what they're doing to break the taboo.
Going through puberty is hard enough. But for Jenni Kausch, the bodily changes brought on by puberty were life changing in more ways than one. Now, she’s finally getting treatment for lipedema — and raising awareness of the condition.