, . "NEWS photos Terry Peters
“OR:: SUZANNE! iontemuro “proviies information,
eeunselling and comfort to women at the Menopause
And Women’s 3 Health Information Centre.

Lonsdale
office helps

many cope
BRITISH COLUMBIA'S
only menopause infor-
mation centre is thriving
in its modest Central
Lonsdale office space.

By Deana Lancaster
Contributing Writer

The and
- Women's Health
Information Centre opened
its doors last November.
Since then, through drop-ins
and phone calls, it has
helped hundreds of women
from across B.C. and Alberta
cope with a difficult time in
their lives.

Dr. Suzanne Montemuro
is the visionary behind the
centre. She realized the need
for it after some women
approached her at a lecture,
asking about a permanent
resource centre. The original
business. plan was _ for

Menopause

“The place we envisioned
was huge,” Montemuro said.
“We were looking at a place
where women could get
information about not just
menopause, but also about
issues like cating disorders,
childbirth, osteoporosis,
PMS, all sorts of things that
concern women.”

When they couldn't get
funding from the govern-
ment, they didn’t give up.
But they decided to scale
down.

“We started with some-
thing that was just not feasi-
ble,” Montemuro said. In the
end it took $15,000 to open
the tiny centre and equip it
with comfortable chairs and
resource material.

North Shore Health
donated a computer.
Volunteers staff it four
momings a week, and two
afternoons, ready to talk to
anyone who comes through
the door or calis in.

“It’s just a little place but
it's helping a lot of people,”
Montemuro said. In fact, for
a while, the doctors and vol-
unteers were feeling a little
overwhelmed by
response.

_ PLEASE CALL:

4 WY SPCA
j 922-4622

gas ADULT & I

- 988-7484

“We even had one man
phone, desperate for some
information that could help
his wife,” said Elaine
Horvath, one of the volun-
teers.

But what is it that women
get here that they can't get
from their doctors, family or
friends?

Someone to talk to who
understands, Montemuro
said.

“When you've got as
many baby boomers going
through menopause as we've
got now, there are bound to
be some women who have a
really difficult time with it.
They need support and infor-
mation. We help them make
choices.”

According to Montemuro,
women going through
menopause today are often at
the Peak of their careers and

NV SPCA\
- 922-4298

LITE'CAT FoopD

in the “sandwich” generation
with both parents and chil-
dren, Sometimes they also,
have marital problems. to.
deal with.

“Menopause is the last ,
straw, They've gone a long,’
way and now they just have
tocope.”

Mood swings, hot flash- .
es, anxiety, insomnia, ‘and.
rapid changes in weight arc a
few of the symptoms some’
women face. — aco

At the Menopause::and:
Women’s Health. Infor-°
mation Centre, they can’ get
information: about lifestyle.
choices, complementary. :
medicine, and. “hormone:
replacement. iherapy, Coun-::

selling or group sessions: ares!

also available. yphes

For more information
contact the centre..at. 985:
5879. :

oe, ANIMAL:
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