chatwithketch

Wednesday March, 8th is International Women’s Day. It is usually a busy day for me as I give a lot of talks on women’s empowerment. This year, I will be spending my first few hours with the ladies at Schlumberger discussing what this year’s theme, ‘Be Bold For Change’ means.

So, I start my exploration with you, my sister/friend…

What was your bold moment? That moment, day, event when you decided to be you? When you decided to own your story and not be defined by what others choose to call you? When did you realise that you had all it took to be great? When did you realise that there is power in the collective and choose to pull up another sister/friend?

Share your stories, ladies! Together, we can change the narrative. People think that supporting women’s causes means you’re anti-men. It doesn’t mean that! It just means that…

Q: Hello doctor, stretch marks on breast please what does it mean?

A: Stretch marks occur when the skin is over-stretched like during pregnancy, during the growth spurt of the teenage years and during rapid weight gain or loss. So the skin, sort of, loses its elasticity, overstretches, leading to the breaking the of interconnected fibres of the middle layer of skin, dermis. When this happens, the blood vessels show through, with the characteristic red or purple colour stretch marks have initially. As the blood vessels contract, the pale fat underneath the skin shows through causing the stretch marks to assume their usual pale colour.

Stretch marks can also occur in people who have a family history, people with underlying health conditions like Cushing’s syndrome ~(where the body produces too much of the hormone, Cortisol) and sometimes after prolonged use/abuse of steroid creams (some of these are used to treat…

Q: Hey Dr. can implantation bleeding contain blood clots?

A: Bleeding during pregnancy can be worrying whether it’s a little or a lot. But, it may not necessarily be the sign of a problem.

Implantation bleeding is typically a small amount of light bleeding that occurs about 10 to 14 days after conception. This is thought to be due to implantation as the fertilized egg implants itself in the uterus (womb). This usually occurs in early pregnancy, close to or about the same time as the menstruation would be seen and is thus often mistaken for a period. But, it is usually lighter than menstrual…typically without clots. It would stop on its own and does not require further treatment. If the bleeding is heavier, associated with cramps or any other complication, please see your doctor. As a rule of thumb really, any bleeding in pregnancy should be investigated as they…

Q: Doctor Hello!! Is it possible to menstruate but not ovulating?

A: Yes, it is possible. Typically, the ovaries in females release an egg every month. If this does not get fertilized, the womb which had been getting ready to receive a fertilized egg, sheds its thickened lining. The release of an egg stimulates the production of the hormone, progesterone. This hormone is mostly responsible for keeping periods regular. But in some instances, a mature egg is not released regularly on a monthly basis and sometimes, no egg is released at all. In this case, progesterone is not produced and the cycle is either erratic or bleeding, heavy.

This kind of cycle, known as anovular cycle, is quite common in adolescent girls especially in the first year after they start menstruating. Other causes of anovular cycle include hormonal disorders, obesity, weight loss, thyroid problems, polycystic ovarian syndrome, hirsutism and pituitary…

Depression is a mood disorder that is beyond the ordinary ups and downs experienced daily. It is a serious health concern. Some people have described depression as “living in a black hole” or having a feeling of impending doom. Can you imagine how that feels? Surprisingly though, some depressed people actually don’t feel sad at all—they may feel lifeless, empty, and apathetic; men are more likely to feel angry, aggressive, and restless.
Do you wonder how people get to this ‘black hole’ of depression? Here are some issues that can lead to depression:

•    Conflict. The presence of conflict in any area of our lives could lead to depression,.
•    Death or a loss of a loved one, naturally leads to grief and sadness. This however, increase the risk of depression.
•    Genetics. Studies have not been able to conclusively show how this contributes to the disease, but a family…

Q: Good morning ma’am.
Thanks for your daily health update. Ma’am, I did the family planning that is
being inserted in the arm. Ever since June, I’ve not seen my menstruation till now.
What could be the cause ma’am? Thanks ma’am

A: The contraceptive implant, as the name suggests, is implanted
under the skin….under the skin of the upper arm and protects against pregnancy
for about 3 years.

This birth control
method contains the hormone progestin which prevents the egg from being
released from the ovary (if there’s no egg, then there’s nothing to fertilize,
right? :D) and also makes the mucous in the uterus so thick that the sperm
cannot sperm cannot swim through to get to the egg, even if it were released!

This method of
birth control is good for breastfeeding mothers (because it does not contain
estrogen which affects mother’s breast milk production) and is long…