71: Navigating Medical Menopause After Cancer Treatment with Dr. Ashley Chauvin

When cancer treatment forces you into menopause overnight, the experience is drastically different from natural menopause. Your hormones don't gradually decline—they stop. And the symptoms? They hit hard and fast.

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Ashley Chauvin, a Naturopathic Doctor and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner who has built her practice around cancer survivorship and menopause support. Ashley shares her journey from radiation therapy intern to naturopathic doctor specializing in integrative cancer care, and why she's passionate about helping patients feel like themselves again after treatment.

What You'll Learn:

• The physiological differences between medical menopause and natural menopause—and why symptoms are more intense when treatment shuts down your hormones overnight
• What to ask your healthcare providers before cancer treatment begins, and why establishing your baseline matters
• Ashley's non-restrictive approach to nutrition for cancer survivors (spoiler: it's not about eliminating gluten, dairy, and coffee)
• Why muscle mass is critical for cancer survivorship, longevity, and bone health
• The truth about hormone therapy for cancer survivors—including when vaginal estrogen might be an option
• How to collaborate with your oncology team without feeling like you're asking for permission to feel better
• What gives Ashley hope in this work, and why her patients inspire her to try adult gymnastics at 40

This conversation challenges the narrative that cancer survivors just have to suffer through menopause symptoms. You don't. There are options, and quality of life matters.

Theme Songs:

• Can't Stop by Red Hot Chili Peppers (family friendly)
• Till I Collapse by Eminem (non-family friendly version)

Connect with Dr. Ashley Chauvin:

• Website: Clarity Health Burlington
• Instagram: @ashleychauvin_nd
• Practice: Clarity Health, Burlington, Ontario (Virtual and in-person appointments available across Ontario)

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