Gwenn Djupedal

Despite the fact that Gwenn Djupedal and her husband, Eivind, live in Belgium, her family has a long history with Mayo Clinic. During a nine-year stay in Russia, their young son, Kristofer, became very ill with meningitis. When he didn't respond to treatment, the Djupedals flew to Rochester, where Kristofer was treated by a team of Mayo Clinic specialists and recovered. Now an adult, he works as a clinical assistant in hematology at Mayo Clinic.

Gwenn and Eivind studied and were married in Norway. In addition to postings in England, Russia, and Belgium, Eivind's position with a multinational corporation took them to Rochester for a few years. Since then, they have returned every year or two for regular check-ups. During a recent check-up, Gwenn mentioned some troubling mid-life issues to her usual physician, who referred her to the Women's Health Clinic.

She suspects that having lived as a "world citizen" might have contributed to her lack of knowledge about the physical and psychological changes that take place at different life stages. Learning languages and cultures is an advantage of the somewhat nomadic life that she and Eivind (pronounced Ivan) lead. Missing, however, is a long-time network of nearby friends that can make it easy to discuss life changes — topics that seem to Gwenn to be very matter-of-fact for women who live in the United States.

Gwenn initially feared that it might be uncomfortable to talk with the professionals at the Women's Health Clinic about intimate personal issues. She was delighted to find instead that they were open and easy to talk with. "Everyone was very upbeat, very warm, very welcoming. I found that I could say things that I would hesitate to share with anyone else because of social taboos against talking about intimate relations."

During her first visit, she met with Dr. Jacqueline M. Thielen, who assured her that she was neither weird nor alone, that her questions and concerns were typical of postmenopausal women, and that answers and solutions are readily available. Dr. Thielen also recommended two books to give Gwenn a better understanding of issues common to women in this phase of life. "It sounds like a cliché, I know," Gwenn says, "but it was a life-changing experience."

Armed with affirmation of her normality, she returned to Belgium after that first visit determined to take some steps on her own that would make her feel better. "I wasn't feeling very good about my body," she says, "and decided that probably contributed to my intimacy problem."

Body image, however, was something she knew how to fix. Inspired by a friend who had lost weight using the ELMO (Eat Less Move Often) method, she got to work on moving often and eating less. As she began to eat in a more healthy way, she also started walking with a friend. Together they enjoyed a great many walks in the fields and forests surrounding their Belgian home in a small farming village east of Brussels.

By the time fall came around, each had lost 20 pounds. "That had a positive effect," Gwenn says. "We both felt more confident."

Gwenn was feeling better about her physical appearance. She bought some new clothes, read the recommended books, and got plenty of encouragement from her husband. But she had a few remaining questions for the Mayo Clinic team.

During her second visit to the Women's Health Clinic, she met with a physician, a psychologist, and a nutritionist. She got advice about exercise, healthy eating and dietary supplements. The physician showed her examples of products that could make intimacy more comfortable and satisfying.

Gwenn is delighted with her restored intimacy with her husband. "The team I met with was gentle, kind, and reassuring. It was good to learn that I wasn't alone and to find out how other people have coped with similar issues. I suspect that many other women need this kind of counseling and help."

Gwenn is right about that. The Women's Health Clinic counsels women on many concerns specific to their different stages of life. The team focuses on such midlife concerns as menopause and hormone therapy and on women's issues at any age about hormonally related headaches and sexual concerns. They also work closely with, and make referrals to, Mayo Clinic specialists who treat a wide variety of conditions that affect women from birth control and breast conditions to heart disease and osteoporosis.

Gwenn has become something of an ambassador for Mayo Clinic among women in Europe. She tells them, "It's all there within a few miles, on a couple of campuses. The teams there look at the whole person, not just one part. With its integrated medicine, Mayo Clinic is a wonderful place for health care."