Menopause After Paralysis: Hormones, Catheters and Competition with Edie Perkins (Episode 231)

Jun 18, 2025

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Edie Perkins was a 46-year-old elite runner and cyclist when a catastrophic accident left her paralyzed from the chest down—just as she was entering menopause. In this candid conversation, Edie reveals how her hormonal changes intersected with her spinal cord injury recovery, leaving her with misdiagnosed UTIs, sheet-soaking night sweats she blamed on her injury, declining bone density, and a huge struggle to sort through her challenges and get quality care. Yet, through all of it, Edie continues to race (finishing second place in the handcycle division of this year’s Boston Marathon), ski, and live an active life. We talk about it all and more this week.

Edie Perkins served as Executive Director of the Kelly Brush Foundation from 2021 to 2025. She previously spent over twenty years managing businesses and developing curriculum products for Pre-K-12 schools. In 2017, Edie was struck by a driver while riding her bike and suffered a spinal cord injury (SCI). She is now paralyzed from the chest down. Always an athlete and active in the running and cycling communities, she sought out support after her injury and is now a competitive handcyclist and finished second at the 2025 Boston Marathon. She is thrilled to bring together her professional background, passion for sports, and new experience living with an SCI to help others thrive.

Resources:

The Kelly Brush Foundation

Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause

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