My Menopausal Story: seeing as it's 2021 Menopausal Awareness Month
As this is October 2021, Menopause Awareness month, I think it's about time I spoke a little bit about my journey through the Menopause (all stages).
PERIMENOPAUSE
In short, I was dismissed and fobbed off during the whole of perimenopause, missed declaring my menopause day and then had to fight tooth and nail to hold onto my health in post menopause, which has suffered as a result of the neglect and lack of help during perimenopause.
Whether the excuse was I’m too young, just stressed, over worked. I asked regularly about using HRT, the answer was always no.
When I piled on the weight at one stage, many times I was just told to eat less and exercise more. I was very active at the time and I ate well. Back then there wasn’t the plethora of info on menopause (all stages) that is available at our fingertips nowadays.
POST MENOPAUSAL
Even post menopausal, I was still told that I hadn’t even started perimenopause. Out of frustration one day in my mid 40s I banged the doctor’s table and demanded to know what was wrong with me as my periods had stopped for years.
Before symptoms subsided in any measurable way I was 8 years post menopause.
It was 2017, after 8 years of agonising leg pains I was diagnosed with osteopenia. This was only after one physio told me that I should’ve had a DEXA scan already. His request was listened to by the GP and although waiting a year I got the DEXA scan and it showed osteopenia. It could've been worse, it could have been osteoporosis. I was dreading getting the DEXA results yet glad I'd know where I stood with my bone health. Once you know where you are then you can take action to support yourself.
Through the whole journey of the menopause I’ve had to fight the whole way. By pure luck I’d get the help to move forward. For years I kept being told there was nothing wrong with me. By the time I joined a gym 4 years ago I was very fragile. They gym was one of the missing pieces. Out of frustration back in 2014 I went off to study nutrition and became clinically trained to help with nutrition and lifestyle, so I can do that myself. I now have the most amazing GP.
HRT
I went to my menopausal specialist GP this week. It was a wonderful experience. We are busy trialling one product at the moment. I need to get tests done before we can even consider oestrogen. A good day, and well worth the money. If you are considering HRT do your research as it is a personal decision whether or not you want to add it to your menopause toolkit. With a lot of us it is life changing but only if it is suitable, you want it, you've worked through the possible risks with your GP and menopause specialist. I've been trying for years to get the HRT help I needed. I'm expecting great enhancements as I have my nutrition and lifestyle toolkit set up, my exercise toolkit in serving me well. HRT is the next toolkit I want to trial and see if it will enhance the benefits and future proof my wellness as I move forward.
GET THE HELP YOU NEED
Never give up on yourself. I don’t, despite brick walls and failure by others to help me. If you need help with nutrition and lifestyle or coaching to achieve the next step in your menopausal journey (all stages) then check out how we can work together and be sure to grab some of my useful resources, to get your started.