HRT - 3 Month Update

Thu - 31 March 2022

Three months ago I was a hot mess. Literally! It was midwinter and as I wandered about in a summer vest top I felt like I was in a sauna. It was as if my body was in a one day long permanent hot flush. My brain was fried. I would cry one minute and laugh the next. OK there was less of the laughing. I had the memory of a newborn goldfish. My family felt helpless. My career was … well let’s just say my career had to all intents and purposes ended. I was at my lowest point - in my life.

Menopause is natural

So is childbirth and many women need assistance of some sort. Some are traumatised, physically damaged and emotionally scarred. Some women lose their lives in childbirth. Getting pregnant, carrying a child and giving birth is as normal and natural as menopause. Some women chose not to or are unable to have children. All women born with a womb and functioning ovaries will experience menopause, some earlier than others.

The end of fertility is a normal process

What is normal? For me normal was the gradual ruining of my life.

I was one of those lucky women who had a wonderful experience giving birth. By that, I mean there were no complications and it was relatively straightforward. I had two water births and no other pain relief. That’s another story … I wonder if my menopause experience is some strange karma for that? The yin yang universe in its never ending balancing act.

Sweep it under the carpet

There is no hiding place for the menopause monster. You can try and hide her under the rug, shrug your shoulders, grit your teeth and force a smile but every time you walk into a room you will trip over that humongous lump in the carpet and fall flat on your face. You will lay there a quivering hot mess while people tiptoe around you. It was like that every day with me until I could no longer get myself off the floor. I‘d never felt so defeated. I suppose the old adage about reaching rock bottom is true.

It doesn’t have to be that way

There has been an upsurge in awareness as menopause is talked about, especially by people in the public eye. Women have had to self-educate and take the reins as health care professionals have often been difficult to reach in the past couple of years. Now is the age of the older woman. We need to take care of ourselves and educate others.

My menopause journey is one of triumph over adversity. I have found a specialist who is helping me. I am on HRT. Oestrogen gel and progesterone. I am experiencing relief from the menopause monster for the first time in 2 years!

I am back to being me.