04/05/2022
Long post alert !
Just caught up on the latest
Davina documentary on C4. If you haven’t watched it please please take the time to, even if you’re thinking you’re nowhere near menopause, I promise you, you will know someone who is, who may really welcome your understanding.
I know a lot about peri menopause and menopause as have taken time to read lots through necessity in trying to navigate my own journey and through also sharing information with my friends and clients. I loved the previous documentary and always learning and was excited to watch this one. But I never expected to be in tears - not just tears but full on floods. My poor hubbie sat down to watch with me and was totally perplexed by my reaction.
What caused it ? The images of the brain changes during perimenopause - that’s what. I am certain I hit perimenopause around age 43-44 when my little girl was 2 and my son was 5. I just didn’t know it. I didn’t even know the term peri menopause. I was completely thrown by a loss in my motivation, debilitating brain fog, anxiety, angry outbursts out of nowhere and when I eventually realised aged 46, what was going on, what did I do? I adopted the “Head down, arse up, I will push through this” approach because I was frightened of taking medication. I could never take the pill due to debilitating migraines and had that fear plus the breast cancer scares and instead of taking time to research I tried to keep going, caring for two small people, trying to keep my business going and my marriage together.
Seeing those brain images and the changes that occur due to reducing oestrogen and hearing that taking oestrogen doesn’t necessarily reverse these changes, though it can protect against further ones just made me weep. I can’t fully articulate how I feel and whilst I did my best during those years I can’t help feeling that I lost a big part of me during that time that I tried to keep going and consequently so did my kids and my husband.
Hearing of those women who left their jobs, the rates of Alzheimer’s and tragically the su***de rate between 44-49 makes me weep.
Hearing about those women who suffered with lost libido and vaginal dryness makes me weep.
Remembering how hard I had to fight to get the right support, being offered antidepressants countless times, crying in the doctors in desperation and thank the Lord, a friend telling me about Louise Newson, makes me weep. It should not have been nor continue to be so hard to get the right support.
I know HRT isn’t for everyone and antidepressants can be very helpful for many, at the appropriate time. It was also very uplifting to hear of the developments by incredible scientists for future forms of HRT and for breast cancer survivors and others.
I am certain that things are changing and have hope that by the time my children reach this stage things will be so much better.
Hearing that movement and good nutrition makes such a difference gives me motivation to keep going with sorting my current injuries and to get back working out regularly and to get back on the good fuel. It gives me renewed motivation to sort my sleep out.
It also gives me the motivation to keep telling everyone who will listen to take the time to learn about this stage of life for themselves and for all of the women in their lives and for those that love them.
If you’ve got this far thank you.
Sending love and big happy bean smiles to all you beautiful warriors. If you are in coming up to, in peri or menopause or indeed beyond, keep going, keep learning and adapting and sharing. Lots of love 🥰🥰
You may want to look at the Balance App and blance-menopause.com (I have no personal affiliation but they are fantastic resources). You may also want to look at our online holistic programme to develop a strong body and mind in perimenopause and beyond. https://www.eventcreate.com/e/mind-and-body-online-menopause-programme Lauren Morris BlendFit Carolyn Harris MP Jackie and Mark Wren
