It` s JUST the menopause!

It` s JUST the menopause!

Before I get absolutely lambasted by a large proportion of   hormonal women experiencing the fun of menopause, please let me explain…..

My story of menopause:

I was  41  when my periods  stopped – up until then all had been as regular as clockwork).

I was getting night sweats and was incredibly thirsty all the time. I was aware that at my age things can start to go awry with my hormones. However, I knew that as well as peri menopausal symptoms, what I was experiencing could indicate more sinister diseases. Ironic I know as I pride myself on looking at the whole patient, not just the symptoms.

Blood tests:

I visited my GP for some blood tests.  He ordered a blood test for FBC, Thyroid, Diabetes and cholesterol as well as some hormone markers. When I got the letter to say he wanted to see me for the results, I was understandably worried. Much to my relief everything was within normal range except the hormonal markers.  When I got home, I spent hours mulling over exactly how I felt about this. When I really delved deep and examined not only what I thought, but how my body was feeling I came across some surprising positives:

Obviously this means that I can no longer have children – not a problem as that was off the table anyway.  Although this has made me realise that I was fortunate to have started my family relatively early.  If I had waited until my late 30s – would I have struggled to fall pregnant as unbeknown to me, my fertility was declining earlier than I would have expected? A topic perhaps for another blog?

My skin looks better than it has in years! Having lamented the fact that I had not grown out of my teenage spots but obviously the change in hormone levels which accompanies this stage of menopause suits me and my skin. This is not always the case as with any hormonal change – the skin can suffer.

I have more energy than since before having children. This surprised me as I would have thought that with the disrupted sleep and hot flushes, this would have got worse however I have more energy and motivation than before – my house even seems easier to clean.

I must add that I am now more careful with what I eat. I have dramatically reduced my intake of processed foods: in particular processed carbohydrates are no longer on the menu! An important step in dealing with any hormonal changes is getting the balanced nutrition necessary to facilitate metabolism and synthesis of hormones.

Of course there are times where I struggle with the hot flushes, disrupted sleep and snoring. Well to be fair, the snoring affects my dh more than me.  But with a little forethought the hot flushes are manageable – note to self – “Don`t take the tube in rush hour without making sure you can strip off layers to practically your underwear at a moments notice! ”

My kids have a good laugh at my expense when I forget words and I am unable to give them quite simple instructions! But now that I know I am not suffering from early onset dementia – I often have a good chuckle as well.

I do think that with all this heating and sweating, it should be easier to lose weight. But Mother Nature has had the last laugh again. On the contrary it is even more important to start that activity  which you ve been putting off . This is the perfect reason to take up some form of weight bearing exercise to protect against osteoporosis.

 

If you would like help with your hormonal journey please feel free to contact me.