Menopausing. My Story. Part 1

So at 43 menopause was never even some thing I thought about and incorrectly the only thing I thought I knew about HRT was that it was linked to breast cancer. Things had started to feel off for sometime, very teary, often angry, lethargic, lack of motivation for anything and very short and different periods. The thing that really got me was the brain fog. Honestly it was scary. Not like racking your brains for an answer, literally NOT THERE. No one home. At all.

So this was made very public as a Fitness Instructor. Imagine forgetting words or more importantly instructions in the middle of a fitness class. Imagine forgetting the names of exercises (or even clients sorry Gemma B) as a Personal Trainer. I was scared that I was going mental. Then it made me feel anxious. Then I felt more anxious as I felt anxious and more mental. As someone who has suffered with. mental health issues, I was scared about how I was feeling as I knew these feelings well. I think what compounded it for me was the lack of motivation or get up and go I had. It literally had got up and gone. I know more than most how important exercise is for my mental wellbeing. But I didn’t want to do it. All I wanted to do was sleep – and eat. Which was not great for a Personal Trainer, that’s it I thought, career over, mental health breakdown pending….. Catastrophizing is something I have always been good at but I was literally going for it, like predicting my imminent demise.

A very good friend of mine, Janette, is an extremely knowledgable Menopause specialist (check her out Mind Body Menopause) and she suggested gently that what I was experiencing could be Peri-Menopause. My mum had gone into early menopause so I knew it was medically possible, but still thought it was my mental health declining again rather than my body changing. I had been to the GP a few times recently with aching joints, extreme fatigue, increased anxiety etc and nothing had ever been mentioned. I have been through a lot in terms of my mental health historically and one thing I know is that it is always best to take action, so that’s what I did, I booked to see my GP. If only it was a simple as that.
Part 2 will look at what I learnt about how important appointment prep is, GP selection, second opinions and why you should do your research first.
IMPORTANT: I AM NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL AND THIS IS ME SHARING MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. ANY MEDICAL SYMPTOMS OR ISSUES SHOULD BE DISCUSSED WITH YOUR GP.