I was 31 when I lost my mother to stomach cancer – she was just 57 and so we never really had the ‘Menopause Conversation’, namely “Mum - when did you start with your symptoms and how did they manifest themselves?”. I’ve therefore got little idea whether what I have experienced myself has been ‘normal’ or ‘unusual’ or if indeed there is a genetic connection.
I can only imagine that it is different for everyone – perhaps even mothers and daughters. All I do know is that it’s clearly a challenge for a lot of women of a ‘certain’ age – but the great thing is that people are prepared to talk about it now whereas I expect for my mother’s generation, you just had to grit your teeth and get on with it. My own experience is that from about the age of 53 I started to suffer with unpleasant night sweats, restless legs, tearfulness (for no apparent reason) to name but three, but once I persuaded the GP to prescribe a low dose of HRT about four years ago, well I’ve not looked back. There really is no point in muddling on, feeling rubbish, if there is something out there that will help. Life and all it throws at us combined with the busy world of work these days is hard enough, so get help when it’s offered/available.
It is reassuring that BDO seems to be taking seriously this previously taboo subject of ‘The Menopause’. It was good to hear Andrea Newton the external coach on the recent BDO Menopause webinar “Let’s Talk About Menopause” because so much of what she was talking about resonated extremely loudly with me.
We will all experience it in some way – either personally or through connections with a female family member/friend – so the more we understand about it the better.