My journey begins
I really didn’t know a lot about menopause, when I began this journey. I especially, didn’t know about perimenopause and had no realisation that I was smack bang in the middle of mine!
Somewhere around 38 years old, things changed. Things? I became very anxious, I gained weight, my joints ached. They continued to change. My menstrual cycle became unbalanced and the sign that my period was on its way was marked each month by one, just one, giant pimply spot! My confidence plummeted.
Early in my forties and I felt plagued by aches, pains and dwindling health - something that I had always taken for granted. Little did I know what my pesky hormones were up to and neither it seemed did the medical profession. Many blood tests, invasive procedures, scans and prescriptions later, I felt no further forward. I just didn’t feel like me anymore.
In the summer of 2023, aged 44, I read Menopausing (Davina McCall, Harper Collins 2022). Game changer - the list of symptoms clicked into place and I felt hopeful for a way forward, a way back to being me.
A lot more reading, a call to the doctor who was very supportive (I am aware this is not the experience of all) and following some blood tests, I was provided with HRT. 6 months in and its too early to review the full impact, but I do feel listened to, supported and informed about my options.
So, what next… I’ve read about the wonders of HRT and I know not all women choose to use it or are able to. HRT, I feel is a small part of finding myself again. The biggest impact I read about is making sustainable LIFESTYLE CHANGES.
I’m now at a point of acceptance… life can and will be great again, but the choices I make about the way I live my life are key. My choice to leave behind my stressful job as a headteacher and use my training as a professional coach to support women experiencing perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms has led to the launch of Opportunity Coaching. My logo tattooed on my arm as a daily reminder of my intention to move forward, with my motto ‘loving change’.
So what will be different? Choice. I can choose to manage my day working for myself. Time to eat to fuel my body, drink more water and herbal tea, get out into daylight and walk my dog, exercise more, take mindful moments to appreciate the beautiful change in seasons around me. The rhythm of my day and the choices I make to care for myself will be different.
I haven’t lost my grip on reality before you ask! I know the demands of my busy family, running my own business and life itself will continue to provide stress and time commitments. I bring you back to this word: CHOICE. I choose with intention to put my health and wellbeing first. I choose to love changes in my life, my body, my mind and soul.
“Change is inevitable.
Growth is optional.”
John C Maxwell