Navigating perimenopause - my best tip
You know the saying “I wish I knew then, what I know now”. It’s so true! I’m often asked what would I tell my 16 year old self - which will be for another blog - as for my experience navigating perimenopause, well there’s so much I would liked to have been able to tell my 49/50 year old self. Actually, I’d like to have known much earlier, but it wasn’t really a topic that was discussed much and my knowledge bank was pretty low on funds. Here’s (part of) my tale of perimenopausal discovery, my best tip for navigating this phase, and my favourite website resources for all things perimenopause/menopause.
WHAT!!!
“You are wrong!” I stated, rather loudly and more aggressively than I knew was appropriate or acceptable - but it just came out.
It had become a recent experience, my rage would boil and spill in the blink of an eye - which was another thing I had told the doctor during that appointment. I mentioned that I couldn’t feel things properly - it was like I had a foam full body glove on, I could touch people and things, I could feel that the ground was beneath my feet, but I couldn’t feel them properly. I explained this was not a great experience for a massage therapist and a runner. I cried over everything, I couldn’t remember things, I had no concentration, I wasn’t sleeping well, I was exhausted, I was out of whack, something wasn’t right in my body.
“No! I am not depressed and I’m not leaving here until I have some blood tests.” I said as the tears welled.
“You’ll need to make an appointment with the nurse” the Doctor said. “Nope, I’m not leaving here until you take some blood” I responded.
Thankfully he agreed before I threw a two year old temper tantrum in his office.
Not one of my finest moments.
This “out of whack” experience lasted for a few months - I lost my temper, forgot where I was going, cried like a baby, wandered around dazed and confused, missed client appointments … and then my period started.
“Oh!”
It was like someone had turned a light switch on in my body. I hadn’t had my period for about three or four months and hadn’t realised or remembered. I was definitely not pregnant. And by the way, it was not a question that I was asked about during my doctor’s appointment.
Thankfully I shared this experience with one of my clients, who also happened to be a senior nurse and a women in her late fifties, and she suggested that perhaps I was perimenopausal.
I was hitting perimenopause - with quite a thud.
At this point the only thing I knew about “going through the menopause” was the symptoms that my mum discussed with me as she went through her perimenopause phase - her hot flushes and foggy brain.
I certainly had a foggy brain and although I hadn’t experienced any hot flushes at this point, they soon showed up.
The hot flushes I experienced during the day were easy enough to handle and they eventually eased off - phew I thought, that’s a relief, I should sail through this perimenopause thing.
However, whilst the hot flushes came and went quickly there was a whole lotta other stuff that was happening to my body and my mind that was knocking the crap out of me. What I eventually learned (not from my Doctor), was that there was quite a long list of other symptoms, many of which I’d described to the Doc, and many more which have continued to surface during the past six years, as I go through my perimenopause phase of life.
Yep, it’s been six years for me, and still counting. I am still having periods, sometimes monthly, sometimes up to 3 months apart, but they are still coming.
It’s been quite an ordeal.
Dare I say it - an adventure!
Not the kind I usually chase after, but one that I’ve had to embrace and learn how to get better at.
So whilst I’ve shared a tiny little moan and a grizzle about my experience (and trust me, what I’ve written here is only a tiny bit), that was not the exact point of this blog.
There are many things that I’ve learned over the past six years that I wish I’d known six years ago, so it’s time to share …
BEST TIP
Knowing what your symptoms are so that you can track them and explain them to a Doctor is probably the best tip that I can give.
There’s 34 commonly listed symptoms which I’ve provided below, but if you want a more professional and downloadable list that provides explanations to the symptoms, then click here for The Latte Lounge or click here for The Menopause Charity.
So, eyes down, let’s get ready for a little bit of perimenopause BINGO (I truly hope you don’t experience a full house).
Allergies, Bloating, Body odour, Bone fractures, Breast soreness, Brittle nails, Burning mouth, Decrease in libido (sex drive), Dental and gum problems, Dry itchy skin, Dizziness, Electric shocks, Joint pain, Hair loss, Headaches, Hot flushes, Irregular periods, Muscle tension and restless legs, Nausea and digestive issues, Night sweats, Palpitations, Tingling extremities, Urinary symptoms (stress and/or urge incontinence - also known as a weak bladder), Vaginal dryness, Weight gain, Anxiety and loss of confidence, Brain fog and poor memory, Depression or low mood, Difficulty concentrating, Difficulty sleeping / disrupted sleep, Irritability, Mood swings, Panic attacks and panic disorders, Tired or lacking energy
What I now know, that I didn’t know then
I use the BALANCE app which was developed by Dr Louise Newson (aka @menopause_doctor on instagram), to track my list of symptoms. This helped me eventually speak to my GP (not the same one as mentioned at the start of this blog) to begin my HRT treatment - which is yet another tale to tell in my perimenopause story which I’ll be sharing in upcoming blogs - and continues to be my best way of recalling what’s going on with me and inside me (which is also the reason I can tell you when I had my last bleed, because that is something I’d struggle to remember without the App).
Here’s my list of my favourite website resources with all the links.
Favourite Websites
I’ve got so much more to share - my favourite books, facebook groups, doctors and female leads who are dedicated to sharing knowledge about perimenopause/menopause - but this blog has got quite long, so I’ll leave it here and put it in the next one.
I’ll also be sharing another bit of my menopause story my experience with HRT - it too has been quite an adventure.
Til then, if you enjoyed this blog and would like more advice and tips on how to do crazy-assed adventures or follow me as I take them on, please join me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Or you can subscribe to my YouTube channel.
X Nikki
P.S. My book ‘With a Little Dash of Crazy’ is available from my shop. Click here to buy a copy, it’s an epic true running adventure story about the time I ran 63 marathons in 63 days.
Running 63 marathons in 63 days in your 50th year seemed a little crazy to most, but maybe a ‘little dash of crazy’ was what it was going to take.