10/10/2024
I’ve been pretty quiet on here over the last few months.
But October is World Menopause month and I couldn’t let it go by without giving you all an update on my journey to date.
February 27th this year was the day I entered surgical menopause. Surgical menopause isn’t spoken about enough. There is very little good quality information available to women who are faced with the decision (or need) to have their ovaries removed.
For me, it was a preventative measure. As a BRCA2 carrier, my risk of ovarian cancer was much higher than the average so it made sense to me to do what I could to reduce that risk. For many women, their decision is driven by need - a cancer diagnosis or other medical condition that means removing the ovaries is the best option for them.
Regardless of why women have them removed, we all have 1 thing common. After they’re gone, our hormones fall off a cliff and we have to learn to live without them.
How that impacts us is very individual - some women find they have no symptoms initially but they follow later. Some women wake up after the surgery in a hot sweat.
I consider myself lucky that I could have HRT straight after my surgery which helped to support me through those early months after surgery and, now that I have my dose right, to live my normal life. Some women can’t be offered HRT and have to navigate this loss of hormones themselves.
But it’s important to know that HRT isn’t a silver bullet. It won’t solve everything and there are so many other things you can do to support your current and future health. Good nutrition, movement, sleep and self-care are vital pieces of the puzzle to keep you feeling well.
This is where I can help. If you would like support to help make some simple changes to your diet and lifestyle to help you during your surgical menopause, please drop me a DM.
There’s lots of amazing women out there supporting other women through this journey so don’t be afraid to reach out for help. .ie and many more 💚
