June 2021 and My periods had stopped. My mind was a jumble, I was having showers in the middle of the day from sweating too much. Not forgetting weight gain.
I had finally sorted out my dental abscess which was bringing a few challenges. At the same time I had been seeing more about the menopause and was learning about perimenopause. The symptoms were obvious and I asked for my bloods to be tested even though the guidelines say I don’t need to due to my age.
At least I wasn’t going mad once the bloods came back. It was time to research and educate myself on what my body was doing. I joined social media groups, asked women of a similar age for their experiences, including my mum. I listened to webinars and podcasts and gave myself information overload.
I came from behind my scared hands and spoke to my doctors about my options. I needed help. Something that also started last year was pain and stiffness in my shoulder which affected my ability to dress, look after myself and function. That pain was something I would never want to experience again. A frozen shoulder or another muscular skeletal condition is no joke.
So many tears were shed and I can feel myself welling up as I type. I even grieved the loss of my fertility this time last year. I found out it doesn’t completely go straight away.
My crawling skin and spots are things I am still contending with on the journey of perimenopause.
Fast forward to June 2022 and lots of the symptoms I had last year are still challenging my quality of life. But I am giving myself a lot of grace, space and compassion. My use of HRT has taken the edge off but it’s not quite there yet.
Maybe my guard is up or maybe I am ready to fight through my journey of perimenopause and menopause. What I do know is my life will not be the same or go back to the old normal. One day at a time Rebecca.
These self portraits were taken with a 12-40mm 2.8 Pro Olympus lens. Then edited in Snapseed.
Please note, this is my experience and what has happened to may not be the same for any other woman. Do seek professional help in correct environment.
Poppybead Story 