I don’t know about you but when I was a girl, becoming a young woman I knew absolutely zilch about the menopause. I heard hushed comments like “she’s going through ‘the change’” which I understood to be about stopping periods but nothing more than that. My mum wasn’t very comfortable talking about menstruation so there were very few conversations about the natural physical and hormonal changes that girls, women and those assigned female at birth go through.
Discovering Endometriosis
In my early 20’s I was diagnosed with endometriosis, a gynaecological condition that can affect you from puberty to menopause. There’s no cure for endometriosis and the impact of the condition may be felt for life, although the right treatment can help you manage the symptoms.
A Surgical Menopause Journey
After a number of operations to treat scar tissue, remove cysts and remove my left ovary and fallopian tube in my thirties, I eventually had a total hysterectomy at 42 which put me into surgical menopause. When I think back to the information my medical team gave me to prepare for this sudden change to my hormones, I realise it was wholly inadequate. In fact, it was non-existent. Yes, I was told I would be put on to HRT, but no one really prepared me for the physical and psychological symptoms I was likely to experience. I was so desperate to be pain free from the endometriosis that I was rather blasé and ill-informed about what to expect.
The Silent Struggles: Brain Fog and Anxiety
Returning to work in my senior HR role after the operation I started to experience brain fog and memory problems so severe I thought I had early onset dementia and visited my GP. Whilst she was kind and listened, and talked to me about managing stress, she did not talk about what I was experiencing being potential post menopause symptoms. I went home and got on with my life before anxiety really took hold some years later. Anxiety so crippling, coupled with the ongoing memory and brain fog issues, that my husband and I agreed that the best thing would be for me to take an indefinite break from work. We run a business together, so it was not an easy choice. It would mean that I would need to rely on my husband financially and give up on the business we are building together. It felt like the only option, but I was only 53.
Taking Control
I decided to take action and visit a private menopause consultant to assess my HRT and see what other help might be available. The consultant was brilliant, she listened, she explained and she reviewed my HRT regime changing my prescription and adding in testosterone. Within a few months I was feeling more human and more importantly able to be involved with life again and remain in work. Fast forward two years and I’m thriving! I’m busier at work than I’ve ever been, building new client partnerships and supporting long standing clients with their ongoing training needs around mental health awareness and mental health first aid, wellbeing and resilience and supporting individuals transitioning into new roles through coaching.
A New Mission
Now feels absolutely the right time to be launching our menopause training and coaching services to educate everyone in the workplace, not just those personally experiencing the menopause, on this important topic. With three out of five working women between the ages of 45 and 55 experiencing menopause symptoms saying it has a negative impact on them at work it’s crucial that leaders, managers and colleagues are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to communicate effectively and provide support during this phase of life that half the working population will experience.
My Mission
I’m on a mission to support women who are considering giving up work due to the psychological impact of their menopause journey, helping them to develop a self care toolkit, and strategies to draw on when they feel anxious and low on confidence through coaching.
To find out more visit our Menopause Coaching and Menopause Training website pages or get in touch.
