So, early menopause is a b*tch.........!!

Now, I have been pondering on writing this post for a loooong time as it is just so personal but I figured there must be other ladies who are a similar age going through a similar stage in their life, so here goes.....!!

About 18 months ago, I had it confirmed after many sets of blood tests that yes, my suspicions were correct & I was going through early-menopause.  To be honest, it came as no shock at all as it runs in all the females on my mum's side of the family but still, I was only 38 at this point so it left me feeling a bit "oh bugger!" as I'm the youngest one yet out of our family.

I guess the point of this post is to fill you in on the joys of things I've been experiencing lately & basically, to have a bit of a moan & get it off my chest!

Irregular periods

So this is the main reason I thought I was beginning to go through menopause.  My periods became really irregular & I could go months with no period or have 3 within a month, fun yes?!  They are still very weird although seem to be dwindling again (24 hour long period?  Yes, that'll do nicely thanks!)

Whiskers

Ah yes, the dreaded facial hair!  Every day I have to have a wee plucking session to rid my chin of the foul black, spiky needles sprouting out of it.  Not nice but nothing a pair of tweezers can't fix!

Thinning hair

My hair has always been really thick but it's thinning so much, it feels like I have hardly any round my hairline.  I do of course, it just feels yukky.  But again, I can live with it.

Spreading waistline
This, I'm not liking!!  I've been many dress sizes over the years from an 8 to an 18 but I've always had a waist.  I have been feeling my waistbands getting a wee bit tighter lately & my tummy is definitely erm, spreading, shall we say!?  Nope, not liking this......

Mood swings
You think PMT is bad, it's not a patch on menopausal mood swings.  They've been that bad, I've been pissing myself off!!  I've had days where the stupidest little thing sets me off in such a rage, it's ridiculous.  But no amount of deep-breathing or counting to ten works, it just has to come out.  Unfortunately, it's normally my husband who bears the brunt of it, poor Mr F!!  Equally, I've had times where hysterical crying is flavour of the day!  I volunteer regularly at my son's primary school & one afternoon I'd gone in to help & the teacher hadn't received my email with all the project work on it ready to print.  Cue full-on meltdown in the staff toilet!!  I was sobbing that much, I just ran out the school & went back home.  Totally irrational but it all just felt too much & I absolutely could not function for the rest of the day.  Unfortunately, you have to go with the flow & get it out your system but there have been days where I've genuinely thought, "this is it, I'm actually cracking up!"  Not nice.

Hot flushes
I seem to go in cycles with these.  I can go months with nothing & then have a month where I'm getting full-on flushes.  It literally is like someone flicking a switch & the temperature rises, sweat springs from every orifice, my cheeks are beetroot bright & then 20 seconds later, poof, it's gone & everything's back to normal!!  Bizarre but bearable.

Acne
Humpf, this one I am certainly most unhappy with!  I've always had great skin, never had spots as a teenager, am meticulous with my skincare routine but still, I've developed acne on my chin - and sometimes cheeks - and it's bloody sore!!  I can tell when I'm having a hormonal surge as my chin just goes mental with big, angry red bumps appearing all over it.  My GP wants me to try & ride it out for the time being before prescribing anything stronger for it but this is the thing that's really getting me down to be honest.  God, that makes me sound so superficial but I feel really self-conscious all the time, I just don't like it at all :(

I was referred to the hospital to attend the Menopause Clinic (I know, I know, I laughed too!!)  The doctor I saw wants me to start with HRT due to the fact that I'm more susceptible to getting osteoporosis because of my age but I'm not sure about this yet, I'm still thinking about it. But the best bit, it's located within the Sexual Health Clinic (ie STD clinic) so the paranoia was setting in wondering if the teenage lads were thinking "hmmm, she looks too young for the menopause, I wonder if she's got crabs?!"  Definitely a day for no eye-contact, heh heh!!!

So there we are, it's been fun central in my body for the last 18 months!!!  And to any other peri/early/post-menopausal women out there, I salute you & feel your pain!!!