Menopause.

It finally happened…almost 4 years into (surgical) menopause, I’m starting to experience more symptoms other than the “menopause belly” (even though I’m fat, I always had a fairly flat stomach). Being perpetually cold (I lack thermoregulation), I’m not mad about the newest development: hot flashes…I don’t appreciate cold-hot-cold extremes. At least right now it’s mostly isolated to a small range of time from about midnight-ish until I wake up at 4am, so it’s not awful.

While a slight annoyance and inconvenience, I’m not mad at this reality. I did not immediately start HRT after my hysterectomy because as I discussed with my doctor (paraphrased), “your body is so messed up that surgery likely will bring it back to equilibrium and you won’t need HRT. I can’t predict the future, and it’s always a possibility, but it’s not an immediate concern.”

15 years in the making and an absurd number of consultations–medical discrimination is real. “But you might want kids” is a bullsh*t reason to deny needed healthcare, especially when I was solid in my choice and in agreement with my spouse 🙄. I was never more grateful to find an ob/gyn willing to listen and provide what I needed. Finally having surgery was a huge improvement in my health. While my body still doesn’t regulate and maintain ferritin stores, I haven’t had an iron infusion–received weekly back then–since a week before surgery in November 2019 (while I barely hang at the bottom of the curve, we manage it differently now). The fatigue is better, but still exists. That is the reality of an auto-immune disease–as much as it sucks, I’ve become conditioned to simply being tired despite trying to tackle on all fronts. And many other improvements. Undeniably, my overall health and wellness improved a thousand times over.

We keep an eye on things and will take action when warranted/as needed. Due to the nature of my work, I’m well versed on many options and how to thrive through menopause symptoms as I walk alongside several clients that have varied experiences–I simply need to follow my own advice. 🤣 I’ve also got some bloodwork coming up in a little less than a month where I had requested some updated panels looking at some specific areas, so I’m curious to see where things are now and what might be next if there have been some changes to consider. There’s a lot of possibilities as we evaluate different options at the right time. Stay tuned…

(Comment/DM boundary: this post is not a solicitation for advice, “what I do,” or product recommendations–I’m covered, thanks 😘)