A while back, when all the signs indicated that I was in full-blown menopause – the main one being my periods had stopped for seven months – I visited my family doctor to discuss my condition. I left with a prescription for what I assumed was hormone replacement therapy (HRT) – the answer to all my problems, I thought. Only later did I realize that the prescription wasn’t for HRT; it was for another condition, as I learned when I went to the pharmacy to pick it up.
Somewhat confused, I sent a message to my doctor to find out what was going on. She said that she wanted me to see a menopause doctor before taking hormone replacements. More hoops to jump through and more delays before I could start getting my life back.
Nevertheless, I did as I was told and booked the first available appointment, three months away. Although I wasn’t happy about having to wait, I constantly reminded myself that my problems paled into insignificance compared to some. And at least I no longer had to suffer the inconvenience and pain of menstruation.
Then, just when I began to reap the benefits of a lifestyle, I started menstruating again. Like a bad joke. Not only that – my thinning hair and skin took on a life of their own, feeling both dry and greasy at the same time, while mood swings also started to get the better of me.
I joked with my husband that I was regressing into a greasy-haired, moody teenager. And on the subject of moods, sometimes I don’t know if it’s the menopause, th.