My journey through menopause is more of an update since my
"Mad at Menopause" article written a year ago. Head on over and
read that before diving in here to get the full story of my symptoms, frustrations and actions to resolve them.
Instead of being mad at menopause, I am now calling it a journey through menopause. The drastic symptoms have softened thanks to research, talking with my doctors, and making treatment decisions that best fit my body. As women we will all experience menopause and the havoc placed upon our bodies during this transition. Menopause is part of life and health and not a subject to be hushed and brushed under the carpet. There is no shame or embarrassment discussing anything that relates to health and fitness. We have lived too long with our heads tucked between our tails and still thinking how dare we use the term "vagina" in public. Come on now, we are all grown women and men for that matter and this is a `need to take care of issue` for women and the men who support them.
One year ago I was plagued with unbelievable hot flashes that tormented my days and nights, fatigue, irritability, foggy thinking, inability to sleep, vaginal dryness, numerous urinary tract infections, decreased libido, and complete frustration that consumed me. This is a brief description of what can be read in the
above referenced article fully outlined in ugly detail. I think menopause was at the forefront of every conversation I had with my husband back then and "thank you God" for such a supportive man. It did not matter how physically fit I looked on the outside because my inside was so out of balance I did not feel confident sexually or as a woman. This weighed on me heavily and I was desperate to fight menopause with all I had.
One year later and I am feeling fabulous. I no longer take OTC herbal blends and decided to give bio-identical hormone therapy a try. I have been on the bio-identicals for 10-months now and the improvement in menopause symptoms is remarkable. In addition, I have continued the low dose estrogen vaginal insert pill and very happy with the `plumped up` results. I also use natural coconut oil and vitamin E suppositories regularly for internal vaginal moisturizing. My hot flashes went away within 2-weeks of bio-identical therapy and as the months have gone by, I feel like my old self again. Emotionally and physically my body feels like it has been brought back into hormonal balance and I am functioning at what I would call a normal level.
My confidence is renewed, my thinking is clear, and sex is great. I am taking an additional herb that I will not disclose right now until I can provide fair feedback. I will share that it has to do with increased vascular functioning. My lifestyle of eating healthy and exercising regularly continues to help residual menopause symptoms. The only thing remaining is irregular bleeding which is normal on or off bio-identical hormones. I may go 3 months with no cycle and get that surprise period which can be light or heavy.
I do not know how long I will require trans dermal bio-identical hormone therapy but am happy that I made the decision to go this route for my body. It has changed my frustrations into stress free days of going through the transition and I look forward to no longer having periods...sweet freedom. Sharing my journey through menopause is not only informative but to support you are not alone in the process. However, we are all individuals needing to be our own health care advocates. It is important to make the best choices for ourselves through research and doctor discussions. If anything, be motivated there is hope to feeling better going through menopause and always be pro-active when it comes to your health.
Check out my article
"Menopause: Fight Back with Food" on the
About.com network for more great info on the subject.
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| Dedicated to my Beautiful Husband |
Stay Healthy!
Darla
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