My Journey through Menopause

My journey through menopause is more of an update of my "Mad at Menopause" blog post.  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'm 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're all grown women and men for that matter and this is an important issue for women and the men who support them.

Starting menopause, I was plagued with unbelievable hot flashes that tormented my days and nights. Fatigue was at an all time high. I felt irritable, experienced foggy thinking and inability to sleep. Vaginal dryness was insane, numerous urinary tract infections were intolerable and lastly, my libido tanked. I was completely frustrated and menopause absolutely consumed me.

I think menopause was at the forefront of every conversation with hubby back then. I thank God every day for such a supportive man. It didn't matter how physically fit I looked on the outside because my inside was so out of balance. I didn't feel confident sexually or as a woman. This weighed on me heavily and I was desperate to fight menopause with all I had.

This update comes two years into my menopause and happy to report, I feel fabulous. I no longer take OTC herbal blends and decided to give bio-identical hormone therapy a try.

I have been on bio-identical hormones for two years 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. 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. I am now functioning at what I would call a normal level.

My confidence is renewed, my thinking is clear, and sex is great. My lifestyle of eating healthy and regular exercise continues to help residual menopause symptoms. My cycles have not made an appearance for over a year which is one of the indicators of being in full menopause.

I don't know how long I will require trans dermal bio-identical hormone therapy but am happy with the decision to go this route for my body. It has changed my frustration into stress-free days and I can better accept going through menopause. Not having a period feels like sweet freedom. I can wear white pants with confidence.

Sharing my journey through menopause is my way of supporting other women going through this process. However, we are all unique individuals who need to be our own health care advocates. It's important to make the best choices for ourselves through research and doctor discussions. What works for me may not be the best option for you. Be motivated there is hope to feeling better going through menopause and always be pro-active when it comes to your health.

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Mad at Menopause

Just thinking about the title is bringing on a hot flash. Well, I must admit to being mad at menopause. Turning 50 was an exciting time and I still enjoy being in the club. The hormonal changes my body is experiencing right now not so much. 

Brace yourself, I will be talking very candidly about my experience with hormone changes and my body. This is not meant to offend anyone. Going through the change is a subject many are afraid to discuss out of embarrassment, fear, or the belief it should be hush-hush. We have come too far to continue this way of thinking. Health involves discussing all things relating to the human body and aging. I for one am all about sharing, learning, and getting feedback from others on the subject.

LIFE SAVER

I have been frantically researching hormone imbalance for a few years now. I have tried supplementation, herbals, transdermal creams, and natural moisturizers attempting to restore balance in my body. 

I am very aware of foods that help with hormone balance and eat my share of raw pumpkin seeds and watermelon. I also exercise consistently which is another way to help with the stresses of hormone imbalance. Some women may sail right through without a hitch in the get along, but not this girl. Through research, I have discovered I'm not alone and there are plenty of women suffering from menopause symptoms. 

I began experiencing night sweats years ago, which I easily managed with a transdermal OTC progesterone cream. That seemed to be the biggest drag during my premenopausal time. However and for a few years, my periods took on a life of their own. Everything became unpredictable. I didn't know from one month to the next if I was in full menopause. 

According to my doctor, not having a cycle for one year would be the indicator of being in true menopause. I enjoy my gynecologist and have to say she is easy to talk to. I respect her opinion and am able to share my desire to go through this process as natural as possible. The thing about most western medicine doctors is non-support of bio-identical hormones. Also, they're generally not covered by insurance. So be prepared for such roadblocks. Don't be afraid to be yourself and cover every concern with your doctor.

Menopause has been a thief of my womanhood. It has plagued me with sleepless nights, hot flashes, frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs), and the worst part … a broken ya-ya. My frustration has become motivation to work very hard at making the best decisions for me and my body. 

I'm sure many women can relate to what I am sharing. Hopefully, this Blog will stimulate comments so we can all support and share what has worked or not worked. This can no longer be a hide behind the door subject. As women, it's important to be brave, embrace who we are, what we're going through, and create a voice for answers. I will get off my soap box now and dive right into my journey of being mad at menopause.

The dreaded hot flash comes at all hours of the day and night. For some reason, I'm bothered most at night. It's so frustrating not being able to get a full night sleep. This alone can really put me on edge. I have discovered the best remedy is sleeping under a light sheet with one leg covered and one leg exposed. I also keep the ceiling fan going which seems to help. 

Enjoying a glass of wine in the evening will trigger a hot flash. It will continue to haunt me during sleep time with a dreaded night sweat. I have found it's important to stay away from the triggers. 

What has seemed to help my menopause symptoms is Maca Root, recommended by my gynecologist. Maca is an herbal I mix in a green shake each day. Before using maca root, I put in the necessary research of pros and cons, and decided to give it a go. 

What I'm sharing has worked and not worked for me. It's important for each of us to be our own health care advocates. We should not try any supplement without reviewing clinical research and solid evidence to support health claims. Don't take my word as gospel. My body is different than yours and may respond differently to herbs like maca root. My share is to inform and motivate you to start your own journey of research.  

Moving on to other mad at menopause symptoms: decreased sexual sensitivity, increased bladder discomfort and UTIs, and the dreaded dry vagina or what I like to call the broken ya-ya.  Talk about the worst of the worst and are you kidding me?! This has got to be the most unfair situation ever as sex is a very important part of a healthy marital relationship. 

As women, it's important to feel confident about our bodies and our abilities. We shouldn't feel guarded about sex because our minds get so focused on things like: will I orgasm? am I too dry? will it hurt too much? what's he thinking? The list is really endless. How can we be in the moment when all that mental noise is going on? 

Personally, I refuse to be a woman on the edge with the inability to get over the fence and I'm referring to orgasm here. I enjoy this part of my married life and research focused in this area has been very thorough. I have discovered a new vaginal suppository containing coconut oil and vitamin E. This magic stuff works better than most of the OTC products out there. I use ½ suppository daily which keeps me naturally moisturized for the day and into the evening. 

My goal is to prevent vaginal atrophy and yes this is what occurs during menopause. In laymen terms, we women start drying up like a prune and develop a dry sandpaper interior. The do not disturb sign has clearly landed. I refuse to allow any such nonsense to happen, and am fighting for my sexual right as a woman and wife.

Decreased sensitivity during sex can also occur as the body no longer carries adequate blood supply to the vaginal tissue and clitoris. Research sent me to L-arginine supplementation which is an amino acid naturally occurring in our body. Studies have shown L-arginine to help with blood supply and flow to the sex organs. Well, this turned out to be a huge waist of my time. I can be prone to cold sores and updated research lead me to discover L-arginine stimulates the virus causing cold sores. I tossed the bottle in the trash and never looked back. Thank goodness I also keep a supply of Lysine, an immunity boosting amino acid which works to prevent cold sores. I increased the dose to counter act the negative side effects of the L-arginine.   

Another unfortunate menopause related problem that occurs with me has been severe bouts of urinary tract infection (UTI) symptoms. The discomfort can wake me in the middle of the night and cause me to curl up in a fetal position. I have a low-dose antibiotic on standby when these events occur, OTC Cystex, and cranberry supplements. I found a heating pad also helps along with OTC pain reliever like Aleve. I also begin a protocol of increased water and additional 100% cranberry juice to flush out my system. 

I'm very in tune with my body and can feel a UTI early onset. So, typically I do catch it early and am able to not lose too much time or days off work. The night may suck getting the symptoms calmed down, but once manageable, I can function pretty well at work and in general. 

I have also looked into HRT (hormone replacement therapy), and currently researching bio-identical hormones. Bio-identicals are hormone closely related to our own body production and administered transdermally. 

I have decided not to take any systemic estrogen by mouth in order to minimize cancer risk. I don't want the hormone to metabolize directly through my liver and into my bloodstream. The incidence of cancer is greater with such therapy so this door is forever closed for me. 

I am trying a vaginal insert pill of very low dose estrogen. This is localized to the vaginal tissues and helps plump up and restore natural vaginal lubrication and reduction of UTI issues. I even had doubts and fears regarding cancer with the vaginal insert. After discussion with both western medicine and natural path doctors, they were in agreement with initial treatment of vaginal cream, pill, or ring. I went with the most convenient and less messy pill insert. 

Online research also reduced my fears, and I am willing to give it a try for a few months. I'm hoping for a positive outcome.  I will need to report back with my personal findings. I do welcome feedback from women, or husbands whose wives are currently using vaginal insert low estrogen and how it has been helpful or not. 

I have had many discussions with women going through menopause which is helpful and supportive. It can feel like such a desperate and frustrating time not knowing the best course of action to take. It feels scary to possibly subject ourselves to cancer or other disease in the process of discovery. 

It can seem unfair very little clinical studies on menopause and women’s dysfunction have been conducted. Further research would provide more options, and allow us to feel more confident in decision making. If anything, I hope my personal share on the subject has been helpful. We are not alone in our struggle and frustration. Keep up the research and find what works best for you and your body. We are all on this journey of life and the transitions along the way. We can only do our best on finding what works best. 

I dedicate this Blog to my fabulous husband who is always supportive and understanding. I thank you for encouraging my writing, especially on such personal topics. 

You're amazing!  

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The Holidays, Hormones, and Happiness

Lots of changes this year with the family and how this Mom/Trainer will be spending the Christmas Holiday…all good, but different.  It feels weird for me having to adjust to the changes in life and not just for the holidays, but with my hormones.  Thanksgiving month was the start of struggle with marked and increased changes to that which I can only attribute to transitioning into another part of womanhood…OH MY!  I mean really…all at the same time…during the holidays…really, really??? 

I was already having a bit of a time adjusting to the changes occurring with how the holidays would have to be split up as a Mom of adult kids that have their own new agendas…bitter sweet happiness…but still a big adjustment.  Mixed in with the throws of hot flashes, high anxiety, other personal changes,  irritability due to sleep deprivation, just not feeling like ME…GEEZ…the pumpkin seeds just are not cutting the mustard anymore…lol…and for heaven’s sake watermelon season is long gone.  I am so blessed to have such a supportive husband through this journey and  hats off to all the other husbands out there that are understanding and do not take personal all the goings on of menopausal issues…GOLD STARS!

I am such a faith person and celebrate what Christmas means to me as a woman of God, but let me tell you, I have had to have more than a few one on one conversations over  the last two months.  Life can feel overwhelming when hormonal changes are occurring and YES…although I am usually springing about happy as a clam during the cherished holiday season…it just has not felt the same this year.  I understand that it is probably the combo of everything happening at the same time, but YIKEE.  It is even more awkward that I can’t even offer up a good explanation for feeling high anxiety…I already have an A1 personality type anyway which probably does not help.  On top of that, what the heck happened to my energy, stamina, and everything else that felt like Darla…I mean come on now…this is a double REALLY, REALLY?

OK…I am sharing some very personal things right now and please do not confuse it for complaining…I am letting you know that I, just like you,  go through life, experience what every woman of a young, fit almost 50 can go through and it can SUCK.  YES…I said it…some days, it really sucks to not feel like ME…my plug has been pulled right out of the wall and I am holding onto the cord going OK…now what?  You know me…I do not let things get the best of me…so more research was in order and a trip to the doctor.  I have worked with many women who experience peri-menopause and menopause symptoms and although I suspected that this was indeed the culprit invading my inner body space, I needed to rule out the possibilities of medical issues not related.  Believe me, I would have hit the floor with a positive pregnancy test…love babies, love my children, am a grandmother…but that would have definitely sent me to the peri-menopausal special place for TLC.  Whew…negative…let’s move on and off that subject. 

The beautiful thing about life is that we all experience different things when it comes to reaching menopause…some sail through without a scratch, while others, and that would include me, do not necessarily care for the changes that are happening through the process.  So, through my research, I am  giving a natural herb blend menopausal support supplement a try and am hopeful for a positive result after reading the reviews,  understanding each herb independently and the possible benefits/negatives to the body.  The next few months will tell me if I need to take a different direction, but I will keep a positive outlook and in conjunction with the transdermal hormone creams that I use now, what do I have to lose.  I will let you know how it goes a couple of months into my herbal therapy.

What a subject to write about during the holidays, but HERE IT IS…out of my control, happening right now, and Merry Christmas Darla…ho ho  ho.  One of my fabulous clients shared “look at it this way…you will be able to wear white pants now”.  I had to laugh…she was right…love my clients.  As much as I motivate them, there are days that they motivate me without their even knowing it.  I say, I really enjoy my strong coffee in the morning right now too…especially after a night of visits from the” flash club”.  This is a part of my life that I have no control over, except for the introduction of herbal supplements, but that truly does not change that I am changing.  Acceptance of again, the New Modified Me, feels like it needs to repeat itself through my menopausal journey.  Technically, I will not be in true menopause until I have not had a cycle for a year…WHAT???  Ughhh…so, I can be out and about in my new WHITE PANTS and still be surprised…OH FA LA LA LA LA…JOY JOY JOY JOY. 

Honestly, it can feel unfair, but I have experienced all kinds of unfairness in my life, AND all circumstances have been used to grow me in a positive way to be a BETTER, STRONGER, and even MORE FAITHFUL person.  So, I will look upon this part of my life in the same way, and I CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY.  In fact, I am HAPPY and have so much to be thankful for with my health, meeting the man I can truly say I LOVE and understand fully what that means and feels like, my children, family, friends, clients, and even the fact that I have a roof over my head and a warm bed to sleep in…more than HAPPY…I am humbled and thankful.  So, when the overwhelming Life is Bigger than ME Menopausal Monster tries to creep into the crevices of my mind and body, I will try really hard to concentrate on all the things positive in my life.  This is in fact a journey that will require patience and TLC, and I know that some days will be more challenging than others, but I also realize that even this experience will enable me to help others, and through that, I will be blessed. 

HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and Stay Healthy~

From My Family to Yours

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Have a FABULOUS weekend and upcoming holiday week!

 

Dedicated to my Always Supportive Hubby, Don

Stay Healthy!

Darla;) 

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