A couple of years ago, I was experiencing what I decided were hot flashes and hot flushes. The heat in my vicinity would suddenly, without explanation, rise to hellish levels. The ladies in my office would ask me if I was having a hot flash because they could see my face and chest turn red and sweat beads would pop up on my forehead and upper lip. Ever since I’ve been having hot flashes, which are not to be confused with hot flushes (which is where your face and chest gets red), but hot flashes feel, in my opinion, like my face and ears are on fire! The fire was literally coming from deep inside. The flushes, of course, accompanied my hot flashes.
In June, I celebrated my one year anniversary of surgical menopause. I even texted my surgeon, Dr. PKJ, and thanked her for helping me out. After two wonky endometrial biopsies, we opted for a total hysterectomy (ovaries and all). Final pathology revealed complex hyperplasia with atypia (precancerous changes of the endometrium). Do I advise everyone to run out and get a hysterectomy? No, but for me it was the best decision considering my circumstances.
Besides the hot flashes and hot flushes, other menopausal symptoms I encountered were insomnia, brain fog, hair loss or unwanted hair where you don’t want hair, night sweats, and weight gain, all of which are also frustrating. I would exercise and try to eat healthy, but this menopause crap is for the birds and it’s not for the faint of heart. “I’m hot.” “I’m cold.” “I can’t sleep.” “I can’t think straight.” “Did my jeans shrink?” “Why is my hair falling out?” “Did I just pee the bed? Oh no, wait… I’m just drenched in sweat!”
You might look at me and say, like most people, “You’re too young to have hot flashes”, or “You’re too young to have had a hysterectomy.” To that I say, “Bah…”
Painful and heavy periods, sometimes violent mood swings, and then two wonky (and abso-freaking-lutely uncomfortable) endometrial biopsies were enough for me to decide on a total hysterectomy. My husband and I had decided over 15 years ago that we didn’t want to procreate (i.e., have kids), so yes, we are childless by choice. Does that make me a bad person? No. I love children, but I also love giving them back to their parents after I have had my fill of them. But this is not what this blog post is about… it’s about menopause and how to deal with it, whether you’re actually going through menopause or if you’re pre-menopausal.
I have found a great night-time remedy to help cool my body off. I mixed coconut oil (which is good for your skin anyway) and a few drops of peppermint essential oil. The peppermint oil mixed with the coconut oil creates a cooling effect. I put it on my upper arms, neck, chest, and tops and bottoms of my feet.
Caryn Franklin, of Refinery 29 UK, wrote “Menopause: The Truth and the Surprise Ending”, which you can read here. She said, “Every woman’s experience of menopause is different. It’s a process of oestrogen and progesterone withdrawal and it will impact you in a unique way, because you are unique. Everyone I have spoken to laments the taboo nature of talking about what to expect, but perhaps we could all feel less ambivalent about the forthcoming rite of passage if we knew menopause delivers a mind-blowing mid-life recalibration – one with a valuable message of growth and expansion.”
Ms. Franklin also said, “Post-menopause needs renaming and reclaiming for what it truly is, a magnificent time of curiosity, creativity and rank.” Ms. Franklin notes that she experienced brain fug and insomnia, which I too have experienced. For example, as I write this blogpost, it is literally 1:05 a.m. YIKES! Most nights I try to get in bed between 10 and 11 p.m. Other nights I’m lucky to fall asleep before 2 a.m., making getting up at 6:15 a.m. that much harder.
But here’s what I say to that (which is good advice that I need to start following myself) — DEVELOP A ROUTINE! I sometimes take dissolvable melatonin to help me fall asleep, but night sweats can sometimes wake me up, which is where the coconut and peppermint oil mixture comes in handy — it cools the body off. Exercise also helps to make the hot flashes not so traumatizing. I usually walk after I get off work (depending on the weather), somewhere between 5:00-5:30 p.m., and I walk for about 45 minutes to an hour.
And just so you know, I don’t take any HRT (hormone replacement therapy) or bio-identical hormones. I am trying to go through menopause as naturally as possible. For the past four months, I have been trying out ItWorks! EstroRhythm. It is a two-part system – a cream that I rub on my upper arms or my belly, and two pills I take usually after lunch or in the evening. I do think that the EstroRhythm has helped me because there are times at the end of my day when I have to stop and think, “Have I had a hot flash today?” It’s a great feeling when I can’t remember when my last hot flash was!
At the young age of 43, I am, like Ms. Franklin, ready to reclaim this time in my life, making it a magnificent time of discovering exactly the woman I want to be and what I want to do!
Are you pre-menopausal or currently going through menopause? If so, then I hope these little tips have helped you!
Yours Truly,
Vanessa