Menopause & Me

It's been a few months since I last wrote about my HRT journey and at the time I'd been told, quite firmly, to stop the HRT gel as a result of ongoing and progressively worse migraines. I'd been referred for some blood tests and had a telephone appointment booked in (only a six week wait!) to discuss next steps. I'm not going to lie, I am not the biggest fan of blood tests as anyone who has ever accompanied me or has had the joy of taken them would confirm! Somehow I hit the

When I think of Japan, my head is filled with images of Cherry Blossom, a country of unique experiences and cuisine, the beauty of the Geisha and the imposing view of Mount Fuji. I would love to visit but the long flight time & earthquake risk has always prevented me making that all important booking! Today though, my attention turns to the journey of menopause for Japanese women. How does their experience differ from those of us navigating this stage of life in other countri

The next in my cultural series - menopause around the world - takes me to South Korea. Join me as I explore how menopause is viewed, how women experience this transitional time of life and what support looks like. I’ll be the first to admit that when I think of South Korea, menopause isn’t the inmediately thing that springs to mind. I think of Seoul, K-pop, K-dogs and, the one with a massively growing market, Korean skincare! I would LOVE to visit Seoul, I am equal measure c

If you've listened to my podcast you'll know a little about my perimenopause journey so far but if not take a look at my first blog that covers by journey up to the coil! Life after Sal! Despite my anxiety about the actual procedure, going to Sal's sage advice and having the Mirena coil fitted was the best decision I could just have made. From heavy bleeding, to nausea, headaches, sore boobs and having only a few days respite each month, this had all become too much to cope w

Last weekend, I attended an event called Let's Talk Women's Health , and it left a strong impression on me. The event, which was in its second year, brought together experts, advocates, and everyday women to discuss important topics related to women's health. The women behind the event are all doing this on a voluntary basis, still needing to do their day job and I think they did an incredible job! You can find them on Instagram - I'll share their handle and that of some of t

This week I quietly sat in the sleepy town of Elmore, Ohio, considering the next podcast topic, finally settling on ‘The Truth about HRT’. The podcast episode, which is coming soon, will very much focus on the here and now - the challenges in accessing, the different experiences, the myths, the cost and a whole lot more. As I have some thought to the topic, I realised how little I actually knew about HRT - I knew it supported menopause and I of course knew that I have a gel

While I may be UK based, I definitely see myself as a global citizen. I am fascinated by other cultures, it is what I love most about travel - exploration and learning. For me, it would feel wrong to travel to another country and come away with no real cultural learning. And this fascination, coupled with my journey through menopause, led me to consider it from a global perspective. To question how experience differs around the world. Are there countries that are further forw

Bad Education Menopause marks a significant chapter in a woman’s life, often filled with uncertainty and change. So why is the education we receive so limited? My earliest memory of women's health being talked about was at primary school, you know that slightly odd moment when the boys & girls were separated so we could be told about periods without them having to be subjected to the awkwardness of that word - hardly surprising that some men choose to shuffle papers and look

If you've been listening into my podcast, you'll know that I am automatically cautious of anything I see that has a celebrity endorsement. I immediately start to question whether they are putting their name to it because it genuinely helps or because it's a money spinner. I make no apology for that - menopause can make us vulnerable, as we seek out - sometimes desperately - something, anything that might 'fix' the symptoms or at least make us feel a bit better. BUT - and it i