The joys of being a menopausal woman

Bonnie Papajohn

Dahlia Health & Nutrition Coaching

As a woman, I am passionate about two topics when it comes to my own personal health.  One is  gut health (more on that in the next blog) and the other is the menopause journey that each and every woman will go through if she lives long enough.  I went into full menopause just before I turned 50, thanks to a much-needed hysterectomy.  Even though I had symptoms for several years before, I was not aware of what was happening to my body. Just like many women my age, I had no idea what was going on.  There were days when I thought I was going mad, days when I was starving and was ruled by cravings.  There were also days that I had joint aches and headaches.  All unexplained by the docs.  Some days I was so tired and brain foggy, I could not decide to turn left or right or go up or down.  My anxiety was extreme, and I was very moody.  Does it sound familiar yet? Oh yeah, I gained unexplained weight too.

My OBGYN did help me as best she could at the time.  Most of us were still under the assumption that hormone replacement caused breast cancer and that I was too young to even consider that option.  A physician even told me to get used to the extra weight, tiredness, etc.  That’s just what women go through.  In other words, tough it out.  That statement alone made me want to fight back.

What kept me sane during this time was my continuing to exercise.  No cardo was too hard, no workout was too hard, and I did notice a difference in my energy and strength.  The cardio alone helped me stay focused and less anxious.   What was mainly lacking for me was proper nutrition.  Even though I ate well, I still had my weekly Chick-fil-A or Culvers and lots of wine.

As I went through all this, I felt alone and isolated.  No one discussed it.  I remember telling my doctor that we should learn this shit in school, along with puberty and where kids come from. She told me that they barely talked about Menopause in medical school, and she was an OBGYN.

Thankfully, as I entered full-blown menopause after my hysterectomy, I went on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and it truly changed everything.  You can’t replace estrogen with anything other than estrogen, and aging women need estrogen just as much as younger women do.  However, it is up to each individual to decide if this type of treatment is right for them (and finding a doctor who will comply if you want to try it). Some women are not able to take HRT for various reasons. Only about 4 % of women in the US take it.  I have done the research on this topic, have taken courses and worked with many women going through perimenopause or menopause.  My experience is comprehensive. I have researched ways to help all women make the transition as smooth as possible.  HRT doesn’t do it all, lifestyle and proper nutrition play a huge role. Each of us is different, so there is no one size fits all. It takes experimenting and guidance to see what is right for each person.

 I want to empower women to educate themselves and explore ways to get them through this life shift feeling alive, happy, and worthy.  Sometimes I can get carried away with a topic.  This one is not going anywhere and will affect all of us at some point…even the men in our lives!