Deborah wrote me after reading a couple of other ladies who shared their story.  She wanted to share hers.

My name is Deborah and I am new to the Menopause game.  I have had quite a few struggles in my life, the first getting my period at the age of 11 and my current struggle losing it 40 years later.  I suppose it is just like first getting your period, where your body experiences different changes and a young lady has to incorporate those changes into her new life.  It’s the same with menopause. 

I’ve had quite a few unpleasant experiences with menopause so far, but as far as the mental process goes, I’ve adjusted with the fact that it is another stage in my life and that I should embrace it rather than succumb to the feeling that I am not useful as a producer of life (not that I was thinking of having children at this age anyway!)  As far as my symptoms go, I’ve had multiple hot flashes, headaches, unfortunate mood swings and insomnia.  Thinking back, these are the same symptoms that I had when I first got my period.  By my twenties, I was able to get over these symptoms but now it seems that this same body 30 years later needs new types of symptoms relief.

I recently went to my doctor (2 years of stubbornness dealing with these menopausal symptoms) and she advised me that a good way to relieve these menopausal symptoms was through Hormone Replacement Therapy.  She said that menopause is another mental and physical change that women’s bodies go through due to the lack of estrogen and progesterone that is being released into my bodily system.  She also revealed to me that due to the lower levels of this hormone, that I have an increased chance of suffering from heart disease and osteoporosis because these hormones protected me before and now they are MIA.

While I am inclined to think that Hormone Replacement Therapy is beneficial to my symptoms it does come at a great opportunity cost.  In order to relieve these menopausal symptoms, I will increase my chances of breast and endometrial cancer, bleeding, headaches and swollen breasts.  On the other hand, HRT also prevents against Alzheimer’s disease, colon cancer and muscular degeneration.

Currently, I have ventured into receiving acupuncture to regulate my system while deciding if I want to put myself on HRT.  At the moment it has relieved most of my symptoms and I have been feeling great.  So, can I get by without HRT, or will it help me?  I'm not sure yet.  It's an easy decision to make when you're not in the middle of it all.

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