Is it me, or is it my HRT?
On hormones, hysterectomies, and the conversation we're missing when it comes to women's health in midlife
I started taking testosterone last week. I also coincidentally had the highest anxiety I’ve had in years. And I hate that I don’t know if the two are related.
I hate that for women in this age bracket, every pound we gain, every outburst we have, and every deep emotion we feel, we have to ask ourselves - is it me, or is this just my hormones?
So I wanted to take a moment to talk about the elephant in the room for almost every woman in the middle third of life - our hormones. But more importantly, how it’s affecting us, and not in the way you think.
Most of us don’t live under a rock, so we know how perimenopause physiologically affects us: mood swings, irritability, increased anxiety and depression, brain fog and forgetfulness, fatigue and low energy, weight changes, insomnia, decreased libido (just to name a few). But what we don't talk about is how it’s affecting us emotionally and the ripple effects it has in our homes, communities, and society.
Women in the middle third of life are in their PRIME, with more wisdom to offer than any other age group. And yet, we are stepping down from careers, being overlooked by society, feeling more insecure about our abilities and changing bodies, and in many ways pushed aside, no longer seen as relevant or valuable.
Perimenopause and menopause are being talked about as something to fear, be frustrated with, or feel overwhelmed about, when it should be the opposite.
So today I want to get into my experience with perimenopause (especially my journey with a hysterectomy and where I’m at with hormone replacement therapy), what I’ve learned through all of this, and what I think we’re missing.
I truly believe we are looking at perimenopause/menopause backward. We are growing frustrated, overwhelmed, and insecure around our changing bodies and minds, when in reality, we should be frustrated with society and the lack of information.
Ok, so let’s start at the beginning….
