Asurge of overwhelming heat rose upwards rapidly from my chest, until I felt as if sweat was dripping off my head. And all it had taken to trigger my hot flush was reading an email at work about a tricky situation I needed to tackle as part of my job as a university student placement coordinator. Flustered and embarrassed, I quickly untied my silk neck scarf and pulled off my cardigan, then nipped outside the office, trying to compose myself. Eventually I sneaked back in, hoping nobody had noticed, but I knew it wouldn't be long before the same thing happened all over again. Aged 49, I was experiencing between 15 and 20 of these hot flushes every day, along with night sweats, and I was at my wits' end.
Exhausted from night after night of broken sleep, and racked with anxiety and low mood, I'd endured three months of this before I finally admitted to myself that it was time to do something I'd been dreading bring up the subject of menopause with my GP.
Walking into the surgery, I expected my symptoms could be relieved with hormone replacement therapy (HRT) tablets.
When I stepped onto the scales, though, and 20st flashed up, my doctor shook her head.
'I'm sorry, I can't prescribe you oral HRT at your weight,' she said.
You'll need to lose 5st to be eligible for treatment.' I left her office feeling doubly down disappointed not to be heading to the chemist with a prescription for HRT, and upset that the reason for that was my weight. I knew something had to change - the problem was, I didn't rate my chances of slimming down. I'd struggled with my weight all my adult life and had tried all sorts of diets. I'd also been to Slimming World, but had just weighed in and never stayed for the support part of the session. A pattern developed where I'd start really well, then leave the group and slip back into my old eating habits.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 06, 2024 من WOMAN - UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 06, 2024 من WOMAN - UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
I breastfed my HUSBAND
Rachel Bailey and her partner found a different way to feel connected
My sister's husband admitted MURDERING HER
Christine Weatherhead’s brother-in-law confessed to an undercover police officer, but he’s still a free man. Woman investigates...
Why you should see your GP with dizzy spells
While it may seem a common occurrence for many people, establishing the cause of persistent dizziness is essential...
10 strange signs you SHOULDN'T IGNORE
From itchy skin to a burning mouth, we reveal some very surprising menopause symptoms to look out for
The ROYAL INSIDER
'SOPHIE IS THE DEFINITION OF DUTIFUL'
Wedding FEVER
As the Duke andDuchess of Sussex celebrate six years of marriage, we take a look at some of the best royal fairy-tale weddings
'The love scenes are BEAUTIFUL'
Bridgerton's Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton on what fans can expect from the third season
I proved the DOUBTERS WRONG
Trinny Woodall on overcoming life’s hurdles, finding more confidence at last and dating at 60
RICHARD & JUDY Separate lives
They’re the original TV golden couple, so it’s hard to imagine Richard Madeley without Judy Finnigan and vice versa.
Meghan's new BETRAYAL?
The duchess wont come to the UK but seems to stop at nothing in her quest for global stardom. So, is this all about charitable causes or simply a little attention-seeking, asks Emily Andrews