Hi Ladies, just popping in to say hi and give some encouragment
Posted , 13 users are following.
I promised that if I ever felt good, I would post about it and not just disappear. I recall reading posts about women that had come out the other side of this mess and felt better and how that would bring me hope for myself that i might feel better one day. So this is my update post to all you wonderful ladies and i hope it helps.
I've been post menopausal since September - so not long, but i want to let y'all know that things are back to normal for me. Some of you that remember me will recall the hell I was in starting in July of 17. Several months of being bed/housebound with severe anxiety, lack of appetite, horrible fatigue, brain fog, loss of weight, out of body sensation, ect... the list went on and on. I figured I was dying of some illness that the multiple Dr's had all missed or at the very least, I was never going to be myself again. That this new sick, scared, wimpy, anxious person was the new and forever me and the old me was gone. That thought alone was the most unbearable of everything! Boy, was I terrified of that! Well I'm here to let y'all know that it doesnt last! That you will get back to your old self! I know we each have our own peri/meno journey and timetable and mine was not that long in the suffering compared to some on this site. I recall some posters saying that if you suffer a lot in peri, then menopause wont be so bad. This seems to be what has happened with me. Now, I will say that I have noticed a marked thinning of my skin and my neck skin is getting saggy and i have almost zero cervical mucous... but who cares about that, right!? Not me, after the way i use to feel! None of these things cause me physical pain or mental anguish, so I will gladly take it and move along my way! I am my old self - just a little drier!
So hang in there ladies! This is one awful time of life, but you will be back to yourself! And when you do return to yourself, you will be so happy and grateful and proud that you weathered through it! Life will take on a couple different meanings and you will learn some great things about yourself, those around you and whats important to you. I'm sending big hugs and positive thoughts your way.
16 likes, 23 replies
staci88515 audra86673
Posted
Hi Audra,
I am so hopeful after reading your post! Just curious, as I am new here. Did you ever have issues with your vision or migraines with aura?
audra86673 staci88515
Posted
Hi Staci,
I had regular hormonal migraines from when I was 31-49 yrs. I'd get them on day 2 & sometimes carry over into day 3 of my period. I was given an Rx for them ( cant recall the name anymore) but it just made me feel worse and drugged, so I stopped taking them. I found that the OTC BC Powder was the only thing that would take the pain away, so I started taking them and took them and still take them if I get a headache. I didnt pay too much attention to my monthly migraines since I found something that helped me make it through those 2 migraine days, but when i was probably 45 I had what I now know was a retinal migraine. It was the strangest thing! I woke up to get my daughter off to school. I felt fine and was not on my period at the time ( my periods were just starting to become irregular) and I was unloading the dishwasher and then i realized in one of my eyes it looked like I had a water blob in the upper right corner! At first, I just rubbed my eye thinking it was just something floating around in my eye but it didnt move or go away and when I took my hand off my eye, it continued to just sit there! I continued unloading the dishwasher and it started to slowly move around my eye! I kinda started to panic and asked my daughter if she saw anything in my eye, but she didnt. It lasted about 20 mins. Never felt any pain and it never disturbed my vision. I've not had another one since. It was truly the strangest sensation I've had! I'm watching this thing move around my eye that has zero sensation and caused no pain! SO WEIRD! Once my periods totally stopped ( sept of 17) , I've not had anymore migraines. .. but I carry a BC Powder with me just in case! Some people carry a Xanax with them just in case they need it, I carry my BC Powder! Old habits die hard and I will never be without one in my purse!
I never had any real issues with my vision ( other than the one retinal migraine) but during peri I would get a feeling of being out of body or off balance and that would in turn mess with my vision a little., almost like I couldnt really focus type feeling, but nothing that bad.
I hope your peri journey is short lived and not too hard. This board is a great place to come and get support and not feel so alone.
staci88515 audra86673
Posted
Thank you for replying! It gives me hope that you have only had one migraine with aura and your migraines have ceased with menopause. My fingers are crossed that I will be as lucky. I'm so glad you posted. I need hope that things could be better one day. THANK YOU for giving me hope!
tracy43395 audra86673
Posted
I'm very glad you are out the other end. Just wish someone could tell me how long it takes. I'm 5 years into ful menopause and it's relentless.
audra86673 tracy43395
Posted
Hi Tracy. I'm sorry to hear you're 5 years in! I hope it doesn't last too much longer for you! Wouldn't it be great if there was some way to test or predict how long it would last!? At least then we could wrap our heads around it and buckle down and weather the storm knowing how much longer we had to survive! This forum is a great place for support and friendship. I know the women here helped me through my darkest days. I wish you all the best!
Toddpodd audra86673
Posted
What a lovely post!
Thank you x
ampat1 audra86673
Posted
thank you thank you thank you so much for posting this. I am glad all is well with you. Your message of hope definitely helps knowing this too will pass. I am currently having hardest time in peri, anxiety, blues, severe headaches, list goes on and on. But I guess in due time I will get my old self back. Did you take any medication or supplements to help with your symptoms?
audra86673 ampat1
Posted
I tired taking bhrt but only lasted 5 weeks on them. My peri symptoms got really awful in July of 17 and I started the bhrt in August. They made me feel worse than I already was feeling, so I had to stop. I went to many, many dr's within several months to try and explain my horrendous symptoms and check and run tests to make sure I wasn't actually dying! I had bloods drawn several times and it was found that I was iron deficient with low ferritin and low in range vitamin B-12. I was Rx'd iron pills and ate iron rich foods and also supplemented some with B-12. I started feeling better once my iron and ferritin levels improved which took me about 7 months. Thats all the medication and supplements I took.
I'm sorry to hear you're having such a tough time. The anxiety is so awful!... as are all the other symptoms but the anxiety is such a hard thing to handle. Hugs to you! Hang in there!