Campaign 4 of VN Futures Diversity, Inclusivity, and Widening Participation Working Group is centered around menopause. In this blog, BVNA Council Member, Steph Worsley, discusses her menopause journey, and provides advice for anyone who thinks they may be going through the menopause.

Even though I anticipated that I would start my menopause journey early due to family history, nothing really prepared me for it starting before I turned forty-two.

Looking back my symptoms started 2 years before I sought help for it, however, hindsight is a wonderful thing. My anxiety and depression had both increased, but I put that down to the post-lockdown world. My joint pain had also increased, which my GP and I put down to osteoarthritis due to my history, this had a significant impact on my work duties as I couldn’t bend or hold things as easily.

It wasn’t until one day at work, probably in early September last year, that I thought I might be going through perimenopause. It was a mild day at work, when I started feeling rather warm from the inside out, so off came the fleece, which didn’t really help, we had patients recovering from anaesthesia so I couldn’t switch the air conditioning on either. As soon as I had finished the task at hand I had to go and stand outside to try and cool off. I had no other symptoms of having a fever, and then it was gone, and I returned back to my normal body temperature and the fleece had to go back on. The night sweats started around the same time and although I am lucky (it’s more like hot flushes at night for me generally), they do still wake me up and I have vivid dreams. I also found as my depression became worse and I was snapping at friends, colleagues and loved ones more. But for me the brain fog is definitely the worst part of my symptoms; I walk five steps and completely forget what I am meant to be doing or I forget what I’m saying mid conversation, this obviously can be frustrating.

I am lucky that I sought help from a supportive GP who signposted me to an app called Balance – Menopause Support, where I can log my symptoms every day and use it to help update and inform my GP’s as well. I had my hormone levels checked, which were normal so didn’t correspond with peri/menopause however my GP agreed to put me on HRT, as a trial and my symptoms have improved.

I was open from the start and my work colleagues are hugely supportive, assisting me when my joint pain flares, trying to help when the brain fog kicks in, and although sometimes that help comes with a giggle, it helps lighten my mood and deal with the frustration that comes alongside it. I also have a desk fan and a little handheld fan for those moments when the internal thermostat stops working.

My advice if anyone thinks they may be going through the menopause is to download the app or track everything you can, this will help you focus and help your GP as well. I am also part of a local menopause Facebook group, it’s great to have that bit of a community and support from other people going through the same situation. I would also urge you to speak to your colleagues, if they don’t know that you are going through something then they cannot adapt or help accordingly. The more of us that openly discuss the menopause the better in my eyes, then we can create awareness and help others with their journey.