Hi ladies,
Tanya, you've done a GREAT job with this website and I can't wait to see your membership grow as I'm sure it will now!
I look forward to building a strong relationship between the Australian and NZ support networks and combining our knowledge and experience to create a community for women living with an early menopause.
Nicole x
Thank you Nicole! Congrats on being AEMN's first member and forum poster! I'm really excited about the website and couldn't have done it without your wonderful input and support.
Here here to our Trans Tasman community!
Chat soon,
Tanya xx
Hi Tanya - looks great!! Thanks for working so hard to bring this to fruition, there are many, many EMers out there who will be extremely grateful.
Looking forward to seeing our little community grow, and to meeting up with the NZ girls again some time in the future!!
Tina :)
I just found this website tonight.I don't know if I fit in the criteria of early menopause or not.
I'm nearing 45...but have experienced 13 years of infertility.....with symptoms of seveve nightsweats, hotflashes...every menopausal symptom there is...
In 2004 I underwent ivf but it was cancelled due to low ovarian reserve.
My oestrogen levels have always been low.
The past few years I have not felt well and put this down to my thyroid dysfunction(auto-immune conditiong). I was dx post- meno a few weeks ago and the dr has no idea when I actually went through the menopause.
Wow Grace! You have been through so much. I was very sorry to read of your fertility challenges. There is really no specific criteria for our Early Menopause Network - so welcome aboard. I just want the website to be a place for women to contect about Menopuase, infertility and whatever else they want to chat about.
As you have read in my story, I entered Early Menopause surgically so my personal knowledge of entering Menopause the way you have is not first hand experience. Could I recommend that you contact Nicole via http://www.earlymenopause.org.nz - she is the coordinator and also a member of our site and she has far more knowledge in this area.
In saying that, I can certainly offer support and advice in terms of infertility and thyroid challenges. I hope that you have found some relief from the symptoms of Menopause. As you know, they can be many and varied. I didn't know I had Hashimoto's when I entered Menopause and it wasn't until I find the right HRT and dosage for me (which can take some time!) could I then distinguish the Hashi symptoms as opposed to the purely Menopausal ones. It is taking me far longer to sort out my thyroid medication in terms of energy levels and weight stagnation. I have also developed nodules on the outside of my thyroid and I am not quite sure to do about them??
Please let me know if you have any specific questions and I will do my best to source the best info for you.
Many thanks,
Tanya
Hi
I found this website about 2 months ago and wasn't sure if I felt comfortable about talking about my experience and I wasn't sure exactly what I was allowed to talk about without offending or upsetting anyone or feeling embarrassed.
I hope this site allows me to talk openly about my diagnosis, as I really need to talk to people who understand what I'm going through!
Not quite ready to open up just yet, but am looking forward to being understood by fellow forum members.
Totally off the subject - is it possible to change my password (to something I remember)
Thanks
Jeanette
Hi Jeanette,
Welcome to the AEMN website. I am so glad that you wrote to us! Please feel free to write whatver you want and need to.
Everyones Menopause and Fertility journey is different but sharing your story, thoughts, worries, advice, questions feelings etc with women who 'get it' can really help. It is why I created the website and has been a valuable part of my own story and healing. If you would feel more comfortable writing an email - the address is earlymenopause@yahoo.com
Take care Jeanette! Please let me know if I can be of help or support in anyway. Hope to hear from you soon.
Tanya
Ooh, things are getting busy on here. Very exciting!
Grace,
I'm sorry you've been through so much and no-one in your whole fertility journey ever picked up what was happening to your ovaries. That's kind of shocking really. At 45 I'd say you would still benefit from some oestrogen replacement if you felt that was the right thing for you for symptom control and bone health. Quality of life is very important and you'd do yourself a great favour finding a GP who is willing to help you through this experience.
Jeanette,
I totally agree with what Tanya has said - talk talk talk about it! The more we can share our concerns and our experiences, the more we can all learn and grow (and have a therapeutic laugh) together. :)
Nicole xx
Hi,
I have discovered this website, having just been diagnosed with Premature Menopause. I am feeling incredibly overwhelmed and maybe by talking to those who have either gone through or are currently experiencing it, I might be better enabled to cope.
I am 38, and have had a long history of infertility (luckily I do have one gorgeous little angel, for which I thank my lucky stars every day). The last 12 months I have seen my periods go from every 30 days to virtually non existent, with hot flushes, night sweats etc.
I now have to see a endocrinologist, but also have the added bonus of exceptionally high cholesterol which I am sure is linked to the POF. My GP has prescribed cholesterol medication, but I am loathe to take it, given the long term implications - has anyone else had this problem?
Anyway I would be grateful for any insight into this condition from women who understand what I am going through.
Lainie
Hi Lainie,
So sorry to hear of your infertility battles, but amazing you have your little angel - what a little miracle!
I'm sure you will get a lot of comfort from being part of this community. There's nothing like being able to talk to other women who understand what you're going through.
I don't have the cholesterol complication, so I don't have any advice there, but I just wanted to say hi and welcome. Keep asking those questions - knowledge is power!
Nicole x
Hi Lainie,
Welcome to the Australian Early Menopause Network! How lovely that you have been blessed with your little angel!
I was really sorry to read of your fertility challenges and diagnosis of POF. Connecting with other women experiencing EM and infertility was a life line for me. The grief, medical experiences and challenges assoicated with EM are very unique to women in these circumstances. I found it an isoloating journey as all of my friends were (and still are) having their own families and of course didn't understand what I was going through. All I can say to you is that you do come out the other side. For me, it won't ever go away and it's not something that I'll 'get over' but rather, I'm learning to manage and live with.
My EM was a result of surgery so POF is not something I personally experienced. However, I did have high cholesterol as soon as I entered EM. Turns out that the problem was my thyroid and I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's (high cholesterol can be a symptom of this). My endocronoligist was telling me recently that it is not uncommon for women in Menopause to experience Thyroid challenges due to the drop in estrogen levels. It might be worth having a blood test to check your Thyroid. I have written some other posts about Thyroid 'stuff' that may be helpful.
Please let me know, via this site or our email earlymenopause@yahoo.com if you have any other questions or would like to know some specific info about something else.
I'm really glad that you joined our community and hope that the journey ahead is a little easier knowing that there are other women who understand what you're going through.
What part of Australia are you in? I may be able to contact you with other woman in your area etc.
Take care Lainie,
Tanya
Hi Nicole and Tanya,
Thank you for your kind words and support. You are right about it being an isolating journey. I am the only one of my friends with one child, and all of them are continuing to expand their families. Whilst they are sympathetic and caring, they do not really understand what I am going through.
I have done some research of my own in relation to high cholesterol and menopause, and estrogen plays a part in keeping cholesterol low, so it makes sense to me that the two issues could be linked. I am waiting to see the specialist for the additional tests, as my GP feels I should see an endocrinologist due to the rareness of my condition.
Tanya, I live in Brisbane, so if you know of anyone locally that would be fantastic. Thank you both again for your support, and I think the site is fantastic.
Kind Regards,
Lainie
Hi
So I now feel that I can talk about my premature menopause!! I was diagnosed about 6 months ago at the age of 29!! It felt like a kick in the guts!! My husband and I were trying for our second child, but nothing was happening so I went to my gyno to ask some questions (I wasn't worried at all, afterall I already had one child so didn't think the problem would be too serious and could be easily fixed, if there was one)
My gyno was very puzzled by my condition (after breastfeeding my daughter, my periods returned like clock work for 6 months, only to disappear and reappear sporadically, then disappear completely) so tests were carried out. When the tests came back, I wasn't at all concerned, I was a healthy, fit, trim woman, who never was sick!! How wrong was I!!!!!
The Dr looked at me and said it wasn't good and then he said that I had premature menopause - my stomach dropped and I began to cry! He then proceeded to tell me that our little girl is a miracle as she shouldn't have happened - which then made me bawl my eyes out. I was so fortunate to have him as my Dr, he gave me a hug and told me how sorry he was etc etc, he truly is a wonderful man! He then said he was going to run the tests again, but this time to bring hubby in with me - of course they came back with the same results.
So there it was, I was infertile, and now going through menopause!!! To top it off, it's hereditary which means that when my little girl hits puberty we need to not only go through that, but also discuss egg harvesting with her so that she will have the chance to have children when she gets older (not the conversation I ever pictured having with my daughter!!)
Just like the other ladies, my group of friends are starting families and adding to them, my sister has even just given birth, in fact about 10 babies have been born since my diagnosis and about another 5 announcements - each one hurts so much (but don't get me wrong, I am truly happy for my friends, the best girls around)
As Lain24 said, no one understands, they try, but I do feel so isolated!! So many hopes and dreams for the future have gone, I sometimes cry myself to sleep at night because my little girl won't know the joy of playing with her brother or sister, or that I have let her down!! I thought it would get easier, but so far, not yet!
To top off the infertility I am now experiencing the systems of menopause, the headaches, mood swings (my poor husband), the weight gain, hot flushes - it just gets better and better!!
In saying all of the above, I am a lucky lady to be blessed with a fantastic husband and most perfect little girl - it's just nice to be able to talk to people who understand my sadness, anger and frustration and not feel guilty or ungrateful!
Kind Regards
Jeanette
Hi Lainie,
Thanks for your kind words about the site. Yes, one of our members lives in Brisbane and I would be delighted to connect you.
My personal experience has been that the isolation of the journey in terms of friends etc doesn't change. There will always be other people pregnant and having babies - some days it doesn't bother me at all and other days the grief is relived. I often have to rely on inner strength and grace, taking a deep breath, as strangers constantly ask if I have children, acquaintances or friends over indulge in the baby/child thing and to be quite honest many friendships have ceased or changed as people avoid the topic, don't know what to say or are no longer healthy for me. I suppose my life has also gone in a completely new and different direction to them. So connecting with other women in EM continues to be such a special and much needed part of my life.
I will also say that despite the heartache and long term consequences of being in EM and infertile, I have learnt so much about myself, what I want in life, the gift that my husband is to me each day and a personal peace to be treasured. It's been a long road and will continue to have its ups and downs. It certainly has not been easy but I think that I've learnt to accept that people don't get it and they’re never going to, so removing the expectation that they will has really helped me. Of course, I am genuinely thrilled that they are blessed to have their own family, I just wanted the invisible pain I was in to be heard and seen. The fabulous women from the NZ and AEMN Networks have done this for me.
I hope that that the Endocrinologist and your test results provide the information you need to bring positive outcomes and solutions.
Are you happy to send me an email at earlymenopause@yahoo.com so that I can connect you with the Brisbane member as well as sending you some other helpful info on EM?
Take care Lainie and I look forward to hearing from you.
Tanya
Oh Jeanette, my heart broke as I read your story. What a horrific six months it has been for you and your family. I am so pleased that you felt ready to write and I have no doubt that the AEMN community will bring you much support through this incredibly trying time.
How wonderful to have such a supportive and informed doctor – they are rare! Have you tried any HRT etc to help you with the yucky symptoms of Menopause? Once I got the balance right for me – I am pretty much symptom free. Although I can very quickly feel when I am not getting enough so I still have to monitor any changes and have recently had a medication change. I suspect this management will be ongoing as I get older etc. I am certainly not advocating that HRT is the answer. I didn’t want to take any myself but being in EM at 32, I needed some oestrogen to protect my bones and to keep me sane. I had a hysterectomy so no uterus means that I only need oestrogen.
The grief and shock of being in EM and struggling with fertility is such a long road. Being surrounded by such an understanding husband, family and friends will certainly be helpful. At the same time, as Lainie and in fact any women I know in EM has said, it’s an isolating journey. For me, that hasn’t changed so the support of the NZ and AEMN networks has been such a saviour. I have a vision of my peers complaining about hot flushes in 20 – 30 years time! Maybe then they’ll get it a bit! LOL!!
Projecting into the future, I think is part and parcel of this difficult diagnosis – will I be a mother? If not, that means no grandchildren. How will I become a mother? Can I have another baby? Will I have to battle Osteoporosis? What will be the implications of my HRT be on my body long term? Will I ever lose my Menopause induced weight? Is there a link with HRT and Cancer? What about my libido? Will my husband suddenly want a child that I can’t give him naturally? There are so many questions and very few answers. For me, looking to the future, particularly with these fears and unknowns created so much anxiety, stress and heartache. I realised that I couldn’t know let alone control any of this and it was making it all so much harder for me. So very slowly, I have taught myself to be more in the moment. Dealing with one thing at a time if and when it surfaces is the approach I now try to take. This has been a MASSIVE life lesson for me!
I can’t predict whether I’ll be a Mum or not, I don’t know right now if I want to be. It’s the one element that continues to confuse me and I wish I knew either way. I believe if I’m meant to be one, I will be. Giving up this control has been excruciating and is the one ‘what if’ that floats in my mind from time to time. You may have read my personal story, I am unable to be a mother naturally so the options my husband and I have left are limited but there are certainly possibilities. Our mantra is ‘Adoption is an Option!’Sometimes, I imagine what our genetic child would have looked like or what we would have named her or him. These fantasies make me smile and sometimes shed a tear. I remind myself how lucky I am to be married to the wonderful man my husband is and that we are slowly rebuilding our lives and creating a new us and future. I think that grief has been harder for me – all the changes have been to my body and it’s me that is frequently asked about having children, hanging out with other mothers or pregnant women. Even colleagues at work (who don’t know my story) talk about their children incessantly. I get this, however assumptions are always made about my age and wanting to or being able to have a family. Being in EM is a very 'invisible' conditon and grief - there's nothing tangible to explain your loss, heartache and challenges. Seeing a new Dr can be hard as well - you have to tell the story all over again and some have said the most ridiculous things about me being in EM and infertile. I also think that men deal with grief and loss very differently. My husband had to watch me be sick month after month for years, being helpless to make it better. Now that we are sort of through the initial grief, heartache and changes associated with EM and infertility, we don’t talk about it as much. We don’t want to cloud our marriage with what we don’t have or the trauma we experienced, but rather look forward and enjoy my good health and each other. If I need to vent, I write, cry, speak to my counsellor or connect with other women in EM.
Jeannette, it’s such early days for you and your family. Know that my thoughts are with you and I hope that this website will help you feel less isolated and know that it won’t always feel like this.
Which part of Aus are you in? Are you happy to email me at earlymenopause@yahoo.com so I can connect you with members in your area and also send through some EM for you.
Take care Janette and I really look forward to hearing from you!
Tanya
Hi girls, my heart aches for you too. Definitely one of the worst things about EM is that you really can't talk to anyone about it. I lost a couple of friends as a result; one who was undergoing breast cancer treatment ( and therefore undergoing menopause as the chemo stopped her ovaries from working) told me I was copping out because I took HRT! I was only 37, and as my gynae said, I MUST take HRT to protect my heart and bones (and btw, the last thing someone with breast cancer needs is any more oestrogen). Another "friend" then told me that the reason I had wrinkle-free skin was due to the HRT ! It is actually cuz I avoid the sun, I am so fair. Then of course,i had a few others say "that is GREAT, no more periods ". Even a GP and a specialist dentist I was seeing at the time..it is astounding that so few health professionals know about it.Um, no, it is not great. OK, so I decided that I am in this alone, and I vowed to tell no one else. Until this fantastic site ! We can share ideas and feelings. There is so little known about the WHY. I am lucky that I managed to have two children, and, like you Jeanette, I bizzarely went into EM when my second one was just a few years old. No idea how it was possible to conceive this close to menopause. And, like you Jeanette, mine are girls. I love them dearly, but I find myself regularly telling them to not leave it until they are on their 30s to have kids. I have one very close friend who I told, and she has agreed that, should I suddenly be hit by a bus, she will be the one that tells my girls their genetic history when they have left school ( they are in their early teens now, too young to grasp it).
As regards the high cholesterol and EM, my advice would be to see a cardiologist, as high cholesterol is their area of expertise. You may find that taking the cholesterol-lowering medication is better than not taking it. Just as taking HRT until about age 50 is better than taking nothing. Please note, the "natural" HRT does NOTHING to protect your heart and bones, and it is doubtful that it does anything at all. As for libido, well, i am afraid not much other than testosterone medication can help that ( but apparently it can make you agressive)and I think it makes you prone to heart disease...also good to get some medication called Vagifem to, in the words of my lovely gynae, keep your vagina "young". There, I have shared that with you..something I have never told anyone ( only the pharmacist knows..he fills my script)...I defintely got strange looks when i was so young, they had to do a double-take. Big e-hug for you all.
Hi Blonde - Louise,
Welcome to AEMN! Sounds like things have been trying and I hope that connecting with our community of women who understand will be of some help and affirm that you are not alone. I was delighted to read about the gift of your two girls!
Isn't it funny how medical professionals and friends who you thought would understand, don't. Losing friends during a time of change and personal challenge is never easy. My husband often reminds me that you know who you're true friends are when a crisis hits! I've also learnt to trust my own intuition about helath professionals, what they're saying and what's best for my body.
I too, am a fan of Vagifem (in pessary form) and I also use Ovestin Vaginal Cream externally to keep my bits young and from not drying up before their time!!! Funny, no one ever talks about this element of EM - but it is so important! Thank you for sharing what is working for you.
Which part of Aus are you in?
Much health and happiness,
Tanya
Thanks fro your post Tanya, I am in Sydney. I think there is still a lot of ignorance about EM, and , indeed, the full picture is not fully understood by health professional. There is a great association in Melbourne called the Jean Hailes Foundation, and they do have fact sheets etc, and the occasional speaker...but, the talks tend to be in Victoria. I guess part of the ignorance tends to be because we ( or certainly I) don't want to speak publicly about it... After my diagnosis I feared that I was suddenly ageing faster than everyone else...and, besides, who wants to talk about their reproductive bits to men and people we hardly know. We need a poster girl for EM!
That reminds me, I did find a wonderful, caring and informative doctor at a Family Planning Clinic..perhaps you can all find your local FPA branch, and the doctors there specialsie in womens' health issues. The service is free, they just ask for a small, but voluntary donation. Truly wonderful.
Thanks Tanya for your advice!! I am one of those people who has my life mapped out and constantly thinks about the future, always asking questions and like you, Tanya, it leaves me feeling anxious, stressed and often very upset!!! But you are so right, just to take each moment as it comes (easier said then done!!!) but so, so true!!!
I must say that I feel for blonde_louise and the other ladies who have lost friends due to their EM, I am so incredibly lucky to have an amazing group of friends who support me and are ALWAYS there to listen!! I haven't had any negative issues as such when I tell people, just an outpouring of shock and concern and the exact same line 'we didn't even know it existed!', which I think is why people are quick to judge and make insensitive comments. I know myself, that I used to make jokes about menopause, but now realise just how insensitive I was being. I think it all comes down to education - we are constantly barraged with media, print etc about the incline of egg reproduction in your 30's, the symptoms of menopause for the 50 and over ladies etc, but nothing to even prepare you for EM!! I do believe it will just take time - and with AMAZING sites like this and our own ability to inform people, it is already happening!
It's funny, but it is an invisible disease as mentioned above, life just goes on and no one around you understands. Sometimes I forget I have it!!!
A quick question - I am not on any form of medication, as my symptoms aren't often and to be honest I don't feel any different!! However, in the best 8 weeks, I have started to gain weight (and it's not from eating anything more or different) I am incredible active so I'm wondering if there is anything other than diet (my sister is helping work on that) or exercise to rectify this problem - I know it sounds vain, but I just hate the extra weight and feel so ugly and depressed because clothes don't fit!!!
Also, how do you feel about naturopaths, as I am quiet keen to visit one?
Thanks again for all the support, just knowing there are ladies out there experiencing the same makes me feel better!! Tanya, thanks for wanting to connect me with other people, but I would prefer to keep my chats over the internet for the moment :-)
Once again, I just wanted to state what a wonderful site this is, particularly the forum whereby we can express how we feel, and know that everyone reading the posts understands.
I have felt over the last few weeks since my diagnosis, every emotion both positive and negative. Positive in that I have a lot to be grateful for - a wonderful husband, an amazing little boy who tells me every day how much he loves me, and a small group of fantastic friends who are sympathetic. On days like today though, the negative seems to overwhelm - I dragged myself out of bed after another sleepless night of debilitating hot flushes that left me drenched even in the middle of winter. I just don't seem to have any energy and could quite happily go back to bed and sleep all day.
I am off to the endocrinologist later today, and have mixed feelings about it. I want some closure in that I need to know if there is something underlying that has caused the POF, but in the same breath I don't want to know.
I am trying to stay positive, but some days it is just so hard to go on with the everyday normal life and not feel a little cheated.
Thanks to everyone at AEMN for being so caring and understanding.
Lainie
Hi Lainie, your tiredness sounds awful...trust me, HRT will help the sleeplessness and hot flushes almost instantly. And of course, there are other benefits to HRT, from the things that taking it now can prevent ( heart disease and osteopprois)..so, i hope your endocrinologist is switched on. WOuld love to hear what he says about the causes of your EM.
Hey, did you see yesterday's Sun Herald ( Sydney paper)...confirming what my research and doc had told me about "natural " HRT...please girls, especially Jeanette, read this article...talks about the possible DANGERS of natural therapies.
Here is the link...pls let me know what you think.
To view the entire article, click on:
http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/elixir-of-youth-or-cancer-risk-20110813-1irxg.html
Ok, if you cant just getto the link by clicking here, then put into a search engine the words "smh elixir of youth" and the link to the article wil come up.
Louise.
Hi Louise,
Thank you for the SMH link and the Family Planning Clinic. I have been to Jean Hailes before and they were good. You're right about EM not being more widely recognised. Hopefully our work at AEMN will change that!!! From my research there is lots of info out there for women who enter Menopause naturally, later in life when you're supposed to. As we all know EM is a completely ball game and there's not much info, research, support out there for us younger chics. Glad we can all stick together on this forum.
It is my intention to organise some kind of weekend gatehring/conference in the future r.e Early Menopause for AEMN. Attending a similar weekend in NZ a few years ago had such a positive impact on my life, healing and EM, I want to provide the same oppotunity for us in Oz.
I hope that you're having a good week and look forward to hearing from you again soon!
Tanya
Hi Jeanette,
Great to hear from you again! Yes, living in the moment is a challenging and ongoing lesson for me too! R.e EM and fertility stuff, I have found that it does get a bit easier over time but I have to keep an eye on it! I also experienced some anxiety when my hormones were out, but my HRT has helped with this.
To answer your question - I gained weight when I was really sick (prior to my hysterectomy) and once I entered Menopause I felt very bulgy and bloaty. I have always been very slim and put on approx 25kg overnight!! Not fun! It is my understanding that hormonal changes in Menopause can produce weight gain but the biggest problem for me was my Thyroid. Have you had Yours checked? It is not uncommon for women in EM to have Thyroid concerns. Now that my HRT and thyroid medication is balanced, I am starting to lose weight and my belly is not as swollen! I haven't returned to my previous weight but am certainly heading down the scales. I will say that my weight gain did plateu and I knew it was my metabolism playing up as no matter what I did exercise or food wise the weight wasn't shifting. Obviously everyone's body is different and hormones affect us all in varying ways but being on the right thyroid medication has been the answer for me. This has taken me a number of years to get sorted and has left me feeling very heavy and uncomfortable for some time. So many invisible changes were happening inside my body, my weight gain was very obvious and my swollen tummy meant I looked pregnant - which was incredibly ironic! Nothing like looking your expecting a baby when you can't actually have one. In fact, a couple of strangers even asked if I was pregnant!!
I have seen a naturopath many years ago, but not for EM. As much as I wanted to go the natural route to deal with my HRT symptoms, I couldn't take the risk with my bones and heart long term.
So glad that you have a wonderful group of supportive friends and I look forward to hearing from you again soon!
Take care,
Tanya
Hi Lainie,
I really hope that your visit to the endo was a positive one and you got the answers you were looking for. The grief and shock of an EM diagnosis is full of ups and downs. Please know that your EM contacts out her in cyberspace are thinking of you and completely understand what you're going through.
I agree with Louise, once you have the right balance of HRT (if that's the route you decide to go down) your symptoms will really diminish and hopefully dissapear. This was certainly the case for me. I can now also tell when my body needs a HRT adjustment.
So happy that you are surrounded by a good support network!
Thinking of you,
Tanya
Hi Lainie
I hope you are feeling better since your last post, both physically and emotionally!! Hope you have gotten some definitive answers as well!!!
On the subject of answers, I went to another Dr to do some more tests. It has been 6mths since being diagnosed and I feel like I need to take control over EM and get some straight answers.
Thanks to this awesome site, I went into the Dr with a list of questions and things that I wanted tested. So hopefully next week I will have the results and am going for a bone density test next month.
I also had a break through with my parents, I have an amazing relationship with my mum and dad as we are very close, but since being told I have EM, it has been like the big elephant in the room that no one talks about!!! The awkwardness of do they talk about it, me thinking about what they must be thinking, miscommunication etc etc, is now all gone - and we openly talk about it, which is such a load of my shoulders!!
Tanya, I feel for you with your weight gain, as if you hadn't gone through enough!!!! I'm glad things have started to settle down for you in regards to your weight - in my tests I did also get my thyroid tested so I will just have to wait and see.
A get together sounds like a wonderful idea!!
Take care everyone
Jeanette :-)
Hello Everyone,
Well I finally have some answers, but not all!! I have some serious autoimmune issues, but nothing that they can put a name to - it is very frustrating!! I have seriously low Vitamin D levels (apparently lower than someone living in a nursing home who gets no sun) and I am also borderline Coeliac. However my thyroid seems fine...go figure!!
I had a bone density scan and that was all OK, although I am right on the low end of normal. Next checkup in 2 years. I am now on a Vitamin D supplement as this is a big issue for bone density.
My endo specialist has put me on the pill, as she has said that HRT only gives half the dose of estrogen that someone my age requires, whereas the Pill will give a full dose. Has anyone else been told this? The good news is that after a fortnight the hot flushes have petered out, so I am feeling much more normal!!
Apparently there is not much else they can do, so my next appointment is in December. I have met with a nutritionist though, and she has been fantastic and we have sat down and done a plan. My weight has ballooned since I had my son 10 years ago, and the endo specialist said that this would be due to the menopause. Hopefully now that I have a great diet, and good exercise plan this will start to come off gradually.
Overall I feel blessed by small miracles - after telling the doctor that I had been on the pill from age 13 to 25 because of horrendous periods, she said to me that in all likelihood that was the only reason I was able to have a child at all, and if I had not been on the pill for that long I probably would have gone into menopause in my 20's. How lucky am I to have my son??
Menopause is such a huge issue for women, and one that is not talked about enough - particularly for those of us going through POF. I just want to shout it out to women all over the world not to take your fertility for granted - it is a precious gift.
Thank you everyone for your ongoing support, and I too would love to have a get together.
Take care,
Lainie
Hi Lainie and Ladies,
Apologies for my delayed response! I have not been 100% (not Menopause related) with a back injury and will be having some major surgery in a couple of weeks. I've had lots of test and scans recently because of my back and they showed issues with my joints (Menopause related) so I'm now having further tests for this! My joints hadn't been particularly bothering me so I am grateful that it's been picked up and I can work out what to do to keep them happy!
Lainie, it sounds like that you too have had a roundabout of investigations - I am glad that you have some answers and are now looking for solutions that work for you. Many women I know in EM have autoimmune related challenges and issues with wheat/gluten. I wonder what the link is?? The last few weeks have also reminded me of the importance to have ongoing and regular tests and checks to manage Menopause and associated implications on bones etc.
I have heard of women in EM being on the pill for a variety of reasons - helping them feel young, so they can still have a period etc. I've never been told that about the HRT link. Has anybody else? I was thrilled to hear that your symptoms of Menopause have settled down and the gift your son is to you.
I agree that there are many women out there experiencing EM and the more we talk about the more we can help each other. There is still a BIG misconception out there that Menopause is only experienced by older women as well as it being just about hot flushes! I also think that however a woman arrives at EM the implications on their life physically and emotionally are HUGE and for many, the associated infertility is the hardest to bear.
I'm so glad that a few AEMN members are keen for a meet up. It's my goal to make it happen in 2012. Can't wait to meet you all!
My ability to be online over the coming weeks may be limited so feel free to keep writing to each other!
Have a great week,
Tanya
Hi Ladies,
Breaks my heart to read everyones stories, but sadly comforting knowing that I am not alone in this journey, even though at times you can feel so alone. I was diagnosed with early menopause at the age of 27 after waiting for my periods to return for 6months following implanon (which I had in for approx. 9 years). I was put on HRT (trisequence sp.) which has thankfully made some of my symptoms disappear. However, my health deteriorated more, and I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism from a suspected autoimmune problem. I am now on thyroxine for that as well as the HRT and still battling to get everything balanced out.
I have been married for nearly 2 years now, and my husband and I are still coming to grips with not being able to have children together. He has a daughter from a previous relationship who we have full custody of, and I'm sure I wouldn't be faring so well if it wasn't for her. She is the beacon of light in my struggle with coming to grips with the situation. We are considering going the donor egg route though, so I do have hope of one day having a baby.
I hope that one day I can feel comfortable enough to talk openly about everything, as only my immediate family knows for now. That does make it harder as my sister in law just had a baby, and I know everyone will be asking when it's our turn. I'm just not sure if I can talk about it without breaking down. We'll get there I'm sure.
I'm glad there are avenues such as this for women to come together and talk about this. I hope this community does grow, and that we can all be there to support each other.
Take care ladies.
Marissa
Hi Marissa,
Welcome to AEMN! I was terribly sorry to read of your EM diagnosis and associated challenges. The grief, shock and adjustment to life and relationships are all very difficult. I hope that you find comfort and support in knowing that there are other women going through the same thing that truly understand and are here to listen. It was lovely to read that you have the support of your husband, daughter and immediate family.
Living in a parenting world is really hard when you're going through EM and related fertility issues. EM is also largely not talked about so things combined can make it hard to share your story and grief with others, especially when people close to you are having a baby. For me, this has certainly gotten easier but sometimes I still do have a little moment when a friend announces that they're pregnant. I get asked about having a baby/children regularly and now have various answers prepared depending on who's doing the asking and how I feel at the time.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I am constantly amazed by the number of women in EM who have Thyroid and/or other autoimmune related conditions. I'm keen to explore the link further and will try and get some more info from my endo when I see him next. I have Hashimoto's (Thyroid prob) and it took me a while to get my hormones balanced and it does take ongoing monitoring for me. Taking T3 as well as Thyroxin is a new combination for me that has really made a big difference. I hope that you find a balance that works for you very soon. Good to hear that the HRT helped with your Menopause symptoms.
I too, really hope that the AEMN community continues to grow. I'm glad that you've found your way to the site Marissa and please let me know if you have any questions. Thinking of you!
Take care,
Tanya
Hi Tanya,
I just wanted to echo the comments of others to say THANK YOU for this website. So many women are silent about their EM and I appreciate the space you have created for people to connect and get support from each other.
So thank you for putting it in an Australian context and I look forward to being part of the AEMN community.
Kirsty
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