to whine and moan about my hot flushes?

[solidgoldbrass]

Because I have been alternately whining and laughing, really. And it's occurred to me that I might in fact be acting like the sort of person of whom my mother always says 'The only trouble with her is, when you ask her how she is she tells you...'

Blimey! Poor you :(

I've got to say, if I'd known how things would turn out I'd have gone for a full hysterectomy instead of one ovary. But you don't know, obviously, do you, so I chose the least-compromising option. I can't even have a bloody hysterectomy now because the anaesthetic is a risk with CFS.

Another thing I now understand about older women - why so many of them went to "have it all out" as soon as they'd completed their families!! I hope yours goes well, coco, and leaves you feeling well. Several of my friends recently had optional hysterectomies and are all rather pleased with themselves.

Garlic-does the HRT not help with the thinning hair etc

I wish Id had a hysterectomy instead of the ablation. I was having a bladder repair at the same time and I was told it would be easier .

Dh had carted me of to a&e 3 times I was in so much pain.

Ive been off work since December. I had a gynae appointent and was told I had a slight prolapse. I cried and argued that it wasnt that that was wrong with me. Id had a full prolapse before so I thought they might listen to me. I ended up going private in January when the consultant diagnosed adenomyosis straight away.

Then I had to pay for an MRI to check to see if my endo had spread so he could see if I needed opened or if keyhole surgery would do. If I hadnt had paid for the mri that would have been another 18 weeks added to my waiting for the op.

I now have a womb full if blood and tissue that has gathered instead of coming out as a period and my womb is the size of a 7 month pregnancy.

Elasticated waists are my best friend.

The end of july sees my 20 weeks waiting up so hopefully Ill hear soon.

My health has got so bad in the mean time I could just sit and cry now

Googlenut - I don't know!

I had very thick hair to start with so, while I see significant thinning, it's still pretty good for my age. I also come from a late-wrinkling family though, as I said, my aunty's jowls are making inroads to my face (and my smoking lines already have!)

HRT is only designed to stop hot flushes, which mine did within 24 hours. It also reduces bone wastage and vaginal dryness. There used to be some suspiciously fragrant older ladies in my endocrinologist's waiting room, so I suspect money can buy you a personalised HRT cocktail, but the basic stuff doesn't promise any beauty benefits.

Oh, Coco. Hope you get a swift operation and it works perfectly.

Ladies, I love you all.
I thought it was only me...!

There is a bit of a conspiracy of silence about the facts with HRT and breast cancer. I tried very hard to get acurate information in a format that made factual sesnse of all the risk factors. Eventually I discovered that being overweight and drinking alcohol are big risk factors too. I decided to take HRT, diet and give up alcohol except on very special occasions ( maybe 6 drinks a year).

One of the reasons I wanted to take HRT is that I not only had the hot flushes, that I could cope with but, a really horrible feeling as if someone was touching my bones, a sort of creepy feeling almost like a panic attack which went with them. I must say that as a younger woman I cringed when older colleagues went on and on about their "moments" and vowed never to mention the topic to anyone if it happened to me.

The HRT suits me very well, I have great libido, great skin, glossy hair and feel reassured it is protecting me against osteoparosis, which has made my mother's life a total misery.

I was given HRT last month after my ovaries were shut down. Made me horny as bedamned but I cant have sex because its too painful

Must admit that I find the whole thing embarrasing and never ever let anyone know I'm suffering, except my poor DD, who has to live with my temperature problems and my Dsis who is going through it too.

various odd twinges and symptoms over the past couple of years have in fact been due to menopausal stuff - Very likely, SGB. I carried on caning it until alcohol started making me puke. I'm now a two-drinks normal. Had to happen sooner or later, I guess.

Higgle, I'm envious of your beauty & sex benefits! Mind you, my other conditions & meds suppress libido so I can't tell where it's at.

As a heavy smoker and - at the time - drinker, I had to have a special consultation re HRT and cancer risks. The risk was actually minuscule. It increased by dramatic proportions due to the smoking & drinking, but empirically it was in the league of 1: a million to 1: thirty thousand. Fair enough, I said, them's long odds

I work with other middle aged wonen we talk about our symptons all the time. The only male in the class us charmed by us im sure.

We spend our day opening and shuting windows, going to the loo and forgetting what we were about to do.

Coco, in your last post ... umm, what did I come here for? Oh, never mind ...

Yep thats it .

I would walk into the store stand looking blank and walk out sgain. Either hoping it would jog my memory of why i went in there or hoping someone else could remember.

My new thing is not remembering the name of anything. Everything is now the thingyor the. ....silence and hand flapping.

I am so relieved to see others with the same problems. I had no periods from June last year and thought this is it! Alas it isn't as they've started again last month but the flushes, tiredness and aching joints continues. I'm blaming it on my new exercise program which I'm sure isn't good for me.

Our practice nurse told me that you are defined as in menopause when you go into Sainsburys and either can't remember what you've gone for or stand in front of the potatoes and get agitated by having to decide which to buy! I'm there!

I have never had the hair thinning or grey hair for that matter! I'm sure it kept me looking younger. I was advised time and again to stop taking it because my mother and younger sister had breast cancer but I panicked whenever I thought about managing without it. Like you Garlic my symptoms disappeared overnight but I was changed on to an HRT with no period which was a godsend. I too had problems with my periods and had miscarriages. I still have the memory problems, especially with names.

Has anyone tried a low-carb diet to deal with the big belly thing? Have been on strict low-carbs and limiting calories to less than 1000 per day (can't exercise due to bad back) for the last 10 days and seem to have shifted a few pounds.
Have had to give up all alcohol - my last remaining vice since kicking the roll-ups a year ago. Not sure exactly how much I've lost - can't face weighing myself just yet as don't wish to be plunged into abject despair and self-loathing before my hols next week.

No I haven´t-what sort of things do you eat for meals?

If you are carrying belly weight following a liw gi diet is a good idea. Hormones play an important part in how your body processes sugars.
My hormones are fucked due to my PCOSand Im insulin resistant becsause of it. with the menopayse playing havoc with hormones its common to have this.

It causes weight gain and extreme fatigue.
Sorry cant link from phone but google either insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome x.

Sorry about typos fat phone fingers.

Taking minerals, rather than just vits. helps menopause symptons.

Off the top off my head, magnesium, chronium, zinc as well as 'b' vits and a high dose of fish oils.