I'm in my early 40s now and I realise that it might not be long before I go through the menopause. I've listened to podcasts, done some reading, but sadly don't have anyone close enough to me to ask about their personal experience of it (my mum died when she was fairly young and my family is very insular). So I thought I would turn to the anonymity of the internet!
I know that everyone's experience is highly individual and will depend on both genetics and lifestyle. However, I'd love to hear from people who have gone through it and come out the other side... Just how tough is it and how much did it impact your quality of life? What advice would you give to a daughter or close female family member to prepare? Did you need HRT?
I worry that when reading online articles etc. there could be a tendency to over-represent the negative side; after all people don't tend to write articles about what is plain-sailing. So I'm really hoping that there will be a reasonable segment of the population with responses that say 'Actually, it wasn't too bad' or 'It was inconvenient and there was a year where I felt out of sorts but then I got through it' or similar. (Perhaps wishful thinking, but who knows).
Thanks in advance.