“In the news: women suffer from menopause. More than half even suffer from the menopause when they are at work. Very briefly in the news item it is revealed that there is a remedy that helps against menopausal complaints. That remedy is hormone regulation. It doesn’t always help, it seems, but it gave me a convincing push over the proverbial threshold.
Hormone regulation
Much to the delight of myself and those around me. The therapy consists of a strip of pills that bring your hormone level back into balance during the transition so that you do not have to hang out in the curtains all the time, sweating and crying.
I heard of its existence from a friend. Not from my doctor. When I asked my doctor about it, he fell silent a bit, then asked if I had ever suffered from depressive symptoms and whether I knew that the pills caused an increased risk of breast cancer. From 0.4 percent. I knew that. Still, in my opinion, this risk outweighed the blind panic – physical and mental – caused by the transition. I told him so. He didn’t seem impressed.
What if men…
Finally, after my rambling and using the mirror method (“Doctor… what if the menopause should hit the man – he becomes gloomy, restless, fat, he breaks into a sweat at unfortunate moments and he can hardly sleep anymore – do you think wouldn’t that mean that pill would be dispensed automatically?’) I got my pills.
I was allowed to try it for three months and already after a week I was again hopping down the street. When I was called for a check-up after three months, I was a hot flash-free ambassador. I fervently pleaded with my doctor for proactive information to all women who would enter his practice around the age of 45. “Every woman should know this,” I shouted. “Tell them, default, give them an option,” I yelled.
“Oh lady”
I thought I could detect a certain pity in the eyes of my doctor. ‘Oh, lady’ I saw him think ‘still a little hysterical…’ He didn’t give the impression that he would follow my suggestion. So I emailed the National Association of General Practitioners. With the same suggestion. I never got an answer.
Then let’s go through this channel: We’ll deal with it ourselves. There is a remedy that helps. It is up to us whether we want to use it. You don’t have to “embrace” your transition and then lose yourself completely for a few years. May be, not necessary. Know that. Ask your doctor about it.”