It came like a whoosh with a hot flash. Menopause greeted me with one helluva heat wave in the middle of the night in 2021. From that moment, my internal thermostat seemed to break. I no longer felt like my healthy, happy self. Instead, I felt like a sweaty, disoriented, and bloated zombie. Not that there is ever a good time to enter menopause, but I was experiencing these severe symptoms while working full-time, beginning my coaching journey, and training for IRONMAN Cozumel.
I was beyond frustrated. Everything I read recommended eating healthy (do that), exercise (check), and prioritize sleep (I keep a strict and early bedtime). Here I was doing everything “right” yet I was sweating uncontrollably, unable to sleep, and emotionally at the end of my rope (a very scary headspace to be in). The hot flashes were incessant, I became depressed and wondered if I would ever feel like myself again. As hard as it was (and believe me the struggle was REAL) I knew I had to take control of the situation. With tears in my eyes, I sat in my doctor’s office and discussed a plan. Although I hoped to avoid taking hormones, after testing my levels my doctor recommended a low dose of hormone replacement therapy. I have since returned to tweak the dose four times and know that continued regular appointments will be important for the foreseeable future. I still have a lot I want to accomplish in life, and while menopause is certainly adding another layer of difficulty, it will not halt my progress or goals. Instead, I realize it will be something I have to mindfully manage. I handled these severe symptoms while training for IRONMAN Cozumel (including irregular, heavy bleeding). So to be proactive, I will check in with my doctor and get blood work every three months and revise treatment as necessary. Currently, my status is stable; but that doesn’t mean that I am free of symptoms. Instead it just means they are not as significant (for instance, instead of dripping sweat I just feel very warm during a hot flash). Whether you’re reading this as a woman experiencing menopause or as a loved one of someone who is, I hope it helps give perspective into how challenging it can be. My husband Steve helped me so much. He was incredibly understanding, slept like a popsicle when I was burning up with AC and fans blasting. He even spent time awake in the middle of the night researching right along with me. So if you are experiencing menopause, I hope you lean in to your loved ones for support and if you love someone going through it, I hope you shower them with love and grace. Trust me, it means more than you know. This is a topic I am compelled to share about because I do not feel like women (and women athletes) talk about the impact of this phase enough. I want to be clear that these are MY experiences and are by no means indicative of what anyone else will experience. However, simply being healthy does not necessarily enable you to transition into menopause smoothly. The process of menopause could take weeks, months, or years. What I know is that I will do my best to roll with the punches and keep pushing myself to all the aspirations I have for my next phase of life. Until Next Monday…
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October 2024
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