I was in my late 30’s when my “seasoned” friends began warning me about the perils of life in their 40s.
One friend, a former marathoner, began struggling with insomnia. Another friend said keeping a healthy weight had never been a problem until entering her 40s. All the right choices with diet and exercise were not enough to combat her growing midsection. Yet another friend shared that her energy levels had plummeted. Fatigue kept her in a constant fog-like state.
At the time, my response to these stories was one of pride and ignorance. “Not me!” I was convinced with self-control and determination, I could steer the course of my 40s. Unfortunately, things didn’t go according to my naive little plan.
What I share here is my personal experience and not to be considered a medical resource. This is merely a 40-something mother’s story of a changing body and how I sought help.
My Symptoms
Months clicked by after turning 40 and I noticed my weight creeping up. I was the most active I’d ever been, thanks to my daily exercise routine, a dog-walking business, and teaching swim lessons. I was moving, but felt I had little to show for it. My food intake remained healthy, and I went easy on the sweets, as sugar has always been my weakness. And yet, the weight increased. While I’m a big proponent of not putting too big an emphasis on scale numbers, I do believe in listening to your body. What my body was saying, in addition to the weight-gain, was that it was depleted. My energy-levels were dipping drastically. My moods were darker than normal during PMS. And this was difficult to track because my periods, which had always been like clockwork, were now unpredictable and sporadic. I was waking up sweaty at night and brain-fog was setting in.
Thoughts of Perimenopause
I’d begun to hear the term “perimenopause” mentioned in different circles. It was the topic of one of my favorite health podcasts. It had even played a starring role on funny reels in my Instagram feed. But the term is still cloaked in a lot of mystery for women.
A dictionary definition of this term states, “The period of a woman’s life shortly before the occurrence of menopause”. The description leaves something to be desired. It’s vague for someone trying to understand what is happening to her body. For some clarification, I voiced my concerns to my gynecologist during my yearly well-woman check. His response was that I was “a little young” to be worrying about menopause. He assured me it was something to revisit closer to the age of 50. Not helpful.
The months continued, and I remained concerned about the messages my body was sending me. I did not feel like myself, though I was doing everything possible to remain healthy. During a routine visit with my general practitioner, he asked about energy, libido, and moods. I admitted that all of those things felt out of whack. I, again, broached the subject of perimenopause. This doctor’s reply was comically similar to the gynecologist’s answer. But I wasn’t laughing. He told me I was young, healthy, and menopause would likely not appear until closer to age 50. Though I used the term “perimenopause”, it seemed both doctors brushed it aside for the well-known phrase “menopause”. I felt unseen by both doctors.
Hormone Testing & Balancing
My 40’s seemed like a lost cause. It was as though I had little control over how I’d feel during this season of life. Then a friend steered me in the direction of a women’s health center. One of the center’s focuses was hormone testing and balancing. I set up an appointment for a consultation. The experience of sitting in front of this doctor was entirely different from my last two. She asked pointed questions and listened thoughtfully while I spoke. I mentioned perimenopause and this doctor did not shy away from the term. She explained women can experience perimenopause for up to ten years before entering menopause.
Hormone levels can rise and dip during perimenopause, causing the symptoms. Each woman can undergo varying symptoms for undetermined amounts of time. When I expressed frustration over not feeling like myself, she offered a plan. The doctor suggested hormone testing.
A Plan of Action
Over the next two weeks, I had two rounds of bloodwork taken, according to the days of my cycle. Afterwards, I met with the doctor to go over the test results. My testosterone and progesterone were both low.
In women, low testosterone can result in fatigue, loss of muscle strength, irregular periods, mood changes, and brain fog, among several others. Low progesterone symptoms were similar, including weight gain, hot flashes, and sleep problems. My doctor prescribed daily progesterone pills and a testosterone cream to be applied each morning.
I felt a change for the better almost immediately.
Making the decision to visit the women’s health center was the right one for me as I entered a new stage of life.
Hormones levels are not a reflection of how you care for yourself. Sometimes the changes in our bodies are beyond our control and need outside intervention.
If you are experiencing frustration over a body you don’t recognize, there is help available. Speak until you are heard. Your 40s are, indeed, in your control.
