I have been fortunate with my health to date (age 57), and have never been on any medications for a time period of more than a week or so over my entire life. I generally choose to ride out re-occuring things like bronchitis rather than going to my doctor for an antibiotic. Part of it is selfishness - I don't want to carve out time to do something as unexciting as go visit a doctor - and part of it is a general resistance to taking medications. I like knowing that my body can do what it needs to get me back to feeling well on it's own.
However. Menopause has done a number of me since I entered the post-menopause stage in May of 2016, the point at which I reached twelve full months of having no monthly cycles. The hot flashes began about then, and have been with me ever since in varying degrees of intensity. Then the sleepless nights began, and they have gotten progressively worse. Over a one week period I will generally have a couple of nights of normal sleep, and roughly five or so nights of either being awake until 2 AM, or awaking at 2 AM and finding myself unable to get back to sleep.
Still, I was willing to fight the good fight and keep on keeping on. The deal breaker, as I think of it, was the crushing fatigue that began to overwhelm me day after day. That started perhaps a year ago I think? But when all three issues began to collide and occur daily, I knew I couldn't keep fighting on my own when there was, apparently, help out there in the form of Hormone Replacement Therapy.
So I finally put up the white flag and scheduled an appointment with my primary physician.
This was the second time I brought up HRT. The first time was about two years ago, and she was successful in dissuading me to start HRT due to the various side effects and risks, cancer being at the top of that list. This time, however, she did not attempt to dissuade me, understanding I think that I was close to being at the end of my rope. She prescribed the absolutely lowest levels of HRT via an estrogen patch and a daily dose of progesterone.
Funny side note - when I went downstairs from my appointment to the pharmacy to get my HRT prescriptions filled, the gal assisting me advised they were out of the dosage of estrogen patches I'd had prescribed and would need to order it in, with arrival likely the very next day. 'Nooooo!' I pleaded nicely. 'I've waited for years, and I don't think I can wait another moment!' Ha! Nicely she directed me to another pharmacy just a few miles away, and I was successful in getting started immediately without having to wait.
I had no idea I was that desperate until those words flew out of my mouth.
So, the first week is now under my belt and its been interesting. Immediately my sleep has improved dramatically. While I'm still waking up during particularly intense hot flashes, I'm able to fall quickly back to sleep after they subside. I've also been falling asleep quickly, with not a single incident of being unable to fall asleep quickly once I get into bed. A miracle.
My energy level appears to be improving slowly but surely. I'm so so happy about this I could cry, honestly. I've had fantastic energy my entire life, and losing it over the last four years has been pretty dang depressing.
I'm still having hot flashes, with some days better than others, but of my three symptoms, this one troubles me the least, and I can live with it if need be.
My readings indicate it can take anywhere from a month to three months from the full benefits of HRT to be realized, so I'm optimistic that eventually my hot flashes will diminish.
So for now, I'm tremendously encouraged about what is happening even if the process is more of a slow and steady vs. a magic elixer.
