Competitive swimmer, sewing machinist, butter maker
Touching water in local stream Swimming tethered in garden
Menopause started 7 years ago, and I’m still going through it, in fact it’s getting worse.There’s no let up, I’m not getting any help from the doctors. I get continuous hot flushes throughout the day and all night, it’s incredibly difficult when I work. Because I get flashing in my eyes I’m more at risk from stroke if I take HRT; I want to try anything on offer but unfortunately I just have to go through it naturally
I used to compete (in swimming) in my 20’s. Watching the Olympics in 2016, I said to my husband “You know what? I’m going to get back into competitive swimming as a masters swimmer against ladies in my age group”, and I haven’t turned back. I have competitions ahead of me, and I’ve got a string of medals.The only time I can forget about going through the menopause is when I'm in the water; you don't notice hot flushes when you’re in the water. I swim 3 times a week forANT swimming in Bristol. I’m also going to do my first long distance lake swim. The training is pretty intensive; they absolutely put you through your paces, but I love it.
I get migraines and severe fatigue, I feel quite down a lot of the time. I don't feel that I’ve got anything else in my life other than swimming. I’m not coping with everyday life in general. It makes you feel alien, that you’re the one that’s changed and you can’t help how you feel. I don't want to go out to pubs, or out for meals anymore. I think a lot of that’s to do with the menopause. I’ve withdrawn a lot from other people; it’s almost as if I’ve changed my personality but not deliberately - I’ve been called a miserable bitch. I feel sometimes like it’s going to be with me for the rest of my life.
It’s made me look upon my life and think differently. I don't want to do the things that I used to like doing. Perhaps it has changed me in positive ways as well. You constantly think that it’s your fault when you have issues, but actually I like what I’m doing. You don't feel that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. When I turned 50 I really started to notice the changes. It hits you like you’ve hit a brick wall.You stop dead of everything you’ve known back then. The trouble is, nobody understands unless you’re going through it yourself, I think that’s what the difficulties are. If nobody can understand or try and help you, you’ve only got yourself to work through it haven't you? There must be a lot of ladies that feel like that.
You’re constantly down on yourself, you can’t stand to look at yourself in pictures, you’re worried about your weight, and the way you look and you’re desperately trying to lose weight all the time because you’re not what you used to be. You get very paranoid about everything.