Auntie Voni,
Menopause is tricky in the sense that you are usually caught unaware. A lot goes into your mind; you become very emotional, irritated, and anxious. There are also physical changes; the cycle changes and becomes irregular. The hot flashes begin, whereby you suddenly feel hot even in the cold weather. One minute you are hot; the next, you are cold. During the night, the hot flashes get worse. You will begin to think that you have some illness.
Sometimes the flow is too heavy, and you feel weak and dizzy. For me, I collapsed once at work. I was taken to the ward and put on a drip. I went to the doctors, but unfortunately, the doctors don’t tell you that this is Menopause. They sent you for various tests. A lot will go through your mind. For me, it was an elderly woman who saw me feeling all hot and flustered and said, “Welcome to the club.” I asked her, “What club?” and she said, “Menopause.” I was 46 years old at the time.
Your eating habits will change. You will neglect to eat certain foods. Most of the gynaecologists do not help much because they are males. They will say that it’s part of growing old. For example, I had bruises under the skin on my upper arms and thigh. Spotting will continue here and there. When you engage in sex, you can experience spotting as well as feeling a bit of pain. In my case, because of other complications, I had my uterus removed. I experienced hair loss and black spots on my cheeks from the hot flushes.