she’s once, twice, three times a lady (in menopause)
Having gone through menopause THREE times by age 33, our friend Lucy shares her personal experience with both chemically induced menopause as well as full surgical menopause. It's a wild ride examining the rolls of hormones as they are suppressed and reintroduced through the use of modern medicine, pregnancy, and surgical removal of her uterus, cervix, and ovaries. We're honored she shared her experiences with such candor and realness.
Having struggled with endometriosis and adenomyosis from a young age, her doctors decided to put her in chemical menopause (ceasing all estrogen and progesterone production) after her first child to help combat the debilitating symptoms. Between heavy bleeding, crippling pain, nausea, and vomiting, and often times passing out, life wasn’t normal for Lucy EVERY time she menstruated. Every month felt like a battle to get through, often hindering plans, work, life, and motherhood. At the time, chemical menopause was one of only three options she had to manage those life-altering symptoms. The choices the doctors laid out for her included continuing to try to get pregnant, or having a full hysterectomy (before age 25!). Lucy chose to try the chemical menopause route twice, while during this time also giving birth to 2 children (the pregnancies ROUGH but also alleviating the terrible menstrual symptoms). As if this was not traumatic enough - Lucy found out she has a progesterone intolerance, so the use of hormone replacement therapy was a rocky one, with estrogen not being held in check by the body with progesterone. After her full hysterectomy (cervix, uterus, and ovaries removed), she was able to get her life back and enjoy the benefits of an estrodial patch without progesterone.
Join us in honoring Lucy’s candor with us as she details the nightmarish health journey, with complications around every corner from a progesterone intolerance to collapsing due to (what she and her doctor now think) might have been a lack of testosterone. Today Lucy is thriving and loving life without monthly medical interruption. Menopause was the best gift she’s ever been able to give herself!
