Let’s talk about menopause

18 October marks World Menopause Day, a day in which people across the globe are come together to raise awareness and break the stigma surrounding the menopause.

Hello, my name is Beauty Kasani-Hall. I'm a Registered Nurse and Practice Educator at Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust.

As someone who has gone through the menopause, unknowingly at the time, reflecting on my journey, I believe speaking about it openly and honesty can raise awareness so that help can be sought as soon as possible if need be.

My cycle changed in my early forties after having our lovely son, who is 10 years old now. My periods were very irregular and I also started getting hot flushes, with my periods stopping around 1 year later. I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight some of the symtoms I experienced, in hope that it may raise awareness of the menopause and bring comfort to others to know that they are not alone in experiencing it.

Hot flushes

I had lots of hot flushes and sweating, which is unusual for me as I am usually always cold - sometimes even taking a hot water bottle on holiday! My body experienced total body heat. My upper body, arms, my skin turned red and sweating occurred. Sometimes on a night, I had to keep towels in the bed, regularly changing them as they got wet from my sweating so much. During the day I was exhausted, but made sure I drank plenty of water whilst at work.

Weight gain

I seem to have put on weight since menopause, despite not eating anything differently. I have noticed that, now my clothing size has increased from size12 to14.

Joint pain and muscle fatigue

I suddenly experienced stiff and painful joints during perimenopause and menopause. My husband, son and I love to taking walks in the Yorkshire Dales, however, I had noticed requiring a lot more effort on uphill sections such that I can no longer keep up with husband and son, which I found very frustrating.

On reflection...

I wish I had been exposed to the information before my perimenopause and menopause symptoms as I would have understood them, particularly my weight gain and not blame myself. I hope sharing my experience helps anyone who may be experiencing similar symptoms - Writing my story has taught me that simply having a conversation about menopause is the best place to begin. I believe that the more we bring this subject to light and speaking about the trials and tribulations of menopause and the debilitating and annoying emotional rollercoaster we are riding, we can feel supported and connected rather than alone.

Thank you for your valuable time reading my menopause blog!