Last year I started experiencing odd symptoms, including very dry and flaky ears (who knew?!) I only found out this could be a symptom of Menopause when I happened to read a Menopause thread on Michelle Heaton’s Instagram page, where people were sharing their symptoms.  It wasn’t the only odd thing that had started to happen, so I called my (usually excellent) Doctors surgery.   The female doctor told me to come to the surgery, take my own blood pressure in reception, and weigh myself and then call back – they didn’t do blood tests.  She wasn’t in the slightest bit interested in a conversation about the Menopause.

I was put off by this and didn’t take it further, but I now find my hot flashes getting worse and insomnia creeping in – and I know next to nothing about HRT.  There is so much conflicting information out there and I have no idea what I should be doing.   I talked to some friends, and they tell me that the gels are incredible and have changed their lives.  I’m not suffering from any depression or brain fog (yet) so should I take it?

I know our NHS is under horrendous pressure right now, but I do wonder if a regular menopause clinic wouldn’t help so many women understand and have their questions answered?  It might even save time in the long run.

Then we have the nationwide shortage of HRT – which inexplicably doesn’t seem to be being taken seriously.  I do wonder if there just aren’t enough female MPs in positions of power who are female and fifty.  I saw a younger female MP dismiss it patronisingly and thought, you wait!  We are often told to ‘get on with it’ and ‘our mothers didn’t complain’ as if to shut us up – but why shouldn’t we expect better? We are expected to work longer, the pension age rising considerably, but if we aren’t offered the tools to make that possible there is a disparity.