My menopause started about 18 months ago, when I was 48. My periods stopped for a few months, then I had another one, then they stopped again. Some women have a nice neat cut-off point when their periods just stop completely, but mine have been a bit more erratic.
I'm also getting the dreaded hot flushes, but not too badly. I'm normally colder than everyone else and, as I'm always the one wearing a cardie, to suddenly feel hot all over was a bit strange. But mine only last a minute or so and, to be honest, they're so minor that sometimes I wonder whether it's just the weather causing them!
I have also been getting the odd cramp but, apart from that, I really have been coping well. I'm taking a natural supplement called sepia, which is good for hot flushes, apparently.
I think some women have a hard time coming to terms with the menopause psychologically, but I haven't. I've had my family, and don't see it as the end of my womanhood.
Gilly, 50, Newmarket, Suffolk
For more information and advice, visit www.menopausematters.co.uk
Where next?
- More info about the menopause and HRT
- Menopause home testing kits
- Control the symptoms of the menopause and HRT