A “menopause warrior” has opened up about her experiences while campaigning for better health care for women.
Jane James, 57, fights for something better education and break taboos around the topic of menopause.
When she was 46, she underwent surgery to remove both her ovaries.
The Hythe local said: “I went into surgery, walked out and was told nothing about what would happen.
“I did my own research and found that no one was talking about menopause or perimenopause.
“It took me two or three years to realize what was really happening to my body.
“I went into perimenopause right away.”
Jane said that during this time she “hit rock bottom” going from “a confident, outgoing person to someone I didn’t recognise.”
He stopped dating, found no joy in anything, and began having hot sweats and bouts of depression.
The mother of three started her own research and launched her own support group.
Eight years ago, she launched a Facebook group called the Menopause and HRT Discussion Group to help support and educate local women.
The group now has more than 14,000 members, and she has worked closely with television host and menopause activist Davina McCall.
“The group was born when I realized that I just needed help,” said Jane.
“Since then, it’s come in leaps and bounds. I’ve been to two rallies in Parliament to try to get free prescriptions for women on HRT.”
Jane’s mission is to make sure more women are educated about menopause at an earlier age, similar to learning about periods in sex education at school.
She says one of the biggest problems women face is getting a doctor to listen to them and making sure doctors are informed about menopause.
Jane said it was about two years before she was prescribed hormone replacement therapy drugs and was previously given a high dose of antidepressants.
Jane was tested with three different tablets that left her with strange side effects like sores and boils.
Eventually she was advised to look at TRH gels and patches.
She said: “All the time I have women come to me for advice.
“I recently had a lady who was crying on the phone saying that at one of our local surgeries, she was belittled and made to feel like she was wasting her time because her attitude was ‘you’re not menopausal because you’re under 50.
“Well, this is not the case. Doctors need to know all the symptoms.”
Jane has been featured in several books on menopause, including Cracking the Menopause by Mariella Frostup and Menopausing by Davina McCall.
She has urged all women over the age of 40 to have their hormones and thyroid checked by their GP.
To join the Facebook group, visit MHDG.
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