18/10/2026
Did I think that in 2022, when I was 39, I was going to say hello to menopause… no I did not!
Earlier that year I woke up one day and couldn’t feel my legs from the waist down and just a few days later I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. I chose to have chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant, knowing that meant going into menopause overnight without even really knowing what that meant, was a lot.
Those were dark days. When menopause is chemically induced the symptoms can be wild, mine certainly were. But I guess there is a happy ending as I am now in long term remission for MS.
But also, the biggest thing for me has been accepting that gratitude can come with grief. Grief for having to enter a chapter of my life that I just wasn’t ready for. I talked to Katie Knowles about this and the feeling of loss and identity. So much Menopause talk is on symptoms but there are also so many other factors and emotions when it comes for you early.
I was invited to an event with ocado to mark World Menopause Day, which even though I’m four years in, I didn’t even know existed.
There was an intimate dinner with just a handful of us around the table, all having arrived at menopause in very different ways. And it was a very emotional one.
It was the first time I’d shared my story out loud in front of people I didn’t know and yes, I burst into tears 😢 First time crying at a brand event, there’s a first for everything I suppose!
Everyone was so lovely though and thank you Georgie | Life after cancer & early menopause for the hug! We are both celebrating our second birthday in October, it will be my 4th on Halloween! If you’ve had a stem cell transplant you celebrate transplant day as a rebirth and new birth date. If anyone wants to talk you know where I am ☺️
World Menopause Day 💜
