Introduction to Menopause
Kirsty Dixon’s life changed overnight when she experienced intense brain fog at the age of 49. One day, Kirsty stared at her screen at work when she suddenly couldn’t remember what she did. She wondered how she knew her name and couldn’t even remember her own name. Kirsty felt like she was going crazy and thought it was just her.
The Struggle to Get Help
The problems continued when she tried to get help. Kirsty thought she had something really serious, but she couldn’t get anyone to listen. She was informed by a doctor that what she experienced was part of the menopause. It is estimated that there is a third of women in Great Britain who go through the menopause at any time.
Raising Awareness
Kirsty, a learning and development consultant, is working on raising awareness of the less known symptoms and the enormous effects on people’s lives. Before the menopause, Kirsty was always a very bubbly person, very social, and a bit miserable. The menopause came and just put a big thunder cloud over her head. Kirsty lost herself, and her husband said, "I want my Kirsty back" while he cuddled her and she was in tears.
The Turning Point
Kirsty spent the next four years fighting because she couldn’t believe that it was symptoms of menopause. During the lockdown, Kirsty was researching menopause for her work. She stumbled across an article by someone who had experienced the same symptoms. Kirsty had a "light bulb moment" when she realized that what she experienced was completely normal. She had to understand and know what she could do to help herself.
Taking Control
Kirsty went from feeling useless to actually owning her journey. Kirsty is now 58 years old and runs two self-help groups for women who experience menopause. They are non-profit, and everyone is welcome, regardless of age or gender. Kirsty hopes that the groups will encourage more people to talk about the less known symptoms.
The Importance of Support
One of the most important things Kirsty tells people is to keep their support network around them, which includes family, friends, and groups like this. The 54-year-old Sarah Mortimer has been in the group since the beginning of 2022. During her menopause, she experienced an unusual symptom of self-diagnosed burning mouth syndrome, where bubbles in the mouth were developed with a burning feeling.
Breaking the Silence
Sarah said it can be really isolating, so it’s amazing to find groups like this. It makes a big difference to know that other people are going through the same things she is going through. It’s this strength in numbers and there’s strength in force to talk about menopause. The group is based in York, but people travel from Leeds, Sheffield, and Beverley to take part.
The Need for More Support
Kirsty says that it highlights an ongoing problem with regard to the need for more support for people who go through the menopause. Nobody else led a menopause café in York, so there was obviously something missing. Kirsty demands more groups like this so that people do not have to travel so far to receive the support they need.
A New Chapter
What Kirsty will say now is that she is a woman after menopause, and she is the most confident, strongest, and creative person. If someone told her that they can have their lives again without their menopause, Kirsty would say no because it made her the person she is today. If she can get through it, she can get through everything.
