{"id":3999,"date":"2022-05-17T10:06:16","date_gmt":"2022-05-17T09:06:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.balance-menopause.com\/?post_type=menopauselibrary&p=3999"},"modified":"2024-08-28T13:27:36","modified_gmt":"2024-08-28T12:27:36","slug":"thirty-years-of-feeling-the-benefits-with-hrt-dont-take-it-from-me-now","status":"publish","type":"menopauselibrary","link":"https:\/\/www.balance-menopause.com\/menopause-library\/thirty-years-of-feeling-the-benefits-with-hrt-dont-take-it-from-me-now\/","title":{"rendered":"My story: Thirty years of feeling the benefits with HRT, don\u2019t take it from me now!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Lindsay started taking HRT in 1989 and although there\u2019s been a couple of bumps along the road due to difference of opinions with clinicians, Lindsay has ensured she has stayed on it and now takes estrogen-only HRT at the age of 77.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSometime during the late 60s\/early 70s I was first prescribed the contraceptive pill \u2013 a wonderful advancement for women.  I can\u2019t remember the name of it, but it had estrogen and progesterone in it. Then the current thinking changed and became more cautious about risks with this pill and the \u2018mini pill\u2019 took its place in popularity.  That\u2019s when my problems started, the mini pill only had progesterone in it and I would get terrible premenstrual symptoms every month, feeling low, irritable and having mood swings. Although it didn\u2019t cause the break-up of my first marriage, it certainly contributed to it. A doctor recommended I got sterilised so I wouldn\u2019t have to take the pill and suffer with the side effects.  But this didn\u2019t work either. I then met my husband, moved areas and changed doctors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My new doctor \u2013 to whom I will be forever grateful \u2013 listened to me and recommended that I try HRT.  It was similar to a light bulb illuminating my life.  I felt like me again after so long.  I also researched HRT but when the Women\u2019s Health Initiative study was published I, like so many other women, became extremely concerned about the risk of breast cancer.  I immediately made an appointment at the doctor\u2019s to ask his opinion.  I can remember to this day his exact words, \u201cthe study is flawed and I have told you before \u2013 don\u2019t read the Daily Mail\u201d.  I can smile now when I recall the words, but I realise how fortunate I was to have such a knowledgeable and caring doctor back then.  He also put me in touch with a consultant who knew even more about HRT and could answer all my questions and reassure my many concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, in 2003, I had to have a hysterectomy which was performed by the same consultant privately.  I was advised to stop HRT before the operation, which removed my womb, fallopian tubes, ovaries and a large benign tumour. After surgery, I couldn\u2019t stop crying and I can remember the consultant coming to see me on day 3 and saying to the nurse, \u201cFor goodness\u2019 sake, get this lady some HRT.\u201d And I would say almost immediately \u2013 I admit this may be seen through rose coloured spectacles \u2013 I felt like me again.  Sadly, for me and a lot of other women, my doctor and consultant have long since retired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything returned to normal for me for the next few years albeit the occasional doctor trying to warn me about my (now estrogen-only) HRT which I have been able to bat off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2019, I developed breast cancer that a biopsy revealed was \u2018triple negative\u2019 breast cancer. My HRT was immediately stopped \u2013 with no argument from me and my husband. I had a lumpectomy, lymph gland surgery and a 6-week course of radiotherapy. The treatments were carried out and of course by then I had done my own research on triple negative breast cancer and discovered that I could<\/em> still take HRT.  After I had completed all my treatments, I brought up the subject of returning to HRT and the surgeon could see no reason why I shouldn\u2019t resume it again and one very happy lady left his consulting room that day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During all that was happening to me, my husband was diagnosed with cancer of the prostate. While surgery was a success, we were warned that erectile dysfunction could happen with this operation.  Both my husband and I realised it was very important for me to play a major part in getting our life back to normal and this depended on me staying well.  I made my usual request for a repeat prescription of my HRT but the doctor dealing with the request that day declared that I couldn\u2019t have it, shouldn\u2019t be on it and she wouldn\u2019t prescribe it.  I pointed out that the surgeon said I could have it, but her answer was most definitely, \u201cWell get him to prescribe it then\u201d.  At this point I very nearly lost it. I pointed out to her that she was sending me away with vaginal dryness, mood swings and all the associated problems, to live with a husband who had just had prostate cancer and surgery. She then wrote to my surgeon who replied that I could have a prescription but advised that maybe I should be weaned off HRT \u2018after a while\u2019.  So far \u2013 touch wood \u2013 this problem has not yet raised its ugly head although I am expecting another battle about my HRT at some point in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the time comes, I still have my arguments ready but I have to say, why would anyone deny me taking estrogen when my body obviously needs it?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would you like to share your experience of perimenopause or menopause? Write to us at shareyourstory@balance-app.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In this patient stories article, we hear from Lindsay who is 77 and has been taking HRT since 1989.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1050,"template":"","subject":[26,65],"content-type":[6],"library-format":[19],"library-author":[],"class_list":["post-3999","menopauselibrary","type-menopauselibrary","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","subject-hrt","subject-patient-stories","content-type-article","library-format-read"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.balance-menopause.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/menopauselibrary\/3999","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.balance-menopause.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/menopauselibrary"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.balance-menopause.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/menopauselibrary"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.balance-menopause.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1050"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.balance-menopause.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3999"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.balance-menopause.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/subject?post=3999"},{"taxonomy":"content-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.balance-menopause.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content-type?post=3999"},{"taxonomy":"library-format","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.balance-menopause.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/library-format?post=3999"},{"taxonomy":"library-author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.balance-menopause.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/library-author?post=3999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}