I rarely share my personal ‘stuff’ but…

Please read on for a tongue in cheek account of what is going on for me at the moment.

This year has been a massive challenge for various reasons but also because there was an underlying factor I wasn’t aware of, which exacerbated everything. This issue creeps up on about 50% of the population.

So let’s talk openly about the peri/menopause.

Even in 2024, this can be an unfortunately awkward subject to discuss and it shouldn’t be.

I had no idea of the detrimental impact of symptoms and I suspect many others are not aware either. Luckily for me, as I work from home, I was able to pace myself over this year, but have been rather unproductive in comparison to the previous year of self-employment (not ideal for my profit margins). However I have managed to get by (aside from the odd accidently missed meeting…), without too many people in my professional world noticing (or they were too polite to mention anything)! I can’t imagine trying to get through this phase of my life alongside a larger school role commitment such as a full time teaching job. My one day a week in school was challenging enough at times. Hats off to anyone who is has experienced this and survived with their career intact. Unfortunately, I know that many excellent teachers have left roles due to the strain on work/life balance that this causes.

For further school and classroom support, please refer to this webinar which Helen Clare (school peri/menopause specialist) recorded for me.

This is a public service announcement

We are sorry for the recent disruption in personality for the user Lynn.2. Lynn.2 has significant viruses which have only just been discovered but may have been operational in the background for longer than originally thought. The bug known as ‘PM’ (perimenopause), was not spotted in a timely manner and therefore bug ‘M’ (menopause), bypassed the firewall and snuck in through the back door, attempting to arrive somewhat earlier than anticipated. Before discovery, it was well on the way to causing further unprecedented chaos. Rest assured that HR are dealing with this tardy lack of awareness and several service engineers of model Lynn.2 have been subject to investigation. It is highly likely that someone will get fired (or shot).

With a subsequent lack of bug fixes and patches for PM, bug M corrupted Lynn.2’s source code and wreaked havoc; causing significant confusion to regular users and Lynn.2 herself. We have had our team of specialists take a look and they have concluded that Lynn.2’s motherboard is in their words, ‘temporarily f&@ked’. Issues include a ‘GPM’ (general personality malfunction), alongside the well known side effects of: lack of rational thinking, weirder and more over thinky thoughts than usual, brain fog, anxiety, irritability, unexpected rage and regular eye leaking, among other disagreeable faults; some of which are TMI for those not specialists in this field (or who are just a bit snowflakey). The system has also been subject to overheating and unexpected crashes.

If you have experienced any concerns or distress as a result of this malfunction, please contact the head office of Lynn.2 where an experienced team of slightly sweary specialists with an array of interesting regional accents are ready to take your call.*

Now that this issue has been identified, Lynn.2 can begin the transition to version Lynn.3 which has various improvements and upgrades including, a SD patch (sunny disposition) and anti anger mechanism. This is a direct result of the overarching update known as ‘HRT’. Please bear with us in the interim period while this upgrade uploads. It may take several months to settle down. We do not know if this will improve the ability to complete domestic chores, but we live in hope.

We also apologise unreservedly for any user untimely death issues during this period. Head office will of course send a customary fruit basket to the families of any victims (unless HR concludes that the untimely end receiver actually deserved it, in which case we’ll send a framed congratulatory gilt edged certificate).

We would advise cyclists to stay indoors when the incompletely updated Lynn.2 leaves the house (as her car has connected with one already this year – driver not at fault). Also accept offers of belaying for climbing at your own risk.

Thank you for your patience with this issue. We are always working hard to improve user experiences by acting upon constructive feedback and appreciate your loyal custom.

*Please note that refunds and compensation are not available. For further details, please check your original user licence (very) small print:

Clause 456.35 – all claims to refunds and compensation are null and void if you interacted with Lynn.2 before 2024. Once interaction has taken place, the product is deemed, ‘slightly broken’ and therefore unfit for resale.

In hindsight, maybe you should have left her in the box.

There has been recent improved publicity about women’s struggles with the peri/menopause, many women are still not getting the help needed and the associated issues can be downplayed (often by GPs). This is despite the often detrimental impact on the individual’s everyday life.

I have felt like I’ve been losing my mind this year and although the year has brought various external challenges, my usual resilience and rational thinking totally left the building. I didn’t recognise the person I was becoming and I didn’t put the jigsaw pieces together of the 10+ separate symptoms (the worst by far being declining mental health), until my periods stopped for 5 months (I had concluded that this was due to weight loss), as at 43, it wasn’t really on my radar. It then took several months of Drs appointments and blood tests etc. Before I got what was needed.

So many women don’t notice the gradual decline fast enough or attribute it to the peri/menopause and neither are they taken seriously by their GPs to get early enough intervention, especially in the area of mental health on which it can have a significant effect.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) in the UK reports that among females, the age-specific suicide rate was highest in those aged 45 to 49 years and therefore peri/menopause is likely to be a factor. After how I’ve been feeling the last few months, I can see how it could potentially come to that for some women.

I started a peri/menopause chat on my SENCo Facebook group, ‘The Sweary SENCo’ and over 1000 people joined within an hour – all with their own stories about significant negative effects on everyday life and the challenge to get the correct medication.

In school, simple adjustments can be made to support colleagues, which does also involve colleagues being brave and speaking out about the difficulties they are experiencing in this area. Many schools have menopause policies in place, but not enough are doing enough to support our teachers going through this. It must improve. Not only for individual wellbeing and mental health, but also to protect significant experience from leaving our classrooms when colleagues could and should be better supported. In our current climate of a retention crisis, we can’t afford to lose any more excellent practitioners.

Luckily now I’ve started HRT, I’m feeling much better and the positive shift in mood happened in just 4 days. It was literally like a curtain had been lifted. It will take some time to ensure that all my hormones are more balanced as HRT isn’t always an instant magic cure all, but I’m certainly heading in the right direction.

HRT was still a challenge to get though. If you are over 45, guidelines state that HRT should be the first thing to try for low mood/depression in females. As I am under 45, the GP tried to fob me off with anti depressants, despite a previous ovarian insufficiency diagnosis. Advocating for yourself at the doctors when you feel so low was also difficult. It took several appointments to get what I needed.

What can you do?

I would suggest to anyone experiencing difficulties in this area to take an advocate to appointments, go armed with your own research and don’t take no for an answer. Exercise your right to patient choice and change your GP if needed, which could include insisting on a referral to a menopause specialist doctor.

At school, ask for a copy of the menopause policy or ask for one to be put in place. Have open discussions with school leaders, even if its weird and awkward! Be clear on what your workplace can do to support you during this challenging time. Also be clear on your sense of humour levels on the subject as it can often be easy for colleagues to ‘make light’ of it and it’s accompanying symptoms whereas, it really isn’t funny and only you should be making the jokes. Sometimes menopause rage can come in handy – look as it as an opportunity to speak your mind if you are someone who wouldn’t usually!

If you are not going through this at the moment, you can help by spreading awareness and being supportive towards your colleagues, friends and partners. If you are a teacher or senior leader, check the policies in place at your setting and gain some skills in being able to speak to people about delicate topics if the thought of it fills you with dread!

See the link below for further classroom support – this webinar has been deliberately priced to be very cost-effective for school staff to ensure that it can be accessible to all who need it.

So onwards and upwards – I’m very pleased to feel like my old self again and sending massive appreciation to my friends, family and colleagues for putting up with me!

Please share this article to support other women in education with the peri/menopause as it needs to be higher on our school agendas.

Thanks for reading,

Lynn