“Going through the menopause, I’d completely lost sight of who I was”

As a mother of three and a grandmother of two, Sue, who is the owner and founder of Evolution Childcare, which has a nursery in Weaverham, was juggling work and family life in her 50s.

But almost overnight she felt lost and no longer herself with absolutely no idea why.

Sue said: “I felt like there was a drastic difference in me as a person - I suddenly didn’t recognise myself.

“I couldn't sleep at night, I started to get hot sweats and I felt thoroughly insecure.

“I worried incessantly about small, everyday things like driving – every time I went out in the car, I’d be convinced that I was going to have an awful crash.

“As a result, I became very withdrawn.

“It got so bad that I was shutting everybody out, especially my husband.

“I even started to tell him that he needed to meet somebody else who was more fun and outgoing, because that just wasn’t me anymore.

“I craved carbs all the time and was drinking more alcohol as a way of handling my stress. Unsurprisingly, I put on weight.

“Out of nowhere, I also started to develop early osteoporosis in my fingers.

“I felt like everything was going wrong and was literally at a point where I didn't know what to do.

“Looking back now, I can’t believe that I never connected the dots.”

After a heart-to-heart with a friend, Sue was advised to seek treatment for the menopause – it was a lightbulb moment where the 52-year-old suddenly realised what was happening.

Sue said: “I’d never had any frank discussions about the side effects of menopause and didn’t make the connection that it was my hormones that were impacting my life so severely.

“I didn’t have a clue – I’d completely lost sight of who I was.”

October is World Menopause Month – a whole month dedicated to raising awareness, breaking the stigma and highlighting the support options available for improving health and wellbeing.

Sue tried everything to alleviate her symptoms – herbal remedies, vegan diets, anti-inflammatory diets – but nothing seemed to help.

It was at this point that she tried Bodyline’s bespoke M Plan – a personalised hormone replacement therapy treatment for women going through the menopause.

Sue, who has nursery and childcare facilities in Weaverham and Lower Whitley, wants to share her experiences in the hope of helping other women receive the care and treatment they need when going through the menopause.

Sue said: “I went for a menopause consultation and had a women’s hormone blood test, before discussing my medical history and talking through my symptoms.

“My first recommendation was to remove my IUD so that we could get a proper reading of my hormones.

“We then discovered then that the weight gain I’d experienced was because I was oestrogen dominant - I was basically craving food constantly because I had no progesterone in my body at all.

“My body wasn’t producing any calming, happy hormones which was why I felt absolutely awful.”

Following the blood tests, Sue was given a hormone replacement therapy prescription of progesterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) as well as low dose naltrexone (LDN) to reduce her inflammation and improve her mood, all in the form of daily topical cream and oral pills.

Sue is the founder of Evolution Childcare, which has sites at The Abbey in Weaverham and The Stables in Lower Whitley

Now, after seven years, Sue finally feels like her old self again.

She said: “My entire life has changed for the better.

“I’ve lost two stone, I’m in a much better place both physically and mentally, I’ve got bags more energy and I feel so much more dynamic.

“My brain fog has completely gone -I can think clearly again and I've been able to make huge strategic decisions for my business, which has been immense.

“And it's all down to getting good advice and putting myself first with a personalised plan.

Dr. Morgan Toerien, LDN and HRT treatment lead at Bodyline, said: “Sue is one of our many patients who has achieved life changing results by combining different medical treatment types, tailored medication doses and patient-centred care. 

“She struggled for years without getting appropriate diagnoses and treatment for her symptoms, which has impacted her wellbeing, as well as her relationships with others. 

“Sue’s mental, physical and emotional health has improved significantly since on-boarding with Bodyline and she feels that she can positively embrace life again.”

Sue believes the treatment plan saved her marriage after her relationship with husband Rob hit rock bottom.

Sue said: “I had totally withdrawn from my husband to the point that he was at his wits end too and our marriage was at rock bottom.

“The treatment I received managed to save both my marriage and my sanity.

“I’ve reverted back to a version of myself from long ago that neither myself nor my husband thought we were ever going to see again.

“Now I can safely say that my marriage is better than ever.”

She added: “If you’re struggling going through the menopause, get your blood tested and find out what your body needs from the professionals – it’s life-changing.”