Annette – Interview 26- Menopause

The menopause has not been easy for Annette. Now the mother of a two year-old ‘menopause’ baby, her experiences of hot flushes, moods and increased weight alongside existing health problems have added to the complexity of her life as a single mother.

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The doctor did not consider Annettes individual needs. He gave her a leaflet about the menopause…

Age at interview 46

Gender Female

Alright. As I say the menopause hasn’t been easy. I haven’t had what you call HRT but I know there’s lots of things out there you can take and in your body. I think I’m quite a stubborn person in that way. I’m not, as I say, I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I don’t take anything into my body unless I really know a lot about it. When I did go to the doctor I didn’t find him very helpful, it was like, Well there’s HRT or you get on with it more or less So I just thought, At the moment I’ll get on with it
See I don’t know much about that because when I went to the doctor it was either, Take that or, that’s how I felt, or Get on with it so I took the option of getting on with it.

When you went to the doctor did he explain about what HRT was?

He gave me a leaflet which they all do, but I’m slightly dyslexic anyway, so of course somebody just shoving a leaflet on me.

It doesn’t work.

it’s not as if I can just read it, I have to have somebody to read it, or I’ll read it and think that didn’t make sense to me. So I’d have to have somebody else.

So do you know what it’s for? Do you know what it does?

Not really no.

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