MENOPAUSE AND LYME
Three months on, I'm wanting to report on how I'm doing having come completely off HRT. (HRT? Yes, thanks to a full hysterectomy in 2016, courtesy of Lyme disease playing havoc with the endocrine system, I was put on 75mcg of Oestrodot overnight).
STOPPING THE HRT
So what happened? Tits sagged, eyes sagged, gut sagged? Perhaps a little! And yes, my Lyme regressed. As the Chinese Med doc suggested it would. And together with no downtime as a result of the school holidays, I found myself back to boringly bedridden for a burst. It was a case of riding it out, and thanks to the help of good friends and grandparents alike, I took the time to rest and gather my energy and sense of recovery once more.
STEP BACKWARD
After getting better to a degree and feeling so good in May, it was a huge surprise to remember exactly how Lyme and co-infections hit hard. Symptoms literally blow you away, as you helplessly sit by and watch your body fail, multi-systemically. First thing I noticed this time were the lumps and bumps of Bartonella as it marched over my scalp, resulting in a head that was painful to lay down. Then came the headache and hangover feeling each morning, temperatures, uncomfortable aches and pains, memory loss, weight loss and of course exhaustion; all courtesy of the Lyme and Babesia bacteria also gaining a foothold.
HRT WITHDRAWAL
Along with acknowledging the bacteria, I also weathered the usual kind of menopause mayhem. Crazy hot, freezing cold, insomnia, feeling emotional over the slightest thing.
ACUPUNCTURE?
For all the emotional upset however, I never endured the see-sawing moods and irrationality that can arise due to a sudden departure of oestrogen. I wonder if this is down to the weekly acupuncture I've been receiving? Or the diet and supplements this new form of Chinese Medicine dictates? Natural oestrogen's, Wild Yam and Rhodiola Rosea included.
THREE MONTHS ON
So where am I now? Not doing too badly at all, safe in the knowledge that my lyme disease and co-infections are no longer able to hide behind HRT - which helps to mask symptoms. Instead, after the chronic fatigue passed, miraculously I realised my body was starting to work again for itself. For example; I've been waking up hungry! Hunger pangs are something that haven't happened since 2015, so at first I worried about this rather strange sensation, wondering what was wrong? Of course as soon as I realised it was a natural sensation, there was only delight at the prospect of remembering what it was like to have an appetite. It's all good!
