My Dabble into HRT.

Someone (me) once said, "I will never take HRT as long as I have breath in my body."

It's a bit dramatic, I know, but that's how I roll some days.

I consider my menopause a bit of a success story, to be honest.

It knocked on my door during a romantic trip to Paris when I was 52.

Small signs, a missed period, a murderous thought and the odd miserable day.

When it got into full swing by the time I was 54, I was right in the middle of my Yoga Teacher Training, and although coping quite well, my body must have decided that I was getting off quite easy, so it sent me intense 8-hour sweats EVERY night.

During the day, there was nothing, just my usual cold, hard heart, but the minute I saw my bed, never mind, I got into it, I became absolutely drenched. I literally rain-danced through my fifties.

I tried everything, and nothing made the slightest difference; despite all my holistic knowledge, I started to really suffer from sleep deprivation, and my Yoga practice became really challenging as some days I had zero energy.

Nodding off in Shavasana became a joke, the times I woke up with the night cleaners.

After sticking it out for about 6 months, I reluctantly went to the Doctor.

In those days, it was really easy. Once you had navigated the intimidating receptionist, you had an appointment within a couple of days (one that fit in perfectly with your working commitments).

Within no time, I found myself sitting in the usual leatherette chair, having my blood pressure taken and lamenting my woes.

She was a friendly young Doctor who nodded sympathetically and then tried to fob me off with some anti-depressants, which I was having none of.

She confidently flicked her way through what looked like a reference book of every medication known to man before sticking in her pin and taking off her blindfold.

I left clutching my prescription but the Doctor not happy, she found me stood in the chemists queue and gave me a different one.

Within a week, the sweats had just about disappeared, and I was back to getting a good night's kip, and Gareth could retire his snorkel and mask.

Sometimes, our beliefs are so ingrained that they make us ignorant.

I looked at taking HRT as a failure on my part - as if I should know better when, in reality, my Doctor knew better.

Despite my fear of withdrawal symptoms, which never happened, I eventually found myself on holiday about 18 months later without my prescription, and I ran out and never needed any more again.

Acknowledging that we don't know everything and that sometimes we need outside help can be difficult; it's as if we are letting others down, and we should have all the answers.

So try not to be the know-it-all that tries to trump the sat nav, gag your ego and never say never.

If you are interested in how I navigated my Menopause with minimum stress and turned it around into a profound healing process. Click below to get my book.