Guess Who's A Happy Bunny?

I went to the doctor's today, I couldn't get an appointment with my regular doctor. 
I saw a young woman doctor and I thought I was going to have a problem with her
and the symptoms I was attending with. Lack of sleep, nausea, aching joints, very dry skin,
emotional wreck, vaginal dryness TMI? sorry if it is but it is part of me and my problems.

I was on HRT for 21 years, yes 21 years, a long time.  I had a hysterectomy and my ovaries removed when I was 38 and commenced on HRT a week later. It became an intergral part of my life until last November.
It is recommended that HRT should only be taken for 10 years, but this recommendation is for women taking it at the onset of the menopause so my mam started her's age 52 so it is taken that I would have started around the same time. So I could have been on it for another couple of years from now.

I was advised to come off it a couple of years ago after having a breast cancer scare. (It turned out to be an abcess) The specialist went through all the figures and percentages and blinded me with numbers.  She advised dropping down to the lowest dose over six months then letting it go.  I begged, literally begged my gp to let me stay on it but he pulled the plug and my last patch was November.

Gradually since then the above mentioned symptoms have grown worse, culminating yesterday with me flipping good style. I really felt I was heading for a breakdown, I looked a total mess and felt even worse.
One of the doctors I work for asked me how I was and I just let it all go.  She was fabulous and gave me hope.  Suggesting asking my gp for the lower dose patch and I could cut it in half and see if it relieved the symptoms she has done this for patients who suffer menopausal migraine. My gp and the gp I work for are friends, she gave me a post in note with some relevant notes on to dicsuss. So armed with a little post it note I went to the doctors expecting a battle, I was called in by this young woman who I thought would not understand my problems.

Boy was I wrong!!  She was so sympathetic and understanding I was so lucky to get an appointment with this young woman.  I launched into the speech I had rehearsed in my head, not taking a breath and tears stinging my eyes.  She asked me a few questions and then said "It is all down to your quality of life isn't it?"
I nodded, this time the tears were falling.

She went on to tell me about her mum is 62 and had the same problems as me, only problem was her sister had breast cancer and so she told to stop the HRT.  She did and the problems arrived within days, after several months she could take it no more and went back to her gp and asked for HRT again.  Her doctor advised her against it, but she said I" have weighed the risk against my quality of life and would like to restart the HRT."  The gp gave her a prescription and here quality of life has improved 1000 fold. The gp said her whole family had seen the change in her mum and knew it was the right thing for her.

So she said to me it is up to you, you know the maths, you know your quality of life, if you want HRT and have no underlying health problems I will give you the prescription.  She also pointed out that breast cancer in later life tends not to be as aggressive as the form that attacks younger women.

So I now have HRT back and I am A Happy Bunny. I have to go to her for a check up every 6 months and she will discuss the risks and it will be up to me to assess wether to take the risk.  At this time in my life I am prepared to take the risk. My family are grown and not dependent on me.  I have a wonderful husband I want to enjoy. I have a life I want to live to the fullest. Since November my life has been faltering in several ways and I am happy that in a matter of days it should begin to improve in several ways.

There will be readers who will not agree with me, I respect your view but please respect mine and my life.

I think this is the longest post I have written but I beleive it is one of the most important too. I hope I haven't bored you rigid.

Good Night God Bless xx