Marie Parry
Age: 51
Marital status: Married with two children (24 & 26 years old)
Hometown: Tamworth, Staffordshire
Job: Marketing Director
In this case study, Marie focuses on her experience of the NHS, its attitude and the care she has experienced in diagnosing and treating her for the menopause in the hope it will improve the care and support that many ladies who are unable to afford private treatment may be receiving now and in the future.
Stephanie Turner
Age: 60
Marital status: Single (divorced)
Hometown: Brierley Hill
Job: Women’s Health Physiotherapist and Off Road Driving Instructor
Stephanie, who is now menopausal, started to experience symptoms at 46. After experiencing a series of symptoms, Stephanie had been using an unlicensed progesterone cream and had also been given antidepressants. She had been seen in a rheumatology clinic for investigations into her joint pains which were all normal (related to her hormones). She also had dry eyes, hair loss, low self-esteem and extreme fatigue. She described herself as a ‘shadow of her former self’, until she found the right solution which she said was like being in a desert after the rains when all the flowers bloom.
Stephanie is encouraging women to find out the facts so that they can make informed decisions on what is right for them. She also knows many experienced teachers, nurses and managers who have reluctantly ‘retired’ due to overwhelming menopause symptoms and says better advice and support is needed for women in the workplace.
Read Stephanie's story here...
Kate Irvine
Age: 55
Marital status: Married with two teenagers, plus two elderly parents
Hometown: near Banbury
Job: Self-employed
Kate started to experience perimenopausal symptoms aged 48 or 49. Out of the blue, Kate started to feel very anxious every month and started to experience many other symptoms too. Kate feels passionate about the need for women to be better educated about what to expect when the menopause hits.
Beverley Ellis
Age: 60
Marital status: Married with one child (37)
Hometown: near Tamworth
Job: Pet carer
Beverley was diagnosed with breast cancer aged 43 in 2002, and from the age of 47 had symptoms of the menopause for 11 years, always being told that she could not take HRT. Beverley tried everything to manage her symptoms but nothing worked. In January 2018, Beverley met Dr Louise Newson who reviewed her case and helped transform her day-to-day quality of life by prescribing a small dose of HRT. Today, her life has been transformed.
Beverley Hocking
Age: 53
Marital status: Married
Hometown: Leeds
Job: Senior compliance officer
Beverley, who is perimenopausal, started to experience symptoms three years ago. She started to feel out of sorts and in particular would cry for no apparent reason. Her periods went from running like clockwork to coming every 60 or 70 days and she experienced mood swings that she couldn’t control. She really struggled with finding the right medical advice in her menopause journey and eventually found the right type and dose of HRT that suited her. Having turned her life around, Beverley is really passionate about helping women receiving the right help and treatment from the off – rather than being fobbed off with inaccurate or outdated advice from GPs.