Vaginal Atrophy ~ I was in my 30's and trying for a baby

You probably don't think the two would go together but they do. I was in my early thirties trying for a baby when I was diagnosed with a premature menopause. It's a diagnosis you never think will happen to you when I looked around at all my friends they were all married and having children whilst I couldn't even get off the starting block. Due to a rare complication we decided to end our fertility journey and find a new path in life, I changed jobs, we got three dogs and I learnt to live with the menopause and feeling old before my time.

My first episode of vaginal atrophy happened out of the blue over the Christmas holiday, I started to get burning and an itching sensation down below. At first I thought it was thrush and I went and got some caneston from the chemist and waited for it to take effect. It didn't! After a few days I was desperate and visited a Dr at the walk in centre who asked if I was sexually active and if it could be an STI or infection, I didn't get much help apart from the suggestion to use sudocream! I went home feeling down hearted and continued using ice packs for the next few days wondering if I would ever feel normal again. How would I be intimate with my husband again when I could barely tolerate being examined, how would I go back to work without waddling or struggling to sit down!

I only noticed an improvement when I changed the dose of my HRT and this was when I had that light bulb moment that it was vaginal atrophy not thrush or a urine infection. Here I was a women's health nurse who hadn't spotted my own symptoms I know they say that nurses make the worst patients but vaginal atrophy hadn't even been on my radar. I thought to myself if it could happen to me with all the training I had as a nurse how many other women are in the same situation suffering at home with an icepack.

It was hard enough talking about menopause in your thirties but talking about your vagina as well! Everyday at work I would talk to ladies about women's health and all sorts of personal experiences but once I took my uniform off it was like I was another person . Something had to change and I decided to make it my mission to talk and educate to women on all aspects of the menopause. I went back to university to study a post graduate qualification in reproduction and recently took up part time work giving talks on women's health and the menopause. After I had done a few talks I thought to myself I am going to be brave and mention the V word I don't want to lecture, just give women the opportunity to learn and talk about their experiences. After all I have been that girl sat on the icepack.

It's tempting to hide in the house and hope it goes away but it's time to be brave and talk about it a bit more, as women we are experts in looking after everyone else it's now time to look after you. Don't be afraid to do your research and be your own advocate. Plus be brave and talk about it with your friends, for me at may not be relevant to some of my close group of friends right now but something that may effect them in the future. Don't sit on an icepack at home, be brave and open the door to and talk to others.