IS IT JUST ME??!

Well, that was all a bit dramatic last week in the blog wasn't it?! Apologies if you were mid-Easter egg and then found yourself doom scrolling P.O.I, early menopause and osteoporosis while your body became 90% Cadbury Dairy Milk. I've done a lot of that myself recently; bingeing on chocolate- yes, but more deep diving into my newly discovered health and hormone issues. Surely there must be loads of girls like me out there? And I bet there's loads of insightful and educational videos on YouTube on these subjects, and women I can relate to? But I didn't find a one! Just endless videos of people over 50 or transgender, all taking their hormones for quite different reasons to me. All the videos around osteoporosis featured pensioners, or doctors talking to camera like I was one of them. Certainly no one I found relatable!

It got worse when my algorithm took hold and went wild, showing me endless videos for ‘Chair exercises- Safe for Osteoporosis sufferers!’ Featuring silver haired grandma types, practising sitting down and flexing their feet. Excuse me?! I'm doing one-legged squats on a wobble board at the gym and walking between 7 and 10,000 steps a day now, can we please have some content for non-OAP brittle bone suffers?! Or videos of women who aren't in their 50s with two grown up kids and a husband, going through “the change” at the completely normal and natural age!? Hello?! Am I an alien from Planet Insufficient Hormones, going through something so flipping niche, not one random influencer is talking about it? It would appear so.

Be careful what you wish for folks! I always knew I wanted to be different in some way, which is why the pattern of my life has gone from leaving school at 13 to become a professional ice skater, then an actress, then radio presenter, then non-drinking, non-smoking DJ, then author. A Porsche owner instead of a home owner. Engaged to someone after three months instead of three years. Prefer travelling alone than with friends. Won't date British guys, and if I had to have one last meal on earth it would be pancakes. All of that is “a bit different” you could say, but I didn't expect this trend to spill over into my health. I'd go years at a time without a period for no apparent reason. They'd simply disappear and come back when they felt like it. All the doctors wanted to do was fit me with a coil which bizarrely stops your periods..

“Well, you don't have periods anyway so what difference would it make?” Said the NHS gynaecologist. Along with comments from my GP like “You don't look like someone with polycystic ovaries...” It was this level of ignorance that made me realise a long time ago the NHS weren't going to help me in this area. I made the decision to carry on living my life to the full as best I could, almost enjoying the fact I didn't have periods! I could always wear nice underwear and save a fortune on Tampax...and I tried to only worry about it if I thought I was pregnant (which I now know is never going to happen).

Before I started on the HRT I had to go for a full comprehensive blood test to see where I was at with everything. Base level, day one, severely depleted hormone Sophie in all her glory! I HATE blood tests but this one was my first private healthcare blood test experience and oh my days, it was the most painless one I’ve ever had done. It was almost relaxing as I sat in this enormous plush leather chair in a calming room just for me! No hospital cubicles, partitioned by papery curtains. I didn't even feel the needle prick and I began to wonder if the lovely lady doctor had magical powers, or I was just distracted by the ultra-chic Burberry shirt she was wearing. I skipped out of there after such a breeze of a needle experience, happy that I'd be returning there throughout this process for follow up checks, and excited to get my results back in little over 24 hours. Presumably these wouldn't tell me anything I didn't already know, but great to see exactly where I was starting from…

WRONG AGAIN Sophie!!

Now what??! So, along with horrendously low oestrogen and testosterone which was to be expected, (yes ladies- we have testosterone too and it is VITAL for our energy levels, focus and bone health!) It also showed that I am Pre-diabetic! Me?! Pre-diabetic?! If I'm pre-diabetic there is no hope for the world!

Before you start, I only like to eat pancakes when I'm in America, I don't drink sugary drinks and all the sugar in my diet mainly comes from fruit or 85% dark chocolate. I frantically started researching lifestyle changes, foods to avoid and foods to include, and it was basically everything I already do! Along with “don't smoke, don’t drink, lose excess weight and stay active.”

I'm already that person! Doing all the things. Flippin ‘eck life, can you cut me some slack? OK- I do eat pretty bad when I'm at the racetrack, but we all do! And I make up for it the rest of the week by cleansing my soul with spirulina and chlorella powder.

Turns out because of my hormone issues and POI, I’m prone to: Osteoporosis (check). Diabetes (almost 'check'), and heart disease/ heart attacks (hopefully never 'check'!)

What are we learning here? That hormones are the absolute ruler of so many things in terms of our health. They are the conductor of the orchestra in our bodies. They control pretty much EVERYTHING! Unless you sort them first, you're fighting a losing battle. You could have the healthiest diet and lifestyle ever, but if your hormones are off, you won't be reaping the benefits and could be getting quietly more sick without realising... until something happens like you break your femur.

When my little prescription box of hormones got delivered, I couldn't rip it open quick enough. I was almost as excited as when my coffee pods from Nespresso arrive, or DPD Ash (a local legend) delivers yet another Asos parcel for me.

First stop was an oestrogen patch I'd stick on myself and change twice a week. Is this how smokers with nicotine patches feel? Although I'm pretty sure they don't have to stick them on their bums... Anyway, that seems simple enough. These magic little patches were so thin, small and clear and I'd start by cutting them in half, gradually increasing to wearing a full patch overtime. Before bed I was to take a progesterone tablet. I take magnesium supplements at bedtime anyway so again; this was easy to add in. You'll be relieved to know

I won't be starting the testosterone for four weeks. Just in case my body goes absolutely haywire, which it probably will a bit. I just hope I don't grow a beard, get really angry and start aggressively swinging at people when I'm annoyed at the size of the queue in the post office. One worry at a time though! My fabulous femur and hopefully the rest of my skeletal system is going to be loving life on these new, fancy, non-synthetic, easily absorbed hormones! In theory, my body will recognise them as its own, immediately inviting them in to join the party in Sophie's body! That's how I'm trying to think of it. And if I could NOT receive any more shocking health news for a bit that would be great, ta. Or else the next thing I’m diagnosed with will be high blood pressure...

*DISCLAIMER!!! Probably should've said this at the start but if you haven't already gathered, I am NOT a doctor! Never have been, probably never will be. Please don't do any of the above without researching and speaking to your own doctor first. We're all different and what works for one, might not work for another. I hope this blog might help inspire, provoke thoughts, spark important conversations or at the very least, provide a bit of entertainment! I love being able to share my turbulent tales with you all and I appreciate every one of you who reads or listens along.

Sophie xxx