Annette - Interview 26- Menopause

Age at interview: 46

Brief Outline:

The menopause has not been easy for Annette. Now the mother of a two year-old 'menopause' baby, her experiences of hot flushes, moods and increased weight alongside existing health problems have added to the complexity of her life as a single mother.

Background:

Annette is a part-time dinner lady and carer. She is single with four children ranging in age from 2 to 22. She started the menopause at age 44. Ethnic background/nationality: White British.

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The doctor did not consider Annette's individual needs. He gave her a leaflet about the menopause, which she found difficult to read because she is 'slightly dyslexic'.

 Alright. As I say the menopause hasn’t been easy. I haven’t had what you call HRT but I know there’s lots of things out there you can take and in your body. I think I’m quite a stubborn person in that way. I’m not, as I say, I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I don’t take anything into my body unless I really know a lot about it. When I did go to the doctor I didn’t find him very helpful, it was like, “Well there’s HRT or you get on with it more or less.” So I just thought, “At the moment I’ll get on with it.” 

See I don’t know much about that because when I went to the doctor it was either, “Take that,” or, that’s how I felt, or “Get on with it,” so I took the option of getting on with it.

 

When you went to the doctor did he explain about what HRT was? 

 

He gave me a leaflet which they all do, but I’m slightly dyslexic anyway, so of course somebody just shoving a leaflet on me.

 

It doesn’t work.

 

It’s not as if I can just read it, I have to have somebody to read it, or I’ll read it and think that didn’t make sense to me. So I’d have to have somebody else.

 

So do you know what it’s for? Do you know what it does?

 

Not really no.