Part 1 Surgical menopause is no joke. After my hysterectomy I finally thought the HRT had settled. For months I felt like myself again… and then the last few weeks have hit me like a bus. Crying for no reason. Angry. Exhausted. My hair falling out again. Skin breaking out like I’m 15. Weight gain. Hot flushes out of nowhere. Achey joints. Dry itchy skin and random rashes. Heart palpitations. Bloating. Sleep completely ruined. Nightmares. Brain fog so bad I lose track mid-sentence. Anxiety. Depression. Struggling to concentrate. And the maddest part? You can look completely normal on the outside while your body feels like it’s malfunctioning. Surgical menopause and menopause and perimenopause are brutal, unpredictable and honestly sometimes quite lonely. If you’re going through it too, you’re not imagining it. And you’re definitely not alone. Some days I feel strong and grateful I had the surgery. Other days I feel like I’m fighting my own body. I don’t know who I am anymore. ...