The Truth About Menopause at 36 — Olawunmi Osode Shares Her Story

Last updated on June 22, 2021

The Public Health Edit spoke to Olawunmi Osode, who experienced the start of menopause in her 30’s. Olawunmi is a successful Entrepreneur (Director, Dcakery café), Women’s Health Advocate, and Founder, MenoJournal.

The OASH describes early menopause as one that occurs between the age of 40 and 45. Menopause that occurs before the age of 40 is often called premature. Approximately 5% of women usually go through early menopause.

However, habits like smoking and certain drugs or treatments can make menopause come earlier than usual. In this post, Olawunmi shares her unique story and describes how early menopause affected her.

My Story

For me, menopause started in 2011, at the age of 36, after the complete removal of my uterus (hysterectomy). I chose to do this because I bled excessively.

Before this decision, I had gone through a Cervical Biopsy at one of the high-end hospitals in Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria. The results showed abnormal cells. I also went through a treatment known as “Cryotherapy,” and everything was normal again.

But because of fears of the abnormal cells coming back later in life, I was advised to take out my cervix as a preventive measure. That, the Doctor told me, wasn’t necessary at that time, but I just decided to do it then. 

They asked me if I wanted a full or partial hysterectomy. I was wondering what it meant. It meant everything, including my ovaries, will be taken off totally. I chose to perform a complete hysterectomy. I felt all my health problems would be gone.

However, no one has explained to me the consequences of that procedure. Undergoing a total hysterectomy was the beginning of the worst health issues in my life. Removal of my ovaries was not necessary at that age because no abnormalities were in the ovaries. However, this decision opened doors to severe health risks and issues. 

What Happened After My Surgery?

After my surgery, I went back to the hospital a few more times for follow-up check-ups. Without being told what next, I got discharged. However, by then, I already developed an unexplained post-surgery high blood pressure.

The doctor gave me prescribed medication after a few weeks of consistently having high uncontrolled blood pressure. I thought that was all, and I was okay. 

A few years later, I kept falling ill. I had several wrong diagnoses until I had to go abroad to check up to discover I had menopause symptoms. I also found my vitamin D levels had depleted so severely, and I had other more severe problems.

Before long, too many things had gone wrong in my body. I had to be placed on HRT immediately. HRT means Hormones Replacement Therapy.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a treatment used to relieve symptoms of menopause. It replaces female hormones – Oestrogen and progesterone-at a lower level as you approach this stage of life.

Falling levels of estrogen and progesterone cause a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including hot flushes, mood swings, and vaginal dryness. HRT aims to restore female hormone levels, which can bring relief to many women.

My Menopause Journal

As a result of my actual life experience, I created Menojournal because I believe that there is a lot to be said and taught about Menopause.

But, unfortunately, I was ill-prepared for it, And when it hit, it hit full force. And yes, I wished I had relevant information.

I am happy to share my story to inspire women, raise awareness and build a global community of women who share their experiences. The goal is to encourage women to live a positive menopause journey. To stay updated while being part of a growing community, JOIN US @MenoJournal.

We own our story, we learn from our story, we grow from our story, we teach from our story above all, we thrive from our story

Olawunmi Osode (MenoJournal, 2021)

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