I was told when I reached my 40th, “Things are going to be amazing. You're going to have the best time of your life.”
Not a single person told me that in the 40s you might start to experience perimenopause.
I am about to be 48 years old.
I get too excited about birthdays, but not about perimenopause.
I was completely unprepared.
I thought, I get to menopause later in the 50s, all of a sudden, 44, 45, I felt something was different.
My mental health was getting a hit. I was feeling irritable, really irritable.
And I’m like hang on, is this me?
I come from Botswana, in my language, traditional language, of Setswana, there is no word for perimenopause or menopause.
This is the reason why my mother and my grandparents and people in my communities have never said anything about this.
I am hoping by talking about it and making it common language, that we would have words to talk to our GP's..to talk to our friends.
You are not alone feeling the way you are feeling.
So seek help and don't suffer alone.