Sally Williams will speak about her diagnosis at Meno Fest, which takes place at Worcester Rugby Club on 7 October. The Meno Fest event costs nothing and intends to help people grasp how perimenopause and menopause affect physical and mental health, relationships, work, and family life.
Williams recounted significant personal struggles, noting she spent nearly eleven months in hospital across eight admissions while battling deteriorating mental health and life issues over three years. Furthermore, she confirmed that she left her finance role and experienced separation from her teenage son.
Williams stated that the period leading up to menopause, specifically the age range of 45 to 54, constitutes the danger zone, rather than menopause itself. Initial medical assessments from her doctors suggested she suffered from depression when her symptoms first appeared in her late forties.
Perimenopause, which is defined as the years preceding menopause, commonly begins around the age of 46. Symptoms associated with perimenopause include mood swings, anxiety, hot flushes, brain fog, and irregular menstrual periods.
Regarding treatment, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can stabilise and top up oestrogen levels, sometimes incorporating progesterone. Williams emphasised that men, including sons, must participate in the discussion surrounding perimenopause.
"I lost my job. I didn't see my friends, my family for three years and I was a recluse. I was self neglecting. And my son, who was in his teens, I probably saw him three times" said Sally Williams.
Sally Williams
