For many women, menopause doesn’t strike when life is quiet and things are easy. Often, there’s a lot going on, as Glenda Hill-Baulch (pictured) knows all too well. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at age 49, when the average woman is nearing menopause. At the time, her work and home life was also “crazy”.
Now 8 years on, the kindergarten teacher says she’s still not sure where her cancer stopped and her menopause began. But, she’s picked up some invaluable life lessons along the way.
I still don't know if I was going through menopause before my diagnosis or whether my cancer surgery triggered it.
It was 2017, I was 49 and I hadn’t had a period for almost a year. Then I was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer.
In the year leading up to my diagnosis, I had a slow build-up of symptoms – discomfort in my lower abdomen and a constant sore back that no amount of pain relief could touch.
Initially, I wasn’t taken seriously. I was dismissed, delayed and doubted. But then things became impossible to ignore. When the diagnosis finally came, everything moved quickly.
I underwent months of chemotherapy, then major surgery. By August 2017, I was declared cancer-free and thankfully I have remained in the clear since.
Women’s health matters, and the more we talk about it, the more we can change things.”
Glenda, 57, kindergarten teacher
When you have cancer, the focus is on getting rid of the cancer. Nobody prepared me for menopause – not before, during or even after treatment.
I can come up with a long list of symptoms I’ve experienced in recent years – hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings, tiredness, endless aches and pains. But it’s hard to tell if they’re the result of my cancer journey, menopause or both. It’s all grey and interlinked in many ways and I definitely felt like I had to do my own research.
I think there needs to be some sort of follow-up menopause education after cancer treatment so that women aren’t left wondering.
In Australia, the average age of menopause is 51, but it can happen earlier or later. Medically induced menopause is when menopause happens because of surgery, cancer treatment or medication.
Before my diagnosis, I was running on empty without realising it. I was working full-time as a kindergarten teacher. My husband Steve was doing shift work and we were raising our 3 boys. Steve and I also have ageing parents who we help out too. Life was crazy, but then I got sick, so we made changes.
After taking a year off to get better, I now work 2 days a week, sometimes 3. I'm lucky to have kept my permanent job. I do my art, I play sports and go to the gym and I eat very well. Steve has recently retired so we've got a lot more time now. We've got less money, but we make do.
Since my cancer experience, I’ve learnt to appreciate the small things, be grateful for the people around me and to find joy wherever I can.
I’ve also realised how important it is to trust yourself when you know something isn't right. Women’s health matters, and the more we talk about it, the more we can change things. If I’d ignored my instincts and not found a doctor who listened to me, my story could have ended very differently.
To help women navigating menopause feel informed and empowered, Jean Hailes for Women’s Health has evidence-based, easy-to-understand information on:
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