“HRT saved my life”

Sally Lesbirel was told she was going through premature menopause at the age of 42, after spending much of her 30s experiencing subtle symptoms, she did not know at the time to be related.  

After receiving treatment and support from the Medical Specialist Group’s consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Kalaivani Ramalingam, Sally said she returned to the woman she used to be, and that HRT had saved her life.  

Sally first went to see Dr Ramalingam after being referred due to bladder issues. She did not expect to then be told her symptoms were a result of menopause.  

‘At first it was a sense of relief, but there was the feeling of devastation as well,’ said Sally.  

‘I felt cheated out of my 30s. I’m a feminine person, and I worried that my femininity would be taken away. My career and socialising took precedent over children, but realising I no longer had the option was incredibly difficult.’ 

Most woman experience menopause between the age of 44 and 55, and it can last as long as 14 years. However, Sally’s symptoms, including fatigue, anxiety, and night sweats, had begun much earlier. 

‘I was worried I’d be unattractive and grow facial hair and all those things you’re told about. But Dr Ramalingam dissected the whole thing for me in understandable terms – her understanding, compassion and professionalism made the whole thing easier to bear.  She really knows her stuff and she understood the physical and the mental side of it.’ 

It was suggested that Sally get the coil in the hope it would manage the extreme premenstrual tension she was experiencing. However after having the coil for several months and continuing to experience heavy periods, she decided she would undergo a hysterectomy.  

‘In October last year I couldn’t take it anymore, the brain fog, the night sweats and all the other symptoms got too much. I lost a lot of hair - it was coming out in clumps and my skin changed.’ 

Sally’s surgery ended up being postponed due to needing an unrelated surgery.  

‘After that, Dr Ramalingam was determined to get me back on the list as soon as she could. I recommend her so strongly. It is so important to have compassion when supporting people with menopause, and she genuinely cared. She has got me in a good place.’ 

Dr Ramalingam said Sally would be a good candidate for the oestrogen implant, which costs £500. The minor procedure is done at the MSG.  

‘I immediately felt like the Sally I know had returned, I was myself again. I could not have coped without HRT (hormone replacement therapy). It worked for about five months, and then I began to forget things and felt like a failure. I had a second implant and sprung back to myself again. If it wasn’t for HRT I wouldn’t be speaking about this today.’ 

HRT implants need to be replaced roughly every six months.  Sally said that while it is an expensive solution, not having it would be like going without insulin which she uses to treat her type one diabetes.  

‘Menopause needs to be something to speak about openly, and it will be deemed just a part of life in the future. It needs to be highlighted that people can go through menopause at a young age so that people can get the support they need.  

‘Trust your body. Shout it from the rooftops. This happens to 50% of the population. Write down all of your symptoms, because there are often so many to remember. The support from Dr Ramalingam has been fantastic, and HRT has saved my life.’ 

Kalaivani Ramalingam, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the MSG, said: ‘It’s important for women to have an interest in menopause because it means developing an awareness of how early it can present. Some patients are earlier than 40 years old, and rarely even younger.  

‘It’s about taking the right approach for each individual patient, and we need to make sure to identify all symptoms, as there are often many, so that women can get the right help when they need it.’ 

Above - from left to right: Sally Lesbirel, Kalaivani Ramalingam, Julie Simmons