I’m on a whole new Coddiwomple….Menopause!
If you are new to my blog please let me introduce myself: my name is Wendy Jennings, also known as The Coddiwomple Lady. I’m a Life Coach, Reiki Practitioner, author, blogger and artist from the Garden of England that is Kent.
I admit it, Menopause has hit me hard. In fact I feel like I’ve aged 10 years in about six months! My main symptom so far has been itchy skin due to the dropping of oestrogen levels, which has led to nasty eczema flares on my hands, arms, neck and legs which are not only unsightly but result in disturbed sleep and periods of low self-esteem. My moods also fluctuate and I have often felt like I’m contracting into myself and am losing my sense of identity. Quite frankly, it’s pants!
I’m also a bit “hippy dippy”, with a strong spiritual connection and I firmly believe that we all have our guides who nudge us towards what is right for us. You might call it that “gut feeling” or “sixth sense”.
Therefore it came as no surprise to me yesterday morning (Sunday 7th November 2021) to receive, what I call one of my Light Bulb Moments while I was washing up after breakfast!
This particular light bulb moment was the phrase “Discovering MEnopause”. I’m entering a new cycle of my life, my hormones are all over the place and I feel like I’ve lost most of my va-va-voom. How many other women feel like this, I wonder? Lots, I would imagine! Therefore I have been guided to create blog posts about my experiences to connect with other women who are going through this incredible transformation (yes it is incredible, our bodies are amazing!)
Let me just say that it’s OK to talk about menopause! Gone are the days when it’s not talked about or embarrassing. We’re not “at that funny age” or going mad (although I get that it can feel like that sometimes!), we’re transitioning and our bodies, minds and souls have to recalibrate and settle down to a new way of Being.
I believe that talking about our symptoms is so important. We need our Menopause Tribe to laugh with, cry with, talk to and support each other.
I’ve been a holistic therapist since 2003 and have spent an increased amount of time on my own self-development since 2012. This was the year both my parents died of cancer in a very short space of time and I lost my sense of purpose. In order to discover my New Way of Being I worked with a wonderful Life Coach in Worthing, Sussex (near where I lived at the time), and I could also my spiritual connection opening up more. My first major Light Bulb Moment led me to travel to Bali (where Reiki found me) and Australia for six months in 2015/2016 and during this time I kept a blog for friends and family back home. I discovered I have a flair for putting my feelings down on to paper and the blog was so well received that I was persuaded to turn it into a book. I published “From Cancer To Coddiwomple – A Story of Love, Loss and Daring to Dream” in 2019. I had found my new Purpose…to support others who were grieving and to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of Ovarian Cancer (the cancer that took my Mum).
I was bumbling along very nicely after that and I continued to work on myself so that I could be even more supportive to others. I have since qualified as a Reiki Practitioner and a Breakthrough Life Coach/NLP Practitioner and these are the tools I use on myself to support Me.
To be honest, I’m not really sure where “Discovering ME-nopause” will take us, but the first brightest sign post is to start this series of blogs. These will chronicle my own journey (or coddiwomple – look up the word, it’s fabulous!) through this new unknown territory and I hope they will resonate with you too. I’m looking forward to spreading my wings again and expanding out from this contracted itchy, scratchy, anxious blob that I feel I’ve become and re-discover ME! I may also create a Facebook Group – I’d be interested to have some feedback on that idea…
I can’t promise my posts will all be light-hearted and funny (although humour is my way of getting through life’s trials and tribulations!), but I can promise you that they will be honest and real. If anything resonates with you please feel free to leave a comment below or contact me if you would like a chat. I would love to get conversations going.
In the meantime I’m off to see a lovely lady GP this week to discuss HRT…I’ll let you know what happens!
Until next time, keep safe and laugh lots.
Sending much love,
Wendy xx