Not your typical menopause book

APerthshire woman’s new book on surgical menopause is set to be published later this week.

Helen Kemp of Bridge of Cally drew on her own and others’ experiences of surgical menopause to write Surgical Menopause – Not Your Typical Menopause.

She hopes the book – to be published on Thursday – will enable other women to be better informed about the topic and feel better prepared should they ever face it.

After a hysterectomy and an oophorectomy in 2013, Ms Kemp’s world “gradually fell apart”.

Her mental health deteriorated and she resigned from her job, ending a career of 20 years.

She told The Courier: “I had no clue what to expect from surgery that put me into instant menopause.

“I couldn’t have cared less about myself, my career or my relationships. I just wanted to go to sleep and never wake up.

“How is it we can have a sizeable chunk of our endocrine systems removed and yet leave hospital with little more advice than ‘lift nothing heavier than a kettle full of water for six weeks, and abstain from sex for the same duration’?”

She added: “I’d like to ensure those who follow behind me are better informed.”

Meanwhile, an annual menopause festival organised in Perth will go ahead later this month as part of efforts to tackle stigma around the issue.

Organised by Perth charity Menopause Café, the online #FlushFest2021 will be held on April 30 and May 1.

The first event of its kind, the festival was founded in 2017.

Last month, Menopause Café chairwoman Rachel Weiss said: “#FlushFest2021 is a volunteer-run festival, whose aim is to inspire and educate people of all ages and genders about menopause while having fun along the way.

“There will be talks by experts, stand-up comedy, creative workshops, theatre and cabaret performances, all raising awareness of the impact of menopause on those experiencing it, their friends, family and colleagues.”

The festival aims to explore women’s rights, employers’ obligations, menopause policies, and how the issue affects women’s economic participation at a national level.

Surgical Menopause – Not Your Typical Menopause is available to buy on Amazon.

INSIGHT: Helen Kemp drew on her own experiences.