I don’t have time to mope now Pickle’s perked me up
LOUISE HUMPHREY, 54, runs studio44pilates.com. She lives in Leicestershire with her husband Andrew, 59, a managing director, their son, Thomas, 14, and a black labrador named Pickle, who is 18 months old. Louise says:
With hindsight, my menopause started around the age of 40, the same time i gave birth to my son, thomas, so i’m lucky that i was able to get pregnant.
By the time thomas was five, i was having hot flushes, night sweats and palpitations.
When i visited the GP, i was shocked to hear i was probably experiencing the menopause.
Over the next few years, my symptoms worsened.
i’m not generally moody, but i would get really down and i remember thinking i didn’t want my son to view me as a ‘shouty mother’. But i couldn’t help myself.
My hot flushes were debilitating. i’d get out of the shower, dry myself, put on my glasses and i would already be sweating so much i’d have to get back in the shower again.
My sleep was irregular, my sex drive vanished and i had terrible itchy skin all over my body. i was always waking up anxious. i’d lie in bed thinking: ‘how do people get up and face the day?’
All this changed when we got
Pickle 18 months ago. having a dog forces you to get on with your day. You can’t lie around moping when you’ve got a black labrador who is desperate to go for a walk.
Pickle is such a character and when she’s at home with me and i’m working on my laptop, i’ll talk to her so i don’t feel as lonely.
As a Pilates instructor, i’m aware that exercise can lift your mood. But there’s something about being in the great outdoors with a dog that really makes you feel lighter and more motivated.
Dogs force you to speak to people, too. i’ll be walking with Pickle and find myself chatting to other dog owners or people who want to pat her. Dogs are so social, just being around them helps you feel less anxious.
i’m still in the midst of my menopause and i wouldn’t say that it’s been easy. i’ve tried HRT and have cut out sugar from my diet, which seems to have helped. however, i’m convinced that Pickle has been the most important boost.