My Endo Nightmare: How I Made My Peace With HRT

Nicole Monteforte

By Nicole Monteforte

I have not really known any other way of life than suffering from the impact of hormonal issues, leading to years of chronic illness. 

From an early age of 23, I underwent my first of many major surgeries that began my journey of suffering with this illness. From huge cysts, to debilitating vertigo, weight gain, weight loss, heart palpitations and a further 10 major surgeries, not only had it made me sick, it also cost me over $100,000 in medical bills.

No one ever really told me what it was or why it was happening, just that it was and that was that.

During all of that I held a big career and was a single parent of two, so I had to keep going and I am pretty sure my love and passion for sport and exercise was the one thing that helped me manage through it all.

I could not take the pill because it made me sick, so movement and a change in my eating was all I had to manage and for the most part it worked well… until it didn’t. At the ripe age of 41 I was told the only solution was a partial hysterectomy.

So, back in hospital I go out with my uterus and ovaries left intact. I was so excited at the thought of it finally being gone, but six months post my surgery I was the sickest I had ever been.  The pain was beyond words; my endo was back in full force and I was rushed for another surgery to have one of my ovaries removed.  It had fixed it finally.  The poison ovary was gone and I was back in action.

The following five years were amazing, I felt stable and healthy and loving life, until that moment in time when you realise that maybe, just maybe I was heading into early menopause (which apparently happens after such surgeries – thanks for the heads up!)

To say I was petrified was an understatement because there was no way I wanted to take HRT given my bodies previous estrogen dominance.  So, I doubled down on my exercise and made sure I had a no sugar diet and would see how I went. 

I was introduced to progesterone by a friend, and it was the best thing I ever did.  I again felt amazing and thought I had kicked menopause out the door with ease, only to be slammed with becoming a furnace at night and a total insomniac.  I had to do something! I was seriously losing my mind.

I knew I needed to do something and so with the help of an amazing doctor we stepped through my options one at a time very slowly testing and trying everything out, until we found a combination of HRT that worked for me and the difference is INCREDIBLE.  My fear of HRT was now gone and I began sleeping, no more night sweats and energy through the roof. 

So all I can say is, that if I can find a path through menopause using HRT that works then I am certain most women could too. Let’s face it: I was not the easiest patient to convince but now I am 50, healthier than ever and don’t have to change the sheets everyday!  

Watch this space for Part Two of Nic’s story soon: “How Stress Hacks Changed My Life.”

Nicole Monteforte has spent the last 15 years as a single mum and is an experienced C-Suite Executive, Founder and Speaker. She has led many companies across multiple sectors to success. She’s personally lived through more than a decade of hardships, trauma and life obstacles while suffering with severe hormone related illnesses. She has not just survived but thrived by using her passion and knowledge of the brain and body. She shares her signature techniques for managing stress, obstacles and hormones in her book “Stuff Yoga, Learn To Scream”. Click here to learn more about Nic’s book.

These opinions and experiences are the Author’s own, and do not constitute medical recommendations by WellFemme.

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