Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Personal Experiences => Topic started by: Sue B on January 04, 2017, 07:56:56 PM
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I've been a primary teacher for 32 years and have retired mostly due to my menopause symptoms which made my job very difficult. I wonder if there are other teachers who have had similar experiences?
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Hi and welcome to MM Sue B
So sorry to hear you have had to give up your job due to meno symptoms - I suspect there are many women who have to abandon their jobs and careers due the negative impact of the menopause.
Did you not seek help from your doctor? Did your GP simply tell you to “ride the storm�
I personally think it's appalling that experienced women have to stop working, experienced teachers are like gold dust, - there is help available and all women should be encouraged to talk to their GPs about their options.
The NICE guidelines actually recommend HRT as the first line of treatment for menopause symptoms and in fact 5 years of HRT in our 50s will protect our bones and heart for the long term.
Do read up all the info on this site, ask questions and maybe consider HRT to get your life and career back on track.
Quality of life is very important.
DG x
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Hi Sue
I was late getting my career as a bookkeeper, qualified at 38 from night school whilst working full time and really felt like I was on cloud 9 after years of choosing different jobs that fit in with raising my family
At 45 it was cut short when meno was diagnosed and I was told there was nothing else they could give me as I was on hrt since 32. Thinking my life was over as a bookkeeper I threw in the towel and resigned
I'm better than I was (now 50) but only work 2 full days in payroll
X
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I'm a school librarian in a secondary school, and find that schools aren't the most supportive environments to say the least. Have colleagues with a variety of pressures and there really isn't much support. Even getting simple things like ergonomic furniture is impossible. My authority is planning to cut annual leave for anyone who doesn't have perfect attendance and the culture is to assume you're at it if you are unwell. My line manager tells me she sailed through her menopause and is very unsupportive. The thought of doing the job until I am 67 is frightening.
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I forgot to add that I was the only female amongst 20 men, fine before peri as I was my old self but my humour left me the minute peri started x
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Thank you for your replies. It's great to be here on the forum with so much support and helpful advice.
I've avoided HRT as both my mum and maternal grandmother had breast cancer. So I'm not sure if I want to go down that route. I had a hysterectomy 3 years ago- they removed the uterus and cervix but left the ovaries. I'm pleased about that as it has still given me a 'normal' hormonal life- whatever that may be!
I speak to lots of working women who struggle to perform at work in they way they used to- and that was certainly the case for me.
In fat, I'm studying for my masters and carrying out research about teachers and the menopause. Like you I have been shocked by the lack of knowledge, understanding and reasonable adjustments made for women at menopausal age, especially as we often represent the most experienced members of staff.
I'm still looking for 2 teachers to interview for my study. If anyone is interested or knows of a teacher friend who may like to be involved, please message me here. I'm studying with the Universtiy of Kent but I'm happy to travel to interview participants.
Once again, thank you for your responses. I'm happy to be here :)
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I'm a school librarian in a secondary school, and find that schools aren't the most supportive environments to say the least. Have colleagues with a variety of pressures and there really isn't much support. Even getting simple things like ergonomic furniture is impossible. My authority is planning to cut annual leave for anyone who doesn't have perfect attendance and the culture is to assume you're at it if you are unwell. My line manager tells me she sailed through her menopause and is very unsupportive. The thought of doing the job until I am 67 is frightening.
I completely understand your situation. Despite the high proportion of female staff, it is surprising that leadership and other colleagues can be so unsupportive. I think there is still a taboo around menopause. In all my years of teaching I have heard female colleagues talking about all manner of personal issues in the staffroom, but never the menopause. What surprises me about it is, despite the inevitability of it happening, very few people talk about it. It's a real occupational health hot topic.
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Sue, I think one of the big teaching unions had a campaign on this but not sure whether it was Nasuwt or the NUT? Worth a look? I think it was last summer.
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Hi Sue
I am a teacher who had to give up my job due to my surgical menopause. In the end my headteacher got fed up with me and basically did her upmost to push me out of my job, contacted occupational health who didn't want to know after I had handed my resignation in, and the reason I had to to resign and that my phased return had failed!
Union rep wasn't much use either as was the legal side of my union! County council I sent a 12 page document of evidence of what I had been through - surprise surprise again no response - no one seems to be bothered - brush it under the carpet attitude
After lots of counselling and a self esteem course and a couple of small jobs at lovely schools as a TA I have found a job as a HLTA with some teaching - more a supply teaching role as feel I can no longer cope with a teachers job. Am retraining to be a counsellor to hopefully help others in a similar situation which sadly happening too much now!
Feel free to message me if I can be of any help with your study.
Nikki xxxxx
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Hi Sue
I am a teacher who had to give up my job due to my surgical menopause. In the end my headteacher got fed up with me and basically did her upmost to push me out of my job, contacted occupational health who didn't want to know after I had handed my resignation in, and the reason I had to to resign and that my phased return had failed!
Union rep wasn't much use either as was the legal side of my union! County council I sent a 12 page document of evidence of what I had been through - surprise surprise again no response - no one seems to be bothered - brush it under the carpet attitude
After lots of counselling and a self esteem course and a couple of small jobs at lovely schools as a TA I have found a job as a HLTA with some teaching - more a supply teaching role as feel I can no longer cope with a teachers job. Am retraining to be a counsellor to hopefully help others in a similar situation which sadly happening too much now!
Hello Nikki
Thank you for replying and offering to take part in my research, it would be great to have you on board! I've had some similar experiences to yours and yes, it is so disappointing that our most experienced teachers have to struggle though their menopause with so little support. There needs to be far greater understanding in schools and among leadership teams. This is what has lead me to take on my research. If you'd like contact me about this I've attached my email to this message. I did try to send you a direct message but I'm unable to as I haven't posted enough on the forum yet, so my email address is [email protected]
Feel free to message me if I can be of any help with your study.
Nikki xxxxx
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This is for Nikki180515
Hi Nikki
I really messed up my reply to you- it is somewhere in the previous message where I quoted you!
Looking forwrtd to hearing from you
Sue
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I worked as a nursery nurse in a Private nursery. One nursery in particular, the owner was very unsympathetic! She was menopausal herself, but to all intents & purposes was sailing through it, unlike me. Lucky her! I moved on, but did find it quite hard to cope on occasion. I eventually gave up 7 years ago, as I couldn't cope battling with symptoms. I was on HRT, flushes & sweats were mainly under control, but I was suffering with stress. Something I used to cope with easily.
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Hi Sue
I'm currently teaching at a university and struggling with the role due to memory loss and lack of confidence and flushes and everything. I enjoyed my work but it seems as if all my knowledge has disappeared. I asked HR if there was a policy in place to support women going through the meno (in my faculty the lecturers are mainly women in late 40s onwards) but the HR woman said unfortunately not - she herself is also struggling to manage.
I'm interested in your research. It's way out of my topic area but I did consider launching a similar study myself! I'm happy to be interviewed if you're interested in HEI teachers as well as those in schools.
Jx
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My union has this guide for union reps
https://www.unison.org.uk/content/uploads/2013/06/On-line-Catalogue204723.pdf
I have asked if I can have control of the radiators in my library, but heating is centrally controlled and the library is constantly boiling. I have to have windows open which just makes for a horrible combination of heat and draft. They could allow me to switch off radiators but will not allow it and I really should take it further, but really don't have the energy at the moment. If my authority does go down the line of cutting annual leave for those with imperfect attendance, I think I'll have to contact the union on this basis
l Sickness absence procedures should make it clear that they are flexible enough to cater for menopause-related sickness absence. Women should experience no detriment because theymay need time off during this time
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Hello J
I would be very interested to talk to you about my research. My study is inclusive so can accommodate teachers in HE.
I'm new to the forum so unable at the moment to send you a direct message so would you be able to contact me on my email, which is [email protected]
Unfortunately, I hear too often of teachers suffering with poor concentration, fatigue and memory loss. It happened to me and was quite distressing. When I spoke to mt doctor about these symptoms, she said they the only symptom of menopause was the stopping of periods and hot flushes! There's an awful lot of educating that needs to be done!
Looking forward to hearing from you
Sue
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Hello Nearly 50
Thank you for the unison guidelines. I think you should push this issue through your union. Surely they (management) need to make 'reasonable adjustments'?
A friend of mine had a similar situation in her school where she wasn't allowed to turn the heater down in her classroom. She had a long battle with her headteacher to recognise her need for a cooler working environment.
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Sue B, please don't be offended, but maybe don't post your email on open forum.
However, I think female teachers need to be accommodated. I was only a nursery nurse, but for teachers in HE, trying to cope with menopause & stroppy pupils must be horrendous. My SIL used to tell us tales of pupil's behaviours which were hard enough for teachers to deal with, never mind the added horrors of the menopause. As for your doctor, well words fail me, especially as your doctor was a she! Must have been young! ::)
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Thank you cubagirl- I'm not offended and appreciate your advice :) Is there any other way of contacting people without being able to post a direct message?
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Think most could pm you through this website, but you can't pm them until you've been on a bit longer. Used to be after you'd made a 100 posts, but think it's maybe less now. Someone will know the answer I'm sure.
I wish you luck with your research though. Sure many women, who are still employed in whatever line of work, would benefit from findings. I fear it may be my daughter's or maybe my granddaughter's generation who will eventually reap the benefits from such research.
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"Used to be after you'd made a 100 posts, but think it's maybe less now."
I think it's 10 posts.
Sue B - your email address is still showing. If you want to remove you can go back & select the edit option to remove it (just as a precaution).
:)
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Thank you cubagirl and Cazikins. I think I may be up to 10 posts by now so that's good to know.
I'll delete my email asap.
Important research into menopause and work is available and some unions have guidelines. The more research we can manage to do, the better. Teachers working through a menopause often face particular problems, and given it is a highly feminised profession, it is surprising the level of taboo that exists within staffrooms and with our employers. When I have completed this study, I hope to do more research in this area.
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Sue, great you are doing this! I'm not a teacher but I have certainly experienced impact of peri meno on my confidence, concentration, mood and this has impacted on work performance. Younger women rarely "get it". It should be less of a taboo. Thank you for sharing x
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Hello Nearly 50
Thank you for the unison guidelines. I think you should push this issue through your union. Surely they (management) need to make 'reasonable adjustments'?
A friend of mine had a similar situation in her school where she wasn't allowed to turn the heater down in her classroom. She had a long battle with her headteacher to recognise her need for a cooler working environment.
I've spoken to my line manager who told me I couldn't impose what I wanted on other people and so couldn't turn the heating down. I said I'd have to go to the union and was then told to put in an official request so have done so, with a quote from the Unison guidelines. Will let you know how that goes.
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Hi Sue
sorry if this has been mentioned before but you mentioned not taking HRT?
Then you mentioned having a hysterectomy?
Studies have shown that ladies in your situation actually lower their risk of Breast Cancer on Estrogen only HRT!
This was a hidden fact in all those HRT scare stories for years.
So just want to make sure your aware of that.
However your ovaries will not keep you at any good level of estrogen hence you have symptoms and problems.
:-*
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Sue B, please don't be offended, but maybe don't post your email on open forum.
She is using her work e-mail and people who post requests for research usually do give their e-mails for contact - in the press section and info for surveys. It just means if it gets discovered you might get more e-mails than you wanted including some nutters? Not sure if this has happened to anyone asking for research :-\
Hello peegeetip!
SueB good luck with your research - such an important area. Wasn't there a publication about menopause in the workplace recently? Just found the thread Emma posted in November - I'll bump it. http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,33924.0.html
Hurdity x
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Just as a wee update, I was allowed to have 2 of my 5 radiators switched off which has made a big difference. Quoting the Unison guidelines and involving my more sympathetic HT worked wonders. Thanks SueB for this thread as I probably wouldn't have pushed it without it.
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Hi,
I'm also a primary teacher but only do relieving work now. It does mean that I usually get 2 or 3 days a week (more in Winter). Relieving comes with its own stress, as I don't know which school I will be at until they call me.
I also have CFS so find I can have significant brain fog, which isn't good when teaching. I'm amazed at the amount of pressure full time teachers are under these days, mountains of paperwork, then there are the meetings! I'm also 60 so really only have another 5 years of career left. Part time would be great but there are not many vacancies for that here in NZ.
Lesley x