A woman who went through the menopause in her twenties in a bid to stop “debilitating” pain ruining her life has revealed that she now has the biological body of a 50-year-old.
When Carla Blanksby fell pregnant for the second time, she was overjoyed.
Not just because it’d give her daughter, now aged nine, a sibling, but because it’d offer temporary relief from the “debilitating turmoil” she was in every single month.
The 31-year-old had been diagnosed with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a severe condition which intensifies the usual symptoms of PMS.
It had left the mum-of-two with “crippling” mood swings and “excruciating” pain across her entire body.
The only cure? To have a hysterectomy and go through the menopause.
“They told me I’d have the body of a 50-year-old,” the mental health support company owner, from Lincolnshire, told Need To Know.
“And that I’d age years overnight.
“I’d have wrinkles, weight gain and joint problems almost instantly.
“But I didn’t care.
“All I knew was that I needed this.
“The idea of not being able to have more children was outweighed by the fact that I would be able to be the best mum to the kids I already have.
“They needed a mum who was emotionally stable, and so the decision was an easy one.
“I had spent the majority of my life unable to go out and embrace the world.
“There were periods of being housebound and having to plan each day around my menstrual cycle.
“I was in and out of jobs because of my condition.
“And I truly thought there was no way I’d ever feel relief.
“Until I fell pregnant.”
Carla had suffered with the condition ever since she was 10 years old, though she wasn’t officially diagnosed until she was 23.
She had tried birth control, anti-depressants and the implant, but nothing worked as well as pregnancy.
But after giving birth to her son, now aged eight, her symptoms returned with a vengeance.
She said: “I spent the first few weeks of his life in tears.
“I was unable to cope with the world.
“It wasn’t what I wanted for my little boy – or myself.
“I knew it was an extreme option, but having my ovaries and womb removed for good would fix the problem.”
As her family was “complete”, she was prescribed a dose of hormone-suppressing injections before going through with the life-changing procedure in July 2021.
Within two weeks, Carla felt like a brand new person.
She’s currently in surgical menopause, though she says it’s better than what she had to deal with before.
Carla added: “I’ve been given a second chance at life.
“I am calmer with my children and able to show them what emotional intelligence is like.
“I don’t let anything hold me back from doing what I want anymore.
“Looking back, I can’t imagine having to plan my life around cycles – but it’s what I had to do.
“Now, I can go wherever I want, whenever I want.
“I feel lighter and brighter.
“It has been tricky to navigate at times.
“I can definitely tell my face is ageing quicker than other people my age, and I have gained weight on my stomach.
“My joints can be sore and achy, but I find a positive mindset that I am as young as I act helps.
“It’s nothing compared to how awful life was before.
“It’s a hereditary condition, so I do worry that my daughter might have it too.
“Although there is more awareness of the condition, it has still taken over my life.
“I’m living proof that things can get better.
“You don’t need to suffer in silence.
“I might have the body of a pensioner, but I mentally feel like I’m in my 20s again.”
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