7 Jun
Okay I need to say this out loud because I keep not saying it. The joint pain is the thing. Like, it has quietly become the thing that shapes every single day and I just... don't talk about it. I talk about sleep, I talk about HRT questions, I post about supplements. But the actual grinding ache in my hips and fingers when I get up in the morning? I mention it once and move on like it's embarrassing. I'm 58, been post-meno for a few years, on HRT long-term and genuinely grateful for it. But I have a telehealth appointment coming up and I think I finally have to ask the hard question which is: how long do we keep going, what do we watch for, and is there anything about the joint stuff that changes the picture. I've been reading Dr. Haver's book and she talks about this but I want to hear it from my own provider about my own situation. Walking helps. I'll say that. I've been doing 30 minutes most mornings and the days I skip it are noticeably worse. I've also been trying to get calcium through food rather than just pills, more yogurt, more sardines (yes really, I am that person now), because I read somewhere that food sources absorb differently. No idea if that's true. Just needed this room to know that the joint thing is real and it's a lot. That's all.