I sat in my GP’s consulting room, sobbing uncontrollably. It felt surreal to be there, unable to stop crying, as I tried to articulate the profound sense of despair that had overtaken me. The effort to even attend that appointment had been monumental. Never before had I felt so vulnerable, and the experience was deeply unnerving.
I confessed to him that I did not understand what was happening. My once boundless energy had vanished, leaving me struggling to put one foot in front of the other.
A Perfect Life Unravels
That was nine years ago. I was 48, and on paper, my life appeared perfect – happily married to Mark, with a beautiful five-year-old daughter. For years, I had thrived as a busy freelance business consultant, frequently travelling across Europe. I prioritised my health, eating well and exercising regularly. I wasn’t on any medication and never had been, only taking multivitamins occasionally as insurance for busy periods. I felt firmly in control of my body and my life.
What brought me to that GP’s surgery was the slow, frightening way I had begun to unravel. The first signs were physical. After moving to Oxfordshire, I found myself exhausted, struggling to walk the dog up the local hills in a way I had never experienced before.
The Descent into Exhaustion and Confusion
I started to feel like I was losing myself. Once vivacious, strong, and bold, I became emotional and defeated. My body felt perpetually tired, and my mind was exhausted from never truly resting. The woman who had effortlessly juggled work, travel, and family life was now overwhelmed by the smallest tasks.
Going to the supermarket became a major ordeal. Even with a list, I would feel lost – get a trolley, find the food, go to the checkout, get home – each step felt exhausting. I developed a very short fuse, with a red mist descending over trivial matters. At the time, nobody discussed this as a symptom of perimenopause; I simply felt out of control.
A Misdiagnosis and Desperate Search
Through my tears, I explained to my doctor about the exhaustion, lack of sleep, and emotional volatility, suggesting it might be connected to menopause. His response felt like a stock answer: he told me I couldn’t be menopausal because I was too young. ‘You have to be 50,’ he insisted, instead diagnosing me with depression and prescribing the antidepressant Sertraline.
Part of me knew this wasn’t right. With life experience and even some healthcare consulting work, his diagnosis didn’t add up. It made no sense that menopause could strike overnight at 50 and not a moment before. Desperate, I took the antidepressants briefly, but they only worsened things, leaving me spaced out and disconnected. Stopping them left me even more frightened, back at square one with no answers.
My husband was deeply worried, seeing me become someone he didn’t recognise – exhausted and over-emotional. I also started to fear for my career, as work, once enjoyable and easy, now felt like a huge effort, with self-doubt creeping in.
Finding Answers and a New Path
Despite the misdiagnosis, I still believed my symptoms were menopausal. I turned to online resources, podcasts, and compulsively bought supplements – anything labelled ‘menopause’ went straight into my basket. Eventually, in 2018, I found a private menopause doctor an hour from home. The cost was significant, but my husband insisted we find the money.
Walking into that clinic was a huge relief. In a calm room, over a cup of tea, I had a real conversation where someone finally listened. Blood tests revealed very low oestrogen levels, and I was prescribed HRT. Within weeks, the brain fog lifted, and I felt physically better, though not fully well – I remained prone to infections and joint pain, particularly a painful knee that hindered hiking and cycling.
Then, I developed pneumonia. A different GP advised me to take vitamin D continuously to protect against future respiratory infections. This was the first time a medical professional had mentioned supplements. At home, I opened my cupboards to find over 40 different supplements, worth more than £1,000, collected in desperation. I realised I had been following marketing, not science, and felt utterly lost.
A Turning Point with Targeted Support
I struggled on until early 2021, when a coffee with my friend Sophie Woodward, an entrepreneur also facing health struggles, led me to an excellent nutritionist, Maz Packham. Meeting Maz changed everything. She streamlined my supplements to just four key products: Ancient + Brave Wild Collagen, Hifas Da Terra Optimum, Inessa Advanced Omega 3, and Wild Nutrition Food Grown Vitamin D.
Within weeks, my knee pain vanished, my immune system improved, constant colds stopped, and my energy returned. My husband remarked that he had got his wife back. I finally had a manageable plan with expert guidance, feeling safe and supported.
Launching W-Wellness for Others
I realised that while supplements were everywhere, there was a lack of clarity, guidance, and trust. Not everyone has access to such support. In 2023, Sophie and I launched W-Wellness, an online platform curating effective, expert-approved supplements. Maz leads our nutrition team, and we collaborate with doctors and clinics. The platform offers at-home blood tests, one-to-one consultations with qualified nutritionists, personalised recommendations, and a carefully edited range of approved products.
Today, at 57, I have the same energy I had in my 30s. Life is busy, but I feel strong and optimistic. I founded this company because I never want another woman to sit in a doctor’s surgery sobbing, feeling broken and without answers. You are not broken; you just deserve the right support.
As told to Leah Hardy
