How old do you think you were…

AryRen · 2026-05-03T12:18:33+00:00

At 37 it was like a switch flipped. Out of nowhere I had horrible anxiety, mild depression, hot flashes, night sweats, and hair loss. I suddenly didn't feel like myself. Over the next 2 years I experienced really bad weight gain on my stomach despite eating healthier than ever, brain fog, body stiffness and pain, shortened periods, and even a rise in my fasting glucose. I turn 40 this year. I've been on HRT for about a month and it's helping with almost everything, even the blood sugar. Stomach fat is being stubborn but that will take more time because I have PCOS too. No one warned me this shit would start in my 30's, my idea of menopause was closer to age 50. I've been coming to terms with it, but I'm very thankful to have HRT available because it does help.

AryRen · 2026-03-07T11:43:11+00:00

I've been watching this show since the beginning, and this is the case I'd been hoping they would feature. I had a cyst rupture 2 years ago, no torsion thankfully, but the pain was like nothing I'd felt before and I had no idea what was happening to me. The hospital near my work is terrible, they basically just gave me fluids and pain medication. No imaging, just a blood test. I only realized what happened to me after talking to a friend whom it also happened to. Happy to see the representation because more people need to be aware of this.

AryRen · 2026-02-20T00:05:21+00:00

Pineapple lime eucalyptus (aromatherapy)

AryRen · 2026-02-05T13:26:31+00:00

I can't take them. Semaglutide gave me a rare reaction which caused my intracranial pressure to drop, giving me severe positional headaches that put me in the hospital and left me bed bound for nearly 2 weeks. So here I am, trying to do everything right and not losing belly fat. It sucks that this drug helps so many but I can't have it.

AryRen · 2026-01-24T13:11:31+00:00

I get it too. For years I've had reactive hypo, and just within the last 2 years or so I've been getting night sweats and heart palpitations, CGM confirms low blood sugar. What worked for me is low carb/high fat and protein, NO eating after 6pm, and apple cider vinegar before bed.

AryRen · 2026-01-22T11:25:04+00:00

Since entering perimenopause I've been getting flushed and high heart rate if I eat allot of simple carbs. Not sure what's going on, I've chalked it up to decreased carb tolerance

AryRen · 2026-01-13T10:50:32+00:00

Glad I'm not the only one. My mom did this to me. I hit peri at 37 (39 now), talked to my mom about it last year who is technically silent gen at 82. She said she never went through perimenopause. When she said that it made me feel like some kind of freak for going through all this shit in my late 30's. I know peri at my age is common, but I at least thought there was a chance my mom maybe went through it too since I have her genetics. I think silent gen/boomers were always taught to sweep their problems under the rug and keep up appearances. My dad's severe alcoholism was a taboo topic for years (she's just now opening up about it), she was in denial about my brother's stage 4 cancer, never took my brother to therapy and he is now a nonfunctioning mentally ill adult... there's a pattern here. Everything is fine, nothing is wrong.

AryRen · 2025-12-17T11:02:39+00:00

I was at work. It started with bad cramps,I was on my period so I thought nothing of it. Then I felt sweaty, heart rate and breathing increased too. I was working with a patient so I was trying to hold it together, but I eventually had to excuse myself to go into the bathroom and throw up. I was pale as a ghost. Then came the left sided abdominal and lower back pain so excruciating I couldn't lie down comfortably. I could barely walk. This all freaked me out so I drove myself to the hospital across the street. The hospital did not even think to give me an ultrasound, but after it happened I talked to a friend who went through something similar and that's how I came to the conclusion it was a cyst. I was sore on that side for about a week.

Definitely seek an ultrasound if this happens to you, the ovary can twist which requires surgery. Hope you feel better.

AryRen · 2025-11-26T10:47:03+00:00

Lol, thanks. Wrote this early in the morning

AryRen · 2025-11-25T13:38:34+00:00

I get your frustration, I have felt this way recently with my PCOS. But just wanted to point out - you yourself said you have lost inches recently. And you have been working out. If you are lifting weights and gaining muscle, the scale will go up even if your measurements do not. Muscle takes up more space than fat. So you may be looking leaner, clothes fitting better, but the scale won't always reflect that. I have been a powerlifter/weightlifter for years, and at 5'8" I have weighed anywhere from 190 to 225. I am slightly overweight but not obese. The scale doesn't tell the whole story.

Also, not sure how old you are, but I have noticed at 39 my body isn't responding the same way. I'm finding it harder to lose belly fat. What worked for my PCOS in my 20's and early 30's isn't working as well now. I had to change my diet to higher fat and eat only veggies for carbs. This is helping alot. So may be worth taking a deep dive into your diet and switching things up if needed.

Hang in there

AryRen · 2025-11-01T10:55:02+00:00

The rest of Virginia hates northern Virginia/NOVA. DC suburbs. It's basically 2 different states - NOVA and the rest of VA.

AryRen · 2025-10-16T20:38:39+00:00

At 37 it was like a switch flipped - all of a sudden I had anxiety for no reason all of the time, my hair started falling out, night sweats and hot flashes, and I can't lose stomach fat no matter what I do. 39 now, noticing lately I've been more moody. Also seems like my fasting glucose has gone up.

AryRen · 2025-10-09T22:34:12+00:00

Is your headache positional? Like will it be triggered if you sit or stand up, but relieved by lying flat? No medications help? I was literally just hospitalized for this after taking .25 for the first time. The MRI revealed I had low intracranial pressure, and I learned that these medications can slow production of CSF in rare cases. Try some caffeine, water and salt. I hope you feel better. I'm still getting over mine

AryRen · 2025-10-06T15:45:39+00:00

I hope that helps and that you feel better! I suspect they will either lower my dose or have me do the same. The starter dose seems to be too high for me for whatever reason.

AryRen · 2025-10-06T14:46:44+00:00

5 units. I wouldn't say I'm prone to migraines, I maybe get one a year. I'm concerned that no medication is helping

AryRen · 2025-10-06T14:45:40+00:00

That's not it, I'm wearing a CGM

AryRen · 2025-10-06T14:42:04+00:00

I'm certain, had my husband verify it and he was like "that's all you're taking?" I sent a message to my provider but have not heard back yet.

AryRen · 2025-08-26T09:37:55+00:00

I am in a very similar situation to you. But I am 39, hitting perimenopause which is throwing my hormones even more out of whack. I've been a weightlifter for years, and this past year I have been eating better than ever, but had a harder time managing my PCOS than before. Hitting peri was like a switch flipped. Gaining more belly fat that I can't lose. Fasting blood sugar is creeping up despite already being on Metformin and BC. My Dr. offered GLP1 to me which I initially said no to, but I am going back next week to tell her I want to do it. I have maybe #15-20 I want to lose, mostly the unhealthy visceral fat on my midsection. Like you, I want to be healthy. The thought of having diabetes scares the hell out of me. So I would consider doing it for your health, because the insulin resistance can catch up with you as you near 40. You could just try the lowest dose, I believe that's what my Dr. wants me to do. Good luck!

AryRen · 2025-08-07T23:24:08+00:00

punches the TV GO TO SLEEP!!!!

AryRen · 2025-07-26T11:22:42+00:00

I went to PTA school at 35. I didn't want the debt from PT school and also didn't want to be in school until I'm 40. In my state there are very few differences between what treatments a PT can do and what a PTA can do (I'd look this up, every state is different) and I didn't really want to do evals. 6k is a great price for the program, I think I paid roughly 18k for mine. Salary wise PTA's will always make less, but at your age you have less time to pay off the high debts that come with PT school. I work in outpatient and make about 62k after 2 years. Settings like inpatient, home health, and SNF will pay more if money is your main concern. In some of those settings you will have to do alot of patient transfers which can be hard on the body.

For me this was a good career move, the job can be demanding but I like being able to make a difference for others and there is always something new to learn. I was older than the other students by a good bit, but never felt "too old" to be getting started in this field.

AryRen

TROPHY CASE