Latest news with #KirstyDixon
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
How York woman Kirsty Dixon fought and beat the menopause
A York woman who has suffered a most traumatic menopause wants women to try and be positive and embrace this time of life. Kirsty Dixon has launched Feelgood Menopause, offering coaching, workshops and other resources both to women and businesses. Kirsty's career is 'super varied' with previous roles including hairdresser and chalet maid to customer facing and management roles before becoming a learning and development practitioner aged 51. But it was her own menopause 'journey' that led her to create the business she has today. RECOMMENDED READING: Kirsty Dixon sets up menopause events and cafes in York Healthcare specialists launch Your Menopause Nurse York author writing toolbox navigating life after menopause Women's support group in York seeks answers on menopause At 44, it began with 'moments of blankness, like a camera shutter.' Then at 49, bang! She says, with stress, anxiety, brain fog, memory problems, heart palpitations, dizziness, emotions, a complete loss in her ability to do anything. No-one mentioned menopause and she tearfully 'crashed and burned' taking 18 days off work. Kirsty's GP carried out tests, discovering menopause, and put her on HRT, but this only 'dampened' the symptoms. Kirsty Dixon says women must put themselves first (Image: Pic supplied) She told the Press: 'I spent the next four years fighting it with every ounce of energy I did not have.' With the support of her husband, Kirsty battled on, and after suffering 'a mammoth three-month bleed' she came off the HRT and the bleeding stopped. Then, during the pandemic, depressed after the loss of her dad, Kirsty read an article about menopause on her phone, leading to more articles and a realisation she was not mad or alone. It led to a 'wonderful year of rediscovery' about life and becoming 'the beautiful butterfly I am today.' She passed an apprenticeship and on being made redundant in 2022, launched Pause for Thought Consultancy, offering consultancy for employers, menopause education and coaching. The first 18 months as a new business was 'awesome' but with more family deaths and illness, the business suffered, and Kirsty almost gave up work. She took a break to relax and after reflection and soul searching, relaunched the business to better highlight her changed attitudes to menopause. Now, Feel Good Menopause stresses after menopause your life is not over, and you are not old or past it. Kirsty told the Press: 'I am all about empowering people to own their journey, education people and encouraging self-learning, and finally to embrace this stage of life.' This led Kirsty to start The Menopause Café in Acomb featuring guest speakers and the walking group 'Feel Good Menopause: Let's walk and talk in York.' Today, the 58 year-old urges women not to be scared of menopause, but prepared, saying it would have been better if she had been. Women should also have a support network of friends and others who understand what is going on. Getting educated, learning about symptoms, is also essential, should a GP 'try to fob you off.' Kirsty also says women need to remember they are number one, to put themselves first and to be kind to themselves. She continued: 'As a postmenopausal woman, I have never felt more 'don't give a s***' and do not put up with the rubbish I used to. 'I have never felt more confident in myself, vibrant, creative, reflective and put me first. It's not just me that says this. I hear it from others too. 'We care less what others think about us, wiser, a time to embrace, of discovery and curiosity about ourselves. A new feeling of inner strength. Time to stop and reflect. A new found energy and freedom. 'All that and no more periods or pregnancy worries - wooohooooo!' Kirsty concluded: 'My coaching is more about personal and professional development - taking the I can't and I'm useless, to the 'Oh yes I can' and the 'I am fabulous' 'It really is about the positive messages and empowering people.' To contact Kirsty, go to:
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'Menopause made me forget my name'
"I didn't believe it could just be menopause. I thought it must be a brain tumour or dementia." Kirsty Dixon's life changed overnight when she started experiencing intense brain fog at 49 years old. Kirsty, from York, was staring at her screen at work one day, when suddenly she could not remember what she was doing. "I just asked myself 'What is my name?', and I couldn't even remember my own name. "I felt like I was going mad, I thought it was only me." The problems continued when she tried to access support. "I thought, why aren't people listening to me? "I've got something really serious going on but I can't get anyone to listen." Kirsty was told by a doctor that what she had experienced was part of the menopause. It is estimated that one in three women in the UK is going through the menopause at any given time. Kirsty, learning and development adviser at the University of York, is working to raise awareness of the lesser-known symptoms and the huge impact they can have on people's lives. "Before menopause I've always been a very bubbly person, very social, bit mischievous," she said. "Menopause came along and just put a big thunder cloud over my head. "I lost myself. The number of times my husband said 'I want my Kirsty back' while he was cuddling me and I was in floods of tears." Kirsty spent the next four years "fighting it" as she could not believe that those were menopause symptoms. Then, during lockdown, Kirsty found herself researching menopause for her work. She stumbled across an article by someone who had experienced the same symptoms as her. "I got that lightbulb moment that what I was experiencing was perfectly normal, I needed to understand it and know what I could do to help myself," she said. "I went from having this constant cloud and feeling useless, to actually owning my journey." Now aged 58, Kirsty runs two support groups for women experiencing the menopause, including a nature walking group around York, and a pop-up cafe in Acomb. They are non-profit and everyone is welcome, regardless of age or gender. She hopes the groups will encourage more people to talk about the lesser-known symptoms. "When you're going through it, it can feel so lonely," she said. "You feel like it's only you, and you think you're going mad. "One of the most important things I say to people is get your support network around you, and that's family, friends, and groups like this." Sarah Mortimer, 54, has been coming to the group since it started in 2022. She experienced an uncommon symptom of self-diagnosed burning mouth syndrome during her menopause, which involves developing blisters in the mouth with a burning feeling. "It can be really isolating, so to find groups like this is amazing," she said. "It makes a huge difference, knowing there's other people going through the same rubbish that you're going through. "It's that strength in numbers thing, and there's strength in the power of talking about the menopause." The group is based in York, but people travel from as far as Leeds, Sheffield and Beverley to attend. Kirsty says that it highlights an ongoing issue around the need for more support for people going through the menopause. "No one else was running a menopause cafe in York, so it was obviously something that was missing." She is calling for more groups like this so that people do not have to travel so far to get the support they need. "What I will say now, is as a post-menopausal woman, I am the most confident, the strongest, most creative person. "If someone said to me you can have your life again, without your menopause experience, actually, I'd say no, because it's what's made me the person I am today. "If I can get through that, I can get through anything." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here. 'Fire service is helping me through the menopause' 'I mistook cancer signs for the menopause' What's the point of the menopause? NHS menopause advice
BBC News
06-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
How menopause made York woman forget her name
"I didn't believe it could just be menopause. I thought it must be a brain tumour or dementia."Kirsty Dixon's life changed overnight when she started experiencing intense brain fog at 49 years from York, was staring at her screen at work one day, when suddenly she could not remember what she was doing."I just asked myself 'What is my name?', and I couldn't even remember my own name."I felt like I was going mad, I thought it was only me."The problems continued when she tried to access support."I thought, why aren't people listening to me?"I've got something really serious going on but I can't get anyone to listen."Kirsty was told by a doctor that what she had experienced was part of the menopause. It is estimated that one in three women in the UK is going through the menopause at any given learning and development adviser at the University of York, is working to raise awareness of the lesser-known symptoms and the huge impact they can have on people's lives."Before menopause I've always been a very bubbly person, very social, bit mischievous," she said."Menopause came along and just put a big thunder cloud over my head."I lost myself. The number of times my husband said 'I want my Kirsty back' while he was cuddling me and I was in floods of tears."Kirsty spent the next four years "fighting it" as she could not believe that those were menopause symptoms. 'Lightbulb moment' Then, during lockdown, Kirsty found herself researching menopause for her stumbled across an article by someone who had experienced the same symptoms as her."I got that lightbulb moment that what I was experiencing was perfectly normal, I needed to understand it and know what I could do to help myself," she said."I went from having this constant cloud and feeling useless, to actually owning my journey."Now aged 58, Kirsty runs two support groups for women experiencing the menopause, including a nature walking group around York, and a pop-up cafe in are non-profit and everyone is welcome, regardless of age or hopes the groups will encourage more people to talk about the lesser-known symptoms. "When you're going through it, it can feel so lonely," she said."You feel like it's only you, and you think you're going mad."One of the most important things I say to people is get your support network around you, and that's family, friends, and groups like this."Sarah Mortimer, 54, has been coming to the group since it started in experienced an uncommon symptom of self-diagnosed burning mouth syndrome during her menopause, which involves developing blisters in the mouth with a burning feeling."It can be really isolating, so to find groups like this is amazing," she said."It makes a huge difference, knowing there's other people going through the same rubbish that you're going through."It's that strength in numbers thing, and there's strength in the power of talking about the menopause." The group is based in York, but people travel from as far as Leeds, Sheffield and Beverley to says that it highlights an ongoing issue around the need for more support for people going through the menopause."No one else was running a menopause cafe in York, so it was obviously something that was missing."She is calling for more groups like this so that people do not have to travel so far to get the support they need."What I will say now, is as a post-menopausal woman, I am the most confident, the strongest, most creative person."If someone said to me you can have your life again, without your menopause experience, actually, I'd say no, because it's what's made me the person I am today."If I can get through that, I can get through anything." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
