Sheila's story

At one of the busiest stages of my life, menopause came along like a tidal force against me

''In my early 50s, like most of my friends, multi-tasking was the norm. I was doing a demanding job, raising two teenage children, supporting elderly parents, and leading my local scout group. Most of the day I was sitting at a desk, but at weekends I went for long hikes and was active during the holidays such as running camps. Until then, I was fortunate enough to experience very few health problems.

At my NHS health check at age 50, my cholesterol was slightly elevated, and I had put on a bit of weight. After exploring my diet, which was relatively healthy, the nurse suggested that I cut out my evening glass of milk and chocolate treats. I drank less milk and thought the issue would be addressed. 

My menopause symptoms got worse. Waking up 4 or 5 times a night with hot flushes, and feeling tired during the day, I ate more and gradually put on more weight over the next five years. 

At age 55, my cholesterol had risen further to 6.0 mml/L. I made some attempts to cut out saturated fats such as butter and cakes. My focus was still on supporting my family and work and my health was probably the lowest on my list to be honest. 

It wasn’t enough. In January 2023, I got a shock when my total cholesterol level had now reached 6.7 mml/L. Things seemed to be out of control and I was scared that I would be heading for cardiovascular disease. Inspired by Susie’s story and using the excellent information on HEART UK’s website, such as the diet checklist and the healthy eating guide, I made a plan to adjust my lifestyle. I made food swaps such as cow's milk to oat milk, oats and fruit for breakfast, cheddar to low-fat cheese, walnuts and rice cakes instead of biscuits, wholegrain rice and wholemeal bread instead of white products, low-fat yogurt, avocados, two portions of fish a week, and many other changes. I reduced the number of eggs and stopped eating chocolate. At the same time, I changed my start time at work, joined a gym and spent 40 minutes a day exercising before I went to my desk.  

In April 2023 I had to have a blood test due to an allergic reaction, so I asked if they could also include my cholesterol. I was amazed that it had worked! My total cholesterol had come back down to 5.1 mml/L after 10 weeks of lifestyle changes. It took fear and a change in mindset to make me put my health first and make a concerted effort. I am so glad I did as I proved to myself that I can manage my cholesterol, thanks to the guidance on HEART UK’s website and resources. My family will always come first, but my health will also stay at the top of my list''.