My experience with Hormone Replacement Therapy

I lost my period for almost two years which was a very long time and then last year I decided to go on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on the advice of doctors and my team.

Bone density is very important, and this became even more apparent to me when I had a bone injury last year.

Overall HRT has been instrumental in helping my body get back to a healthier place but also helping my bones heal. 

The goal is to protect my bones while my body fully recovers hormonally and it is not meant to be a long term replacement.

Making the decision

Deciding to go on hormone replacement therapy really helped me get back to a healthier place. The goal from the beginning was to restore my body's natural hormonal balance and have a menstrual cycle without the treatment.

I was so nervous before I went on it. A lot of people don't talk about it and I haven't met any other dancers or people who are currently on hormone replacement therapy.

In fact, I haven't really ever talked about this with any other dancers.

What HRT feels like 

It’s been a very interesting process, especially given it’s complexities and that it can be difficult to identify what is your own natural hormones, and what are the symptoms coming from the estradiol.

Also there are physical side effects which can include putting on weight and seeing changes in your body, which can be a big fear for dancers.

Overall I’ve found it to be very manageable, especially because I know that the HRT is helping my bones and my overall health.

The biggest challenge were migraines. I have always had them, but when the oestrogen was being reintroduced to my body they got much worse and more frequent. I also was nauseated, but these side effects eased up fairly quickly.

I'm really interested to see how my body adjusts once I come off of HRT.

When you’re on estradiol it affects your numbers as it’s a form of oestrogen so getting off of it will show me the true numbers.

I've had a few cycles now where I haven't had to take my progesterone and I should be coming off HRT this year. We will see where my hormones are at and then I need to get labs done.

I'm really hopeful and I'm excited to see what the future holds.

Reflections 

When I was recovering from my stress fracture it was super important for me to go on HRT and prioritise my bone health. This was my biggest motivator. 

I think it's different for everyone but I would really say it’s important for dancers not to be afraid to ask the questions, ask your doctors and physicians whether it could be good for you, and advocate for your physical health as well as looking after your mental health. 

Pursuing hormone treatment has been instrumental in giving my body the extra support it needs and getting myself back to a healthier place.