My First Box of Patches (and Why I Checked My Patch Every Hour)

In my last post, I told you how my husband figured out I was in perimenopause before I did. (He's still a little smug about it.) Well, I took his advice, talked to someone, and a few weeks later a box showed up at my door.

Inside: estradiol patches (0.025) and 100mg progesterone pills.

You'd think I'd feel relieved. Instead, I stood in my kitchen holding that box like it might explode.

Nervous, Scared, and Suddenly Feeling Old

I'm not going to pretend I was cool about it. I was nervous. I was scared. And honestly? I felt old.

There's something about opening a box of hormones that makes you go, "Oh. So this is that chapter."

Is This the Start of Having to Take Medication?

Here's the thing. I already take a handful of things every day: vitamin B, vitamin D, NAD, omegas, and a few others. But those were my choice. That felt like self-care. Like I was the kind of woman who has her life together and owns a cute pill organizer.

This felt different. This didn't feel like a choice. It felt like a necessity.

And my brain went straight to: Is this it? Is this the start of HAVING to be on medications for the rest of my midlife? Am I one step away from a weekly pill case the size of a tackle box?

(Spoiler: I'm working through that one. More on it later.)

Night One: Patch On, Pill Down

The first week, I put on my very first patch. That first night, I took my very first 100mg of progesterone.

Then I just... sat there. Waiting to feel something. Anything. I don't know what I expected. Fireworks? A choir? My twenties back?

Nothing happened. Which, I've since learned, is pretty normal.

Patch Patrol: A Full-Time Job

Let's talk about being obsessive.

Every. Single. Hour. I was checking to see if that patch was still on. Reaching under my shirt in the grocery store. Checking in the car. Checking in bed. If you'd been watching me, you'd have thought I was hiding something.

And the pills? I set an alarm to make sure I took them every night. Because the last thing I wanted was to be the reason my hormones went out of whack. I'd finally gotten help, and I was NOT about to mess it up on day one.

Day Two: Wait... Where Did It Go?

And then, on day two, after all that checking...

The patch was gone.

Just gone. No idea when. No idea where. All that hourly patrol, and it still made a run for it.

So now I'm standing there with a brand-new question nobody prepared me for: Do I just put a new one on? Or do I wait?

The Worry Was Its Own Symptom

I truly believe that starting a medication I might be on for the rest of my life, with no idea how it would affect me, gave me just as much anxiety as my unbalanced hormones did.

So, to recap: my hormones were making me anxious. Fixing my hormones was making me anxious. Cool. Love that for me.

The Missing Step (Okay, It Was Probably in the Instructions)

I kept putting the patches on, and it turns out I was missing one important step: pressing the patch firmly onto my lower belly for a good 10 to 15 seconds.

As soon as I started doing that, the patch stuck. No more hourly patrol. No more searching the sheets like I'd lost an earring.

(If yours goes missing, check the instructions in your box or ask your provider what to do. Don't just guess like I did.)

Progesterone: My New Bedtime Buddy

The progesterone pills? Great. At night, they made me feel a little more relaxed as I wound down from the day, and my sleep started getting heavier.

I still woke up sometimes. But falling back asleep got so much easier. If you've ever been wide awake at 2:47 a.m. replaying every awkward thing you said in 2009, you know that's a big deal.

Two Months In: "I'm Feeling Great"

The first two months were great. I remember telling my nurse practitioner at Midi that I was feeling great, and I actually meant it.

My energy was coming back. I figured some of that was the better sleep, but I'm sure my hormones were finding their balance too.

Why I Won't Stop Talking About It

From that day on, I became a huge advocate. I tell my friends and family: talk to someone about hormone therapy. You don't have to just push through.

Don't get me wrong, it hasn't been set-it-and-forget-it. We've adjusted my medication from time to time. But that's a story for another blog post.

Coming Up Next

In my next post, I'll share what adjusting my HRT has looked like and what I've learned along the way. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, if you're still having a few 2 a.m. wake-ups, keep something cold nearby. Our Pause Club Sipper was made for exactly that. And if a friend comes to mind while you're reading this? Send her this post.

Want to keep tabs on how you're feeling day to day? Our free 7-Day Symptom Tracker makes it easy to bring notes to your next appointment. Join the Pause Club to get it now, plus 5% off your first order.

This article shares one woman's personal experience and is for general information, not medical advice. Shop the Pause is not affiliated with Midi. Please talk with your healthcare provider about your symptoms and treatment options.