Sarah started her periods at 9. Years later, she had a uterine ablation to manage heavy bleeding — and then, in her late 30s, everything began to shift. Mood swings, vertigo, anxiety, an internal thermostat gone rogue, and a nervous system that completely rejected driving in the dark.

In 2019, she was told it was perimenopause. But a question kept nagging: Did the ablation bring it on early? Or did it all start long before — with a body that switched on far too soon?

Our guest — a radio DJ, teacher, and mum of three boys — shares her raw and honest journey through unexpected hormonal chaos and the challenge of navigating it all without HRT. She’s not against HRT, but feels that if this transition is inevitable, it might as well be faced now rather than put off.

Told with sharp humour and vulnerability, it’s a story of learning how many ways women can fall apart — and how we somehow start piecing it all back together.

🔥 Expect real talk, raw honesty, and plenty of “why didn’t anyone tell me this?” moments.

⚠️ Warning: May cause moments of “OH MY GOD, ME TOO.”

This week on Wild, Wise & Curious, we meet Lainey, who hit her breaking point—and then chose to rebuild. A seasoned therapist, she had all the tools... but when rage and emotional chaos took over, even her best practices weren’t enough. After trying HRT and realising it wasn’t her path, a chance encounter with Dr. David Hamilton’s work on How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body flipped a vital switch.

What followed? A radical journey of self-healing, deep self-care, and shedding the layers of a life that no longer fit. Post-divorce, she’s now selling her house, eyeing land abroad and courageously crafting a whole new chapter—wild, wise and deeply curious about what comes next.

This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt lost in the storm and dared to imagine something better on the other side. Prepare to be inspired.

Show Notes:

How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body (book) by David R Hamilton

Velvet Crisis - formed through the Unglamourous project in Leicester - The Unglamorous Project is a grassroots music initiative in Leicester that empowers women—regardless of prior experience—to form bands, learn instruments and perform live. Founded by Ruth Miller, it sprang to life with the bold "66 Days to Your Debut" challenge, and has since flourished into a vibrant, supportive community, sparking a wave of all-female bands across the city. Discover more at unglamorous.co.uk

If you are interested in chatting with Lainey about being a part of her book which focuses on finding the magic in menopause, please email her at lainywills1@gmail.com

What happens when menopause doesn’t knock gently, but kicks the flipping front door down?

In this powerful episode, we meet Lisa—a woman who was catapulted into surgical menopause overnight, with no roadmap, no guidance and a body she no longer recognised.

From battling crippling anxiety, tinnitus and skin-crawling sensations, to navigating the chaos of finding the right balance of HRT, Lisa had to relearn herself—physically and emotionally. And instead of staying silent, she turned her experience into action.

Now, she’s part of a team supporting thousands of women through their own surgical menopause journeys—making sure no one is left in the dark the way she was. Because no one knows if they—or someone they love—could be thrust into surgical menopause at any moment.

This is raw, real and soooooo important. To find out more about Lisa's support group, check them out on Instagram @surgicalmenouksupportgroup