Well….maybe.
I was recently put on an estrogen patch, and I’m not gonna lie, it’s kind of amazing.
I had a hysterectomy a little over a year ago (you can read about it here). And while a hysterectomy is more of an extreme situation that puts many women directly into menopause – surgery or not, ALL women at some point will go through this defining hormonal transition.
For many women, myself included, the physical symptoms that come along with this change are anything but easy. I’ve birthed four kids, but I joke that in many ways I feel less in control of my body and my hormones today than I did through all four of my pregnancies combined.
I think the difference is that when I was pregnant, there was information given to me. Expectations. Stories shared. It was as if we were “in it” together.
Perimenopause could not feel farther from that.
There’s little to no (*real) information. No one talks about it. You feel like you’re left for dead. At least that’s how I felt. I was told for years that everything I was feeling (from brain fog to rapid weight gain, to changes in my skin and hair) was quote unquote “normal”, and to be expected.
Which left me feeling like I was on this journey on my own.
For the past 24 months or so I’ve been on a quest to feel like “myself” again. To feel vitality, sexiness, drive, and energy. To not feel constantly bloated or in a fog. But instead to feel healthy, strong, and in my prime.
I started by asking questions and immediately seeing a functional doctor. I had my hormones tested (I did both blood samples and the DUTCH test, which is more comprehensive), as well as a host of other tests to ensure there was nothing else going on.
Since my hormones were essentially nonexistent post-surgery, I was put on Progesterone (which is often the first step for many women. The hope is that by starting just one hormone at first, it has the potential to increase and balance the others along the way. The mindset of “when the harbor water rises, all boats rise too” sort of a thing).
It made *some difference, but nothing really noticeable.
and it turns out, I wasn’t wrong.
Thankfully, I had a strong foundation of healthy lifestyle choices. But this season required me to dive deeper into them and pay closer attention to how each impacted me.
And finally, about a month ago, I made the decision to try the Estrogen patch.
And I think it ALL counts.
It’s more of a “yes, and“.
Do I think the estrogen patch is helping? Absa-fucking-lutley.
But do I also think sobriety, meditation, getting out in the sun, taking walks, eating whole foods, prioritizing my sleep, reducing stress and detoxing are helping too?
100%.
It all matters.
I truly believe the patch is helping me so much because my body is healthy, not carrying a heavy toxic load, not overworked, not tired, not depleted of nutrients. My body is rested, nourished, and healthy. So, the hormones can do their thing. My body is open to it and able to adjust to it more easily.
We all want a magic pill. I get it. Me too.
But it’s not that simple. Our bodies are complex and nuanced.
The blessing of this, though, also means that we don’t have to be perfect at any of it. Some days you’re going to miss a meditation, not eat as healthy as you’d like, or not get that restful sleep. And that’s ok. It’s part of this human experience. We can’t sustain 100% of everything, 100% of the time. Instead, it’s more of an ebb and flow. When our foundation is strong, we can allow for my flexibility within our lifestyle.
I know how hard it can be finding the unique, ever changing combination of things that work for you. It’s a process. And can feel overwhelming and frustrating.
What I will say is that finding a practitioner you feel listens to you is critical. Who sees you more than just the numbers on your lab work, but also believes the stories you share and your symptoms.
And while I know I may get some pushback on this, and that this may be an unpopular opinion – But if you have a doctor who is only prescribing you hormones/drugs/supplement and NOT also asking you about your sleep, your diet, stress, and your relationships – then you don’t have a doctor. You have a pill pusher.
Our health does not live in a vacum. Your health”care” shouldn’t either.
And it takes some personal accountability, and most likely some adjustments to your lifestyle. What worked in your 30s, and maybe even your early 40s, might not work for you.
Be open to changing things up. Most likely you already intuitively know what you need to do.
what I can tell you is that it helped me get over that last little hump.
Lifestyle changes got me 90% percent there, and the patch pushed it the last little 10% I couldn’t do on my. I feel like myself again. I feel…
I’m really happy with the results I’m feeling in just a short month.
I don’t love the idea of my body becoming dependent on artificial hormones. I know there are people who stay on estrogen for decades. And who knows, maybe that will be me. Never say never.
But my hope is that this helps support me into menopause, and then, when I feel more stable, I can wean off it and feel good on my own. Who knows though. One battle at a time.
That we learn to to navigate the health care system and find practitioners who truly see us, listen to us and believe us.
that we find other holistic practitioners that help us along the way too; from acupuncturists, to Ayurvedic practitioners, Traditional Chinese Medicine, chiropractors, body workers and other healers.
That we feel empowered to KNOW when something feels off and that we can begin to trust our own inner knowing.
Yes, I think there is. And I think that pill is our own intuition and empowerment.
I wholeheartedly believe that for women, this is our prime age. That we are at our best, and just getting started.
That we are needed in society. There is a wisdom, self awareness and perspective that is needed in our world and unique to this age only.
We owe it to ourselves to see ourselves in our prime. To see ourselves not just surviving this transition – but THRIVING. Coming into our own. Our best versions yet.
So for those of you who are in this unique transition, welcome to the club. We’ve got some work to do as far as our healthcare goes ,and the way society rights off aging women.
But I’m not worried about us. I look around at other women in their late 40s, 50s and 60s and I see how we are rewriting our stories.
So from one *proudly* aging, perimenopausal woman trying to ride this wave gracefully, just know that you are not alone.
Here’s to making it to the other side. And it being our best yet.
xoxo
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