Women’s stories
“Like night and day...”
When Diana started having hot flashes at 44, she was already “used to being depressed.” But now she felt horrible — “I just can’t live like this,” she thought. With a career in radiation oncology and medical physics, Diana knew she didn’t want conventional HRT, so she sat down to research her options and found us on the internet. Having been a patient at our clinic 20 years ago gave her added confidence in trying our Personal Program. Here’s how being on the program has been “like night and day” for her....
“My story is rather complicated. The hot flashes were horrible — and I’m only 44. I thought, I just can’t live like this. When I first happened across the Personal Program, I was a little bit afraid because it seemed like too independent a decision to be making. But you could say I’ve grown, well, less than faithful around conventional medicine. I knew I needed to think seriously about trying it, so I kept going back to your website and reading more and getting more information. Plus, I used to live in Maine, so about 20 years ago I’d been to Women to Women’s clinic. I thought okay, there’s a history there, I know these are good people. I knew it was a group of responsible people who weren’t just trying to sell me something slick.
“I also work in radiation oncology (medical physics). I treat patients who have breast cancer. I’m more than familiar with hormone replacement therapy, and with the reduction in breast cancer noted when women stopped taking synthetic HRT, so I knew I didn’t want to go in that direction. So I picked up the phone and called Member Support.
“The woman was so informative — and sweet. I explained that I was a little scared to do it on my own, and she said, ‘Well what are your options?’ So I thought about that and said, ‘Alright, I’ll go for it.’ I like that I can ask for her anytime I call. The key to this program — aside from the fact that it’s actually working for me — is the support.
“So I only started it at the beginning of January, but it’s been like night and day. It is so great to be balanced, finally. I’m just walking on air. I was on your program maybe a week when the hot flashes started to diminish. During the second week they continued to decrease, and I started sleeping through the night again as the week progressed — which I have not done in I can’t tell you how long. Now into the third week I have none. I’m liking it!
“I’m in a bit of a euphoric haze — but it’s not like I’m on drugs — it’s just that ‘good’ is not a feeling that happens to me very often. I’ve battled depression all my life. I’m just this person who’s ‘used to’ being depressed. I don’t present that way, but I have chronic dysthymia. I guess the human being can get accustomed to anything. I’ve gone the route of antidepressants and dealt with a billion side effects from those. Oh, sure, I had good success in fits and starts, but nothing that lasted. Now, I just feel normal and stable. It’s not the kind of ‘happy’ I have when I’m on an antidepressant. I’m a little bit manicky on antidepressants — they call this ‘soft-bipolar’ nowadays. But this ‘good’ just feels like ‘good good.’
“I’m the patient who, when you give me half the normal dose of medicine, has every side effect listed on the box. I have come to accept that I have a very delicate physiology. And I have not always eaten properly, and I drank much too much caffeine in the past, and I never had any good emotional support, and all that finally cascaded into chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. So I’m unraveling all that, slowly but surely.
“I found out that I was allergic to loads of foods, particularly with gluten intolerance, so I’ve learned how to eat all over again. I more or less follow the Nutritional and Lifestyle Guidelines, but because I have other food issues I’m doing what I can to try and stay well. It took me some time to get on board, to learn where I can find the foods that keep me healthy, what I can have and what I can’t. Now I know I have to bring those lunches and foods to work with me. If you’d have told me ten years ago that it was food causing my health issues, I’d have laughed in your face — just the thought that I could give up bread and not be sitting in the corner crying. As with any addiction, including foods, once you get past the withdrawal phase the cravings go away. It’s not like you’re dying for it now. Sure, the aroma envelops you when you walk by the bakery, but with the program, the craving is not the same as it used to be — not even close. It’s do-able, for someone like me. And let me assure you, self-discipline is not the strength with which I lead!
“The more I read, the more I realize that it’s all tied in together. The people around me are astonished, especially my age-peers at work. They can’t believe it. They’re asking, ‘Where did you get this stuff?’ And I can tell how happy my husband is. I used to feel as though I’d rather die than have sex. It’s not something that I’m initiating on my own yet, but I don’t feel bad about warming up to the idea, either. For a while I just had no interest; it even got to the point where if I had to, I was resentful. You know, as a wife you have to get around that issue, and you can get in a bind when you know that you’re supposed to even when you don’t like it. Well, we often like it more than we think we’re going to — kind of like of church! Now I’m not feeling so guilty about that issue. It’s just warming up to the idea again, opening up that other avenue, which, to be honest, was strained.
“So, yes, I plan to continue! With all my health issues, I started realizing what I was up against a few years ago. Menopause is being medicalized, and it’s not a disease. You don’t need to fix it; you just need good nutritional and hormonal support. Along with medicalizing menopause, if you even admit to having an emotion these days everyone wants to slap a label on it, and Lilly will make up something you can take for it. That approach just doesn’t round out the picture.
“I would recommend the Personal Program without hesitation: it’s safe, it’s inexpensive to try, the nursing support is there, and if you don’t like it you’re not committed to it - plus you haven’t done anything to potentially harm yourself. Now I just feel good. I don’t feel high, I don’t feel like I’m on drugs, I feel good. It must have been something low in the tank. I’m so lucky.”
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The Personal Program promotes healthy hormonal balance with nutritional supplements, gentle endocrine support, dietary guidance, and optional phone consultations with our Nurse–Educators. It is a convenient, at-home version of what we suggest to our patients at the clinic.
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Original Publication Date: 01/25/2007
Last Modified: 02/19/2008