Hey there! I’m here with a little bit of hope, a little bit of apprehension and a little bit of skepticism. I’m 44, pretty sure I’m in perimenopause and am experiencing various symptoms. I recently had an iron infusion which definitely helped with my ferritin levels but I’m constantly fatigued. I’m encouraged, though, by reading these posts, and seeing the hope and vulnerability that you’re all willing to share.

I have struggled with digestion-related issues- mostly hiding them or learning to tolerate them- for my entire life. Though, all the little tricks I used were zero help once I became perimenopausal. I'm hoping to tease out whatever I'm doing that isn't serving me and find some evidence that explains what is going on inside of my gut. Giddy up!

Hello Hello! My name is Jamie and I live in Nashville! 44 years old and dealing with some fun perimenopause. I've studied functional medicine before and was thrilled when my friend led me to you Dr. Stephanie! Super excited to learn more from you and one of my intentions is to dive into some of my own lab work this year. It's been a while.

Hey everyone! I’m Mia - I’m 35, and have had high triglycerides for the past 10 years, along with severe acne and hidradenitis suppurativa. Those slowly turned into rising AST/ALT liver values, high cholesterol, and incredibly persistent weight gain around my midsection. This all came to a head about two years ago, when a combination of stressors led to me gaining 20 lbs in about 6 weeks and experiencing intense fatigue. I was tired of fighting my body at every turn, and decided to start making peace with her: no dieting, no intense exercise, just following the labs and data. In March, I started working with a naturopath and tried a CGM for the first time. That showed patterns of hyperinsulinemia, so I started really stacking each meal to make sure carbs always were paired with protein/fat/fiber and learning more about insulin resistance. I finally convinced my primary PCP to get my fasting insulin levels checked, and they came back at 23.7. My PCP didn’t bat an eye. My naturopath immediately ordered a 5-hour glucose test. Long post but this has been quite the adventure - I’m grateful to be here and have enjoyed reading all of your posts. Traditional medicine has failed women in many ways, but it’s a great comfort to know we’re not alone.

I’m 39 and have been dealing with perimenopause for a few years but just recently was able to get my Doctor to see it. I work a high stress shift job so my cortisol is all over the place. My first Doctor prescribed me antidepressants but which worked for a little bit but ultimately wasn’t what I needed. My next Doctor told me I should do hormonal birth control which didn’t sit well with me. I didn’t need birth control and didn’t know why they were giving me that. I finally have a Doctor that prescribed me progesterone and will give me estrogen in 2 months when I go to see her in person for follow up on how the progesterone works for me. Thankful to have a community that helps us understand what’s going on in our bodies but definitely know I have more work to go. I definitely have the visceral fat sticking onto my belly but with the shift work and stress I’m not sure what to do about that.