I am well into my bio-identical hormone replacement journey. I just received my third implant. I find that I forget about where I started; it’s easy to forget how bad things were. This is why my journal is so important. It is important to keep your hormones levels at a therapeutic level for your specific symptoms. Hormone therapy does not ‘heal’ low hormones or permanently fix them; it merely addresses an issue. Your symptoms will come back if you don’t go to get your implants. We never stop aging, and hormones will continue to decline. The term ‘replacement’ says it all. Your body goes through your implanted hormones like a vehicle goes through fuel. If you stop fueling it, it will not function as it should. There are the annoying appointments of going back to the clinic for lab draws and implant appointments. But just like you would get your mammogram or annual check-up, this is just as important.
Without my hormones, I am miserable. I feel bad and my family is affected by it as well. Mood swings are a real thing, and man, when they return, they do so with a vengeance. The nice thing is that the appointments are quick and you are back at life in no time. Just be sure always to disclose your symptom changes and anything that you may notice. This information is how you are dosed, and this is essential in deciding what your body needs. There is no one size fits all implant. Your practitioners are not mind-readers or miracle workers. Communicate! You may feel great for a week or so but notice that you started having issues with sleep. Or remember that random hot flash you had in the car the other day? Mention all of that to your practitioner. Think of bio-identical hormone replacement therapy as a puzzle and only you hold the clues as to where the pieces fit correctly. If you sit back and convey nothing or even worse, don’t keep track of your progression, you are only hurting yourself.
I have a Facebook group that I have enjoyed being involved in for other menopausal women that are in bio-identical hormone replacement therapy or are contemplating it. I think the biggest gift we can give to other women is support, by sharing experiences and listening. I would have given anything to have had a community I could turn to that truly understood where I was in my life. How that changes in hormones affect your quality of life, your relationships and even your career. I want to be as helpful as I can be by just sharing my story. There are so many conflicting opinions about what are the best options for menopausal women. It can be scary and overwhelming. There is help! Find a clinic that specializes in BHRT and make an appointment to consult with the practitioner. You don’t have to do anything, and you don’t have to commit. Another starting point is to get your labs drawn to see if what you are feeling matches up with menopausal type symptoms. I always feel like my body is communicating with me when I feel symptoms. Your body is telling you that something is amiss. Life is hard enough; the least you can do is take care of yourself and your body so life’s journey is a bit more manageable.
