Success Story: Jen
In the late 1990s, I was about thirty when my mom started bio-identical hormone treatment (BHRT) when she began her own transition into menopause.
Fast forward to 2014, at forty-four I was struggling with energy levels and stamina. I had always been active and had a lot of energy.
However, by the end of the workday, all I wanted to do was crawl into bed. When I did have the energy to work out, I struggled to maintain the physical activity level I had always been accustomed to.
One day while trail jogging with a friend all of a sudden, I literally stopped in my tracks and could not take another step no matter how hard I tried. A wave of emotion came over me as my friend ahead of me realized I was no longer behind her.
Once she returned to me, I explained to her I could not go any further and after a 10-minute rest, I was able to slowly walk back to the car. Reaching out to my mom for guidance, I was concerned that something very serious may be wrong with me. With her wisdom and her own experience, she thought it would be a good idea to get my hormone levels checked first, perimenopause was her non-medical “mom” diagnosis.
Taking her advice, I researched menopausal specialists on the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) website where I found Christine Farrell, FNP listed as a provider in my area.
My consultation with Christine was encouraging, and I felt an immediate connection with her. She understood what I was feeling and experiencing and was able to confirm my mom’s speculation, that I was most likely experiencing perimenopausal symptoms.
After completing blood work, I had a follow-up appointment when Christine confirmed that my body was no longer producing enough testosterone to provide me the energy I needed to maintain my normal activity level and was not surprised at all by the way my body reacted on the trail that day.
Additionally, she suspected I had some adrenal failure as well. Along with a prescription for transdermal testosterone cream she advised me to also begin taking some specific vitamins and adrenal supplements my body was lacking. Within weeks I was feeling great, like I was thirty again.
As I will tell anyone who will listen to my story, it was LIFE CHANGING!
As I progressed through perimenopause and into menopause I stayed, and continue to stay, under the care of Christine. While I did have a few adjustment periods over the perimenopausal years I was fortunate to have her there to make the adjustments necessary to treat the ongoing natural hormone fluctuations and declines adding in Estradiol and progesterone in my late forties as I began to need them.
Through my personal menopausal experience, it became very clear to me through research and discussions with Christine that there was an incredible lack of knowledgeable providers, not enough readily available information to women, and a staggering amount of misinformation and myths about BHRT.
I was so fortunate to have the guidance of my mom. Not having that, I am afraid I may have been one of the statistical cases of a stereotypical middle-aged menopausal woman; depressed, overweight, struggling with health issues, and perhaps suicidal.
Several years ago, in my bi-annual check-up appointment with Christine, I expressed my desire to get involved in the care of menopausal women. Not being a medical provider, I wasn’t sure there was even a place I could fit in with a business degree and experience.
As Christine and I continued to talk about how we could partner up and help women we decided to form Curavanta to provide access to factual information, high-quality supplements, develop a provider training program, and access to a network of well-trained providers.
I am thrilled to have launched Curavanta with Christine and we are on our way to achieving those goals and helping as many women, and men, as we can.
