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Sunday, September 28, 2025

Health Update - Hormone Replacement Therapy

It's been awhile since I've given a health update.  I've spent the last several years trying to navigate through a lot of changes.  I had a hysterectomy in 2012.  They took everything but my ovaries. I had surgery in December of 2021 to have one of the ovaries' removed.  It had a double cyst on it, so out of caution they decided to remove it and have it tested.  Results came back normal, so no further procedures or testing was needed. So, now I only have one ovary remaining. Over the next couple of years I slowly started to decline in my quality of life.  In fact, it was so slow that I didn't recognize the symptoms for what they were.  I was tired(exhausted), sore, not sleeping well, gaining weight(without changing my diet or activities), feeling defeated most of the time and overall depressed.  My body composition was changing, and I had no idea why.  I wasn't doing ANYTHING different. My mind was not as quick and I wondered how much longer I could work, because everything was becoming more of a struggle.  I chalked some if it up to normal aging, but I was also doing some testing with functional medicine doctors  to hopefully get a road map of what was going on inside my body. There was definitely some issues I needed to work on.  Gut health and detox, but overall everything looked pretty good.  I made some changes, added some supplements and hoped for the best. I was also doing sauna, red light therapy and anything else that I felt might make a difference.  It was to the point I couldn't run any more.  It hurt my body to run and didn't feel good, so I was walking and trying to implement gentle exercises -  Pilates bar exercises, rebounding and my vibration plate to try and keep my body in shape.  I was eating a pretty strict anti-inflammatory diet, but I still wasn't feeling well or seeing much of an improvement.  It wasn't until I finally decided to go into my family doctor and have some bloodwork done to rule out rheumatoid arthritis or any other autoimmune conditions.  Thankfully the tests came back negative for rheumatoid arthritis or anything else, but that also meant they didn't have any answers for what I was feeling.  They said it was most likely fibromyalgia and they could give me some meds to help with my symptoms, but I declined and left feeling more determined to figure out what the right answers were that could help me feel better.  Thankfully I had my yearly appointment with my gynecologist soon after this and was able to talk to her about my recent diagnosis.  She immediately wanted to test my hormones, and so we did.

She said she wanted to start me on a low dose of estrogen and progesterone to see if it helped my symptoms.  She assumed my symptoms were a result of menopause.  I've been going to her for over 10 years, so she knows I read, listen to podcasts of all things health and wellness.  She asked if I'd heard of a couple of books, of which I had just finished reading one and listening to the author on a podcast.  She gave me another book recommendation and wanted me to come back in a couple of weeks.  I came back and we decided to up my levels of estrogen and progesterone and add testosterone as well.  My levels were basically null and void - ZERO. My body was shutting down, and I was feeling it.  Over the course of the next 6 months I have changed my estrogen levels a few more times,  and I'm feeling so much better!!  I am sleeping better, my mind is more clear, I have my energy back.  I can FINALLY run again.  It has been life changing!!!  HRT had been given such a bad wrap with misinformation, so doctors still don't openly talk about it much unless you exhibit the symptoms.  I was not educated enough, so I continued to read and listen to anything I could on all things hormones and hormone therapy.  It's sad to think I could've avoided most of this if I had been more informed.



I also added a continuous glucose monitor to the mix to fine tune my metabolic health  - Another game changer.  A peek into what is happening as I eat in real time.  It's amazing to learn and know your body in such an intimate way and learn how much we actually can do to help in our own health and wellness. I learned that I could control my glucose with the food I ate and the order in which I ate it. Mind-blowing.  I don't eat a lot of pasta or breads, but if I do I pair it with a good fat/protein.  I've learned that blueberries and raspberries are the best fruit option for me. And if I want a taste of something I know will give me more of a spike I can eat less of it and still be ok.  I lost 25lbs. without dieting...just changing how I ate, not what I ate.

I am also working with a functional nutritionist, to help supplement the best I can to help my body work with all the things it needs to during this time in my life. It's a continual learning process.  I will never be done. I still do testing and all things I can to help me feel the very best. I'm so thankful for all I've learned in this process.  When you know better, you do better.

Fun Facts I've learned: 

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is often prescribed to ease symptoms of menopause (and sometimes andropause or other hormone imbalances). The benefits can vary depending on whether estrogen alone or a combination of estrogen and progesterone/testosterone is used, but here are the main ones:

1. Relief of Menopausal Symptoms

  • Reduces hot flashes and night sweats.

  • Improves sleep quality disrupted by hormonal changes.

  • Decreases vaginal dryness and discomfort during intimacy.

  • Helps with mood swings, irritability, and sometimes mild anxiety/depression related to hormone shifts.

2. Bone & Joint Health

  • Estrogen therapy slows bone loss and reduces the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.

  • May improve joint stiffness in some people.

3. Heart & Metabolic Benefits (for some women)

  • When started early in menopause (before age 60 or within 10 years of menopause), HRT may reduce risk of heart disease in certain women.

  • Helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels in some cases.

4. Cognitive & Emotional Well-Being

  • Some women report better focus and memory.

  • Can improve overall quality of life and sense of well-being.

5. Skin, Hair & Body Composition

  • Estrogen supports collagen, which can improve skin elasticity.

  • May help maintain muscle mass and reduce central fat gain linked to menopause.

6. Urogenital & Sexual Health

  • Reduces risk of urinary tract infections.

  • Improves bladder function in some women.

  • Restores vaginal tissue health and comfort.

⚠️ Important: HRT isn’t right for everyone. It can increase risks of blood clots, stroke, breast cancer, or heart disease in certain women—especially if started later in life or if risk factors are present. Therapy should always be personalized and closely monitored by a healthcare provider.

Sunday, September 21, 2025

Trader Joe's Blueberries and the Rubber Band

 


I went to Trader Joe's this week to pick up a few things and grabbed some blueberries.  I was so excited to see the rubber band around the blueberries, because I have lost many blueberries in the chaos of bagging and traveling home. I was grateful for the person who took the time to put that rubber band around each individual package for blueberry safety.  What a thoughtful gesture.  It didn't cost more (I've paid more $$ for blueberries at other stores), but it did take more time for them to offer that extra service.  It wasn't a big deal, but (to me) it was.  

It made me think about how it's a metaphor for life.  I've had rubber band people in my life.  They have taken the time to reach out, to do things for me(and my family) before I've asked or even realized it was a need.  They've done it because they wanted to help, or because they knew it would be an added bonus in our lives.  They did it without expecting anything in return.  They weren't big things, and possibly didn't need to be done.  However, they gave us their time and that made all the difference.  I remember them, and I hope I can pay it forward and be the rubber band for someone else in their life💙    

Wednesday, September 3, 2025

August

August brought the new school year.  Casey and I went and cleaned and prepped a few things at school before I had to be there for pre planning. 


All prepped and ready to go...

August was so full of sights and sounds the last part of summer has to offer.  I tried to soak it all in.  I love being outdoors and connecting with all the things🌲🦋🌞




The cicadas are so loud in the summer. 













                         I spent the last part of  August missing our Oregon adventures💚🌳





 Nature is the best place to heal and recharge💚 And I feel like we did a great deal of healing and recharging this summer💟 

Now it's on to the the BER months🧡❤🍎🎄


Friday, August 8, 2025

June

 We had a couple weeks left in June after returning home from Oregon.  We helped Cody get settled in his new place in Atlanta.  He had some yard work that needed done, as well as some cleaning so we took our professional landscaper(Casey) and a few more hands(Ry, Alex and Kaitlyn) to help get the job(s) done.




We went and got some lunch after we finished helping around the house.


We had a ton of blueberries this year.  Ry picked loads of buckets and froze them while we were in Oregon, and we still had a few weeks left of picking when we got home. 
We made all things blueberries💙







And paired it with the summer flavors of Jeni's😋



                We got some family swim time in before Cody had to officially start his residency.










I always enjoy the creature features each summer in our yard(as long as they aren't snakes!)…



Casey and Kaitlyn enjoyed some puzzle time.  



                                          June was busy, fun and went WAY too fast!!



Tuesday, August 5, 2025

July

July was a hot one - really hot and dry.  Our electric bill was = to a car payment(not my favorite). And our water bill was also much higher than normal, because we had to add water to the pool and use the sprinklers frequently.  I'd like a bit of a cool down!

We celebrated the 4th with Kaitlyn and Alex.  Ry worked but was able to be home for the night celebrations.  Casey has been wanting to make Wadingers, so we finally put his sticks to the test, roasted the biscuits and stuffed them with goodies.  They were a big hit!    

                                             

                                  

                                             



                



                      We didn't buy fireworks this year, but don't worry Casey had some in reserve.   



                                                   And then we went for a night swim.

                                         

                                               

                               

We were able to go and watch Seth play in his very last baseball tournament.  So hard to believe he's done.  Time goes way too quickly.  It was a very hot day.  I'm not sure how those boys do it when they are playing back to back.  They won both games on Saturday and ended up placing 1st in the tournament. Yay Seth!!

                                  

                                   

                                    

                                             

                                              




                   Andy posted this cute throwback of Seth on his Facebook....Then-vs-now💕

     
             
Andy, Janelle, and Josh stayed the weekend of Seth's game.  Josh has started to skate board,
so he and Ry were practicing moves.  
It didn't take long before they overheated and hopped in the pool to cool down😅



                                                                                                     

July had some pretty sunrises.  It's my favorite time to run.  In order to beat the heat I usually get there before daylight and watch the sun rise as I'm running🌞💛





     Also saw this beautiful moth one morning.  


                                  And saw my shadow and wished my legs were really that long...😅


                       July is also the month of ice cream and peaches and we enjoyed lots of both😋

   I picked up these peaches at Costco.  I went back and got more....they were the best peaches!!


Courtesy of Publix...


               We decided to try a few different flavors of a different brand. We were NOT impressed.  
                                                             We'll stick with Jeni's!


Our washer stopped draining, so I tried to reset it and it still didn't solve the problem.  We had just spent $400 on getting our dryer fixed, so I wasn't thrilled about another repair bill so soon.  I decided to chat gpt the problem to see if we could DIY it. Turns out we could!  We figured out what the problem was and ordered the correct replacement parts(which chat gave us), and Casey worked his magic and fixed it!  waaaallaaaa!!  Yay Casey!! and Chat gpt!!😃


Goodbye July. It's been hot but also fun💛💗