When the Provider Becomes the Patient

Author: Dr. Blair Green PT, DPT, OCS, PHC

It had been going on for MONTHS… and if I’m completely honest, YEARS! I clearly recall sitting in my doctor’s office complaining about unfounded mood swings. Then it was cyclical headaches, fatigue, difficulty focusing and joint pain. Nothing made sense. I was doing everything I had always done - good diet, regular exercise, adequate sleep. But nothing felt right. I knew exactly what was going on. After all, I’m nearly 50 years old, my periods were no longer regular, and I spend most of my days talking to other women about perimenopause. 

It was time.

I made an appointment with a new GYN and last month was prescribed MHT. What’s MHT? Menopause Hormone Therapy. You may have heard the term HRT in the past, but this is the modern, more correct lingo.  For me, it consists of an estrogen patch, a progesterone pill and a testosterone cream. 

I picked up my prescriptions, brought them home and stuck them in the drawer for about 2 weeks. Despite being armed with all the information and recommending this to countless patients, I still hesitated. What if it didn’t work? What if I didn’t feel better? Suppose something else was making me feel terrible? When is the best time to start?

I decided to start fresh at the beginning of the month. On September 1st, I started estrogen / progesterone. I decided to not start all 3 immediately to better gauge any side effects and benefits. 8 days later here’s what has happened:

• My joint pain and muscle aches are gone
• I wake up feeling well rested
• I have energy
• The brain noise is gone
• No more spontaneous anxiety and bursting into tears

I know, it’s only been a little bit more than a week. I was not expecting to feel this good this quickly. I can only hope this continues. But if just giving my body what it so clearly and desperately needed has helped this much, I can only imagine what it would be like if all women could have access as well. To be clear, I recognize that MHT is not appropriate for everyone. However, it is also safer than some may believe. Not sure? Read the research (I’m happy to show you if you reach out) and speak to a physician who is familiar with prescribing MHT.

Have questions? Feel free to comment on this blog. I want to serve as a resource for the women in my community, and that includes those of you who follow me online. And stay tuned. I am going to continue to educate and update you on my own personal journey through midlife.