My story

I began experiencing symptoms of what I now know to be perimenopause right around the time I turned 40.

Physically, it started with sleep issues. I had always slept well, but suddenly I was waking frequently and struggling to fall back asleep. My periods became incredibly heavy, and despite training at a competitive level in CrossFit and having my nutrition dialed in, my body composition began to change. My hair was thinning rapidly, my ears were constantly itchy, and my recovery was noticeably worse. Achy joints and extreme fatigue started to interfere with the active lifestyle I had always enjoyed.

Mentally, I began struggling with brain fog and no longer felt sharp. I also experienced anxiety for the first time in my life. Not feeling like myself-either mentally or physically-was deeply unsettling and only added to the anxiety.

At 42, I discovered I had large uterine fibroids-the largest the size of a grapefruit, along with two the size of strawberries. This led to countless doctor appointments, CT scans, MRIs, and twice-weekly iron infusions to raise my ferritin and iron levels from nearly zero. Years of heavy bleeding had left me severely anemic and completely drained. My doctor recommended a hysterectomy as soon as possible, but I wanted to explore alternatives before committing to such a drastic surgery.

After extensive research, I requested a Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE), a procedure that shrinks fibroids by cutting off their blood supply using tiny particles delivered through a catheter inserted in the groin. I was warned it was one of the most painful procedures performed and that most patients require an overnight hospital stay on morphine. I chose to go home instead-and quickly regretted it. Three unmedicated childbirths had nothing on that pain. My poor husband spent the night with me in the ER as I begged to be knocked out.

The month that followed was painful and humbling. It was a powerful reminder of how vital health truly is, and how pain and illness can disrupt every aspect of life. Over the next nine months, the fibroids gradually shrank, and by the one-year mark the heavy bleeding, abdominal swelling, and anemia were gone.

That experience was a turning point.

I became deeply committed to understanding hormones and perimenopause-not just for myself, but for the many clients, friends, and gym members who were coming to me for guidance. Women were asking about HRT, symptom management, and why their bodies no longer responded the way they used to. I made it my mission to educate myself by studying the latest research, reading extensively, working with specialists, and applying what I learned to my own health.

Through this process, I found a way to truly maximize results-by combining intentional nutrition, strategic training, lifestyle optimization, hormone replacement therapy when appropriate, and targeted supplementation. This integrated approach helped me get back to feeling like myself again-strong, clear-headed, confident, and energized-both mentally and physically.

Today, this is the exact framework I use to help women navigate perimenopause and menopause, reclaim their health, and feel better than ever.