Send us a text with a question or thought on this episode ( We cannot replay from this link)
When my guest Kate Boyce from Endo Girls Blog and I first discussed our endometriosis struggles, little did we know that our candid exchange would resonate with so many. This episode is a heart-to-heart about the excruciating path to diagnosis, the weighty decision to resort to a hysterectomy, and the rollercoaster of recovery that follows. Kate shares her raw and personal account of life post-surgery—where the removal of her cervix and ovary threw her into a whirlwind of health challenges. We stress how crucial it is for those affected by these conditions to find accurate information and advocate for themselves, a true testament to the power of sharing stories and leaning on one another.
Venture with us as we unravel the tangled relationship between hysterectomy and hormone replacement therapy, particularly when it comes to endometriosis. The choice to undergo this procedure can be daunting, and it’s not a one size fits all approach. We explore the repercussions of such a surgery on ovarian function and the often-unexpected slide into premature menopause. Through our own HRT journeys, we underscore the significance of tailored care and navigating post-surgical life. Our intimate chat mirrors the diversity of experiences and the pressing need for personalization in healthcare decisions, especially for those grappling with the aftershocks of a hysterectomy.
In a heartfelt discussion, the transformative power of hormone replacement therapy—especially testosterone—is brought to light. I reveal how a deficiency led to my own skin and allergy issues, and how testosterone replacement served as an unexpected lifeline to my well-being. As we challenge the misconceptions surrounding testosterone for women, we also address the difficulties in finding well-versed HRT providers. The episode delves into the intricacies of various hormone delivery methods, highlighting the potent role of compounding pharmacies in individualized care. It’s an episode brimming with insights on hormonal health, aimed at empowering you to take charge of your well-being and advocating for better support and understanding from the medical community.
This episode was too good to only be a one and done. So join Kate and I for a Part two next week!
Website endobattery.com
Navigating Endometriosis and Hysterectomy Decisions
Speaker 1
0:03
Welcome
to
Indobattery
,
where
I
share
about
my
endometriosis
and
adenomyosis
story
and
continue
learning
along
the
way
.
This
podcast
is
not
a
substitute
for
professional
medical
advice
or
diagnosis
,
but
a
place
to
equip
you
with
information
and
a
sense
of
community
,
ensuring
you
never
have
to
face
this
journey
alone
.
Join
me
as
I
navigate
the
ups
and
downs
and
share
stories
of
strength
,
resilience
and
hope
.
While
navigating
the
world
of
endometriosis
and
adenomyosis
,
from
personal
experience
to
expert
insights
,
I'm
your
host
,
Elana
,
and
this
is
Indobattery
charging
our
lives
when
endometriosis
drains
us
.
Welcome
back
to
Indobattery
.
Thanks
for
joining
us
today
.
Go
ahead
and
grab
a
cup
of
tea
,
a
cup
of
coffee
or
whatever
beverage
you
want
and
join
us
at
the
table
.
I'm
joined
today
by
Kate
Boyce
with
Indogirlblog
,
and
she
is
a
board
certified
patient
advocate
.
Thank
you
,
Kate
,
so
much
for
joining
me
today
.
We
are
both
in
this
journey
of
hormones
and
endometriosis
and
advocacy
.
Can
you
give
us
a
background
,
a
little
bit
about
your
story
.
Speaker 2
1:13
Yeah
,
thank
you
so
much
for
having
me
first
of
all
.
Yes
,
it's
always
an
honor
to
be
on
a
guest
.
I
feel
like
,
when
it
comes
to
the
endometriosis
part
of
the
story
,
I
always
say
my
story
is
so
much
like
others
with
endometriosis
.
We
go
through
the
misdiagnosis
,
the
confusion
,
the
delayed
diagnosis
all
of
that
by
the
time
I
actually
found
my
endometriosis
surgeon
the
disease
had
pretty
much
progressed
to
overtaking
quite
a
bit
of
my
abdominal
pelvic
cavity
,
including
my
bowels
,
my
ureters
,
unfortunately
,
my
ovaries
.
I
had
a
huge
endometrioma
on
my
right
ovary
.
Because
of
the
extent
of
the
disease
that
was
found
and
having
suspected
endometriosis
,
I
opted
for
a
hysterectomy
with
my
excision
of
the
disease
.
I
had
a
complete
excision
of
all
of
the
endometriosis
and
then
I
had
a
partial
hysterectomy
,
which
means
that
they
left
my
cervix
.
They
only
removed
my
uterus
and
they
left
behind
my
ovaries
.
Speaker 2
2:17
We
tried
to
salvage
what
we
could
of
my
right
ovary
from
the
endometrioma
.
Unfortunately
,
I
did
go
back
.
Just
six
months
later
I
had
quite
a
bit
of
persistent
pain
on
that
right
side
and
some
pelvic
pain
still
like
light
cramping
.
I
did
not
know
that
you
could
have
a
quote
little
mini
period
if
you
left
the
cervix
.
I
went
back
to
my
surgeon
and
sure
enough
,
I
had
to
get
the
cervix
removed
and
I
did
have
my
right
ovary
removed
as
well
.
Everything
had
kind
of
like
re-adhered
,
and
for
me
the
best
solution
at
that
point
was
to
remove
the
source
of
pain
and
to
prevent
that
ovary
from
just
re-adhering
again
.
That
was
the
best
course
of
action
for
me
.
During
all
of
this
I
have
been
doing
patient
advocacy
work
online
,
offline
.
As
I
navigate
my
journey
and
it
continues
to
evolve
and
change
over
time
I
am
continuously
taking
what
I'm
learning
and
applying
it
to
helping
others
.
Speaker 1
3:13
Yeah
,
it's
needed
because
I
feel
like
it
can
be
very
convoluted
when
we're
trying
to
figure
out
our
next
step
when
it
comes
into
metriosis
,
with
very
little
out
there
for
guidance
.
When
you
went
to
go
get
your
hysterectomy
,
were
you
well
aware
of
why
you
were
getting
hysterectomy
,
what
was
the
cause
why
you
would
do
it
in
the
first
place
and
what
would
be
the
outcome
of
that
.
Was
that
something
that
was
ever
explained
to
you
or
that
you
knew
prior
to
getting
your
hysterectomy
?
Speaker 2
3:42
Really
,
all
I
knew
was
that
I
had
horrific
periods
.
My
sister
had
actually
introduced
me
to
adenomyosis
.
She
had
that
as
well
.
She
had
surgery
before
I
did
.
All
I
knew
is
that
my
entire
life
I
had
these
horrible
periods
.
I
wanted
a
hysterectomy
because
I
didn't
want
to
have
bad
periods
anymore
.
That
was
before
there
wasn't
a
lot
of
accessible
information
about
endometriosis
.
Then
it
wasn't
until
I
finally
got
to
my
surgeon
that
he
explained
endometriosis
was
causing
all
these
other
symptoms
as
well
and
the
painful
periods
weren't
necessarily
just
the
uterus
but
there
was
a
lot
of
other
things
going
on
.
Speaker 2
4:22
Going
into
it
on
my
own
,
all
I
knew
was
that
the
uterus
was
connected
to
the
period
and
if
I
got
rid
of
that
then
life
would
be
so
much
better
.
I
went
in
wanting
the
cervix
gone
actually
,
but
my
surgeon
was
like
if
the
cervix
isn't
having
any
issues
,
recovery
can
be
easier
if
you
leave
it
.
That's
now
.
It's
not
really
something
commonly
done
.
Normally
a
hysterectomy
is
just
total
now
and
they
remove
the
cervix
with
the
uterus
.
Something
I
definitely
didn't
know
is
that
if
you
go
back
to
have
the
cervix
removed
I
thought
it
was
going
to
just
be
some
easy
procedure
they
just
take
it
out
.
No
,
it's
very
radical
surgery
where
they
have
to
take
a
portion
of
the
vagina
with
it
,
and
the
recovery
from
that
was
absolutely
brutal
.
Speaker 2
5:09
I
also
didn't
know
anything
about
the
implications
of
removing
an
ovary
.
I
was
told
oh
,
you'll
be
fine
,
the
other
ovary
will
make
up
for
it
.
And
that's
nothing
on
my
surgeons
,
that's
not
my
surgeon's
fault
,
that's
what
everybody
believes
.
This
is
a
very
not
well
navigated
realm
.
When
we
lose
an
ovary
or
have
a
hysterectomy
,
just
having
the
hysterectomy
itself
,
the
ovaries
can
go
through
a
shock
period
,
which
I
was
told
.
But
I
was
also
told
everything
will
go
back
to
normal
within
a
few
months
.
So
in
a
way
I
really
I
didn't
learn
a
lot
about
what
I
had
done
until
after
.
Right
,
it's
not
like
I
went
into
it
knowing
all
the
details
.
Speaker 1
5:50
Yeah
,
what's
interesting
is
for
me
,
I
knew
I
was
going
to
have
a
hysterectomy
because
I
had
adenomyosis
,
which
I
did
know
.
I
also
knew
that
there
was
a
likelihood
of
me
having
both
ovaries
removed
.
There's
a
difference
between
a
hysterectomy
and
an
opherectomy
,
so
you
can
have
a
hysterectomy
and
still
have
your
ovaries
.
But
I
do
think
what's
not
well
communicated
is
the
quality
of
ovaries
left
and
what
they
go
through
post
hysterectomy
,
because
it's
not
the
same
.
Like
we're
learning
this
as
we
,
you
know
,
navigate
our
own
journeys
is
that
it's
not
the
same
?
Why
would
we
need
to
remove
ovaries
,
in
your
opinion
,
if
we're
doing
a
hysterectomy
?
Speaker 2
6:32
Right
.
So
and
of
course
,
nothing
I
say
ever
is
medical
advice
.
Everything's
just
based
on
,
you
know
,
personal
experience
,
working
with
others
and
then
research
.
So
when
it
comes
to
the
ovaries
,
because
they're
so
critical
,
I
feel
like
any
good
surgeon
or
doctor
is
going
to
do
everything
they
can
to
preserve
that
.
However
,
sometimes
we
do
have
to
lose
them
.
Speaker 2
6:53
So
I
know
that
there
are
times
if
we're
saying
you're
going
in
for
endometriosis
,
say
you
have
,
you
know
,
one
or
even
two
endometriomas
,
so
maybe
both
ovaries
have
an
endometrioma
.
They
can
be
,
they
can
be
absolutely
massive
.
They
can
essentially
destroy
your
,
your
ovary
,
the
quality
of
your
ovary
.
And
there
are
times
where
I
know
surgeons
will
remove
what
they
may
need
to
and
even
leave
just
a
little
bit
of
ovary
behind
.
That's
a
thing
,
and
it
can
still
produce
some
estrogen
.
But
you
know
,
sometimes
it's
better
to
make
sure
we
move
,
remove
the
whole
thing
,
because
there
is
something
called
ovarian
remnant
syndrome
where
there
is
that
tissue
still
there
causing
issues
.
Speaker 2
7:31
So
pretty
much
when
it
comes
to
the
ovary
getting
removed
,
like
for
me
,
it
was
a
very
major
source
of
pain
.
Even
when
that
endometrioma
was
removed
,
it
was
still
causing
pain
,
and
that's
because
ovaries
love
to
stick
to
anything
nearby
,
Like
once
they
have
found
a
way
to
adhere
to
something
,
it's
like
they're
just
going
to
keep
it
.
And
I
know
we
can
use
adhesion
barriers
and
I
know
every
surgeon
has
like
their
own
little
trick
.
But
I
can
just
tell
you
from
working
with
I
came
and
tell
you
how
many
patients
over
the
years
it's
like
textbook
.
Within
a
few
months
they're
starting
to
recognize
that
they
feel
that
pain
.
But
it's
important
to
note
that
adhesions
occur
pretty
much
immediately
after
surgery
.
So
it's
that
healing
process
that
is
within
a
few
days
.
That's
why
some
surgeons
will
do
the
second
look
surgery
where
they
open
you
up
just
like
a
few
days
after
break
up
adhesions
that
are
forming
.
So
it's
like
once
that
adhesion
forms
,
it's
there
and
it's
really
difficult
to
manage
that
.
Speaker 2
8:25
So
some
of
us
,
you
know
,
like
me
,
I
said
I
don't
want
to
continue
living
with
that
pain
.
It
was
sharp
shooting
,
taking
my
breath
away
,
and
so
we
removed
it
.
That
was
the
source
of
the
pain
.
It's
usually
up
to
patient
discretion
on
whether
or
not
they
want
that
ovary
removed
.
But
other
times
it's
just
the
doctor
gets
in
there
and
it's
just
so
stuck
to
everything
and
destroyed
by
an
endometrioma
or
the
disease
itself
and
it
just
has
to
in
order
to
essentially
,
you
know
,
reconstruct
the
anatomy
properly
or
,
you
know
,
maintain
the
integrity
of
other
organs
.
Sometimes
they
just
have
to
remove
that
ovary
and
that
is
an
unfortunate
reality
.
But
again
,
there
are
a
lot
of
options
there
you
can
work
through
with
your
surgeon
.
Speaker 2
9:13
But
sometimes
,
like
me
,
you
end
up
back
under
just
because
I
couldn't
do
it
anymore
with
that
ovary
.
I
do
have
my
left
ovary
and
it
does
cause
issues
occasionally
.
It
is
re-adhered
to
my
pelvic
sidewall
because
ovaries
love
to
do
that
,
and
you
would
believe
the
amount
of
like
adhesion
barriers
and
you
know
I
had
the
plate
,
plate
lit
,
rich
plasma
used
in
there
,
everything
in
there
,
and
it's
it's
biology
,
it's
just
the
healing
process
and
the
body
.
It's
what
happened
.
So
,
anyway
,
but
then
I
,
by
that
time
I
understood
the
implications
of
removing
both
ovaries
,
so
I
decided
that
pain
wasn't
bad
enough
.
I
was
able
to
manage
that
pain
,
but
for
a
while
it
was
bad
and
I
almost
had
that
ovary
removed
as
well
.
Speaker 1
9:58
Right
,
and
I
think
the
biggest
misnomer
with
this
is
that
just
because
you
have
endometriosis
does
not
mean
you
have
to
have
a
hysterectomy
,
and
just
because
you
have
a
hysterectomy
does
not
mean
you
have
to
have
your
ovaries
removed
.
One
thing
does
not
mean
another
and
I
think
it
is
case
by
case
.
Do
you
want
to
preserve
fertility
,
do
you
not
?
Do
you
want
to
get
rid
of
this
pain
,
or
do
you
want
to
come
back
later
and
and
readdress
that
because
of
what
your
life
goals
are
?
I
think
it's
just
it's
very
individualized
Understanding Hysterectomy and Hormone Replacement Therapy
Speaker 1
10:28
for
that
.
But
to
say
blanketed
statement
you
have
endometriosis
,
you
need
a
hysterectomy
is
not
accurate
.
Speaker 2
10:34
No
,
no
,
no
,
no
,
no
we
should
not
go
in
thinking
that
.
Speaker 2
10:37
No
,
that's
very
dangerous
and
we
always
hear
that
.
You
know
,
hysterectomy
is
not
a
cure
for
endometriosis
.
But
then
you
have
the
people
who
say
,
well
,
I
had
a
hysterectomy
and
it
fixed
my
endometriosis
pain
and
both
.
Both
are
valid
,
right
.
And
I
always
try
to
remind
maybe
you
need
a
hysterectomy
and
you
don't
have
endometriosis
,
because
a
lot
of
people
will
be
really
sad
because
they're
like
well
,
my
hysterectomy
,
I
had
a
hysterectomy
and
it
came
back
.
I
didn't
have
endometriosis
.
Was
that
all
for
nothing
?
And
I
say
,
well
,
let's
take
a
look
at
your
quality
of
life
,
right
,
you
don't
have
to
have
a
hysterectomy
.
The
only
indication
for
hysterectomy
isn't
just
endometriosis
.
Speaker 2
11:08
Right
,
I
know
it
can
make
it
it's
more
palatable
to
have
a
hysterectomy
for
that
reason
.
But
sometimes
,
when
it
just
comes
down
to
your
quality
of
life
,
like
you
are
worth
it
.
It
is
a
major
medical
decision
.
Yes
,
does
it
has
its
own
journey
after
that
.
But
sometimes
the
endometriosis
has
caused
so
many
adhesions
or
the
deeply
infiltrating
disease
has
just
caused
such
havoc
within
our
pelvis
that
having
the
hysterectomy
can
remove
one
source
of
pain
.
But
what
I'm
thinking
of
is
like
place
for
things
to
stick
to
.
Yes
,
more
opportunity
for
that
.
Speaker 2
11:46
Yes
,
exactly
,
and
I
worked
with
patients
where
that
was
their
decision
.
Because
of
that
,
they're
like
,
oh
,
I
had
such
advanced
disease
,
we
just
went
ahead
with
the
hysterectomy
.
So
when
people
hear
that
sometimes
I
think
,
oh
,
the
hysterectomy
cured
the
endometriosis
,
I
want
to
say
no
,
the
endometriosis
caused
such
havoc
within
the
body
that
the
uterus
became
a
victim
of
it
and
so
the
uterus
came
out
in
order
to
achieve
some
sort
of
improved
quality
of
life
.
And
so
,
like
I
said
,
a
lot
of
people
maybe
that's
why
that
hysterectomy
helped
with
your
pain
so
much
,
because
it
was
a
victim
of
the
endometriosis
and
so
there's
a
lot
of
.
Speaker 2
12:24
There's
just
so
much
variation
in
there
and
,
like
you
were
saying
about
,
you
don't
have
to
have
the
ovaries
out
as
well
.
That's
really
important
to
note
.
And
it's
also
important
to
note
that
when
the
hysterectomy
is
done
,
they're
removing
the
uterus
,
you're
also
removing
the
major
blood
supply
to
the
ovaries
,
and
we're
not
often
told
that
.
But
by
removing
the
major
blood
supply
to
the
ovaries
,
that
doesn't
mean
they're
going
to
shut
down
,
but
it
means
it
can
take
time
for
them
to
kind
of
like
readjust
to
their
new
blood
supply
.
And
there's
the
research
on
if
you
have
a
hysterectomy
,
you'll
go
through
menopause
sooner
,
even
with
your
ovaries
,
but
that's
related
to
losing
that
major
blood
supply
source
.
And
you
know
what
I
always
tell
people
.
I'm
like
,
don't
think
of
it
as
like
a
fear
mongering
thing
.
Like
let's
take
a
step
back
and
just
look
at
you
know
quality
of
life
,
what
decisions
you
have
made
with
.
What
do
you
want
with
your
hysterectomy
?
Right
,
cause
you
can
have
the
whole
,
the
partial
you
can
have
with
the
opherectomy
.
It's
a
completely
different
procedure
.
Speaker 1
13:24
So
for
me
,
I
had
a
hysterectomy
and
an
opherectomy
.
Both
my
ovaries
are
gone
and
I
chose
that
because
I
had
persistent
endometriomas
for
my
ovaries
,
so
it
was
a
better
option
I
was
done
having
kids
as
a
better
option
for
me
to
remove
all
of
it
.
But
what
I
didn't
fully
understand
is
the
need
for
replacing
those
hormones
,
which
is
what
got
us
talking
,
because
this
is
a
very
nuanced
thing
,
this
hormone
replacement
therapy
,
but
,
and
what
it
entails
.
But
see
,
I
didn't
know
anything
other
than
I
was
going
to
be
put
on
Estordale
post-op
,
but
I
didn't
know
why
.
I
didn't
know
why
I
was
going
to
be
put
on
these
things
.
What
are
the
ramifications
of
it
?
Great
,
we're
taking
out
a
source
of
hormone
and
we're
replacing
it
.
But
,
but
why
?
And
I
think
that's
something
that
when
you're
making
these
decisions
to
be
well
informed
,
you
need
to
know
why
you
need
to
replace
these
hormones
.
What
has
been
your
experience
with
that
?
Speaker 2
14:24
Fortunately
and
unfortunately
my
I
have
that
remaining
ovary
and
it
clearly
works
cause
.
It
causes
pain
,
but
for
me
I
was
able
to
maintain
estrogen
production
.
So
I
thought
I
was
going
through
early
menopause
because
I
was
having
all
of
these
symptoms
that
,
honestly
,
could
only
be
trapped
like
linked
back
to
hormones
Right
.
So
I
knew
something
was
going
on
,
like
my
skin
was
burning
,
it
was
drying
,
I
had
zero
sex
drive
,
I
was
gaining
weight
in
my
midsection
like
crazy
,
I
was
having
panic
attacks
.
At
2am
I
hurt
all
over
.
I
was
just
like
a
puffy
disaster
and
I
could
not
figure
out
what
was
wrong
with
me
and
I
was
like
,
oh
well
,
that's
it
,
it's
menopause
,
it's
got
to
be
menopause
.
So
I
go
to
my
primary
care
doctor
and
she
tests
my
hormones
and
everything's
good
and
I'm
like
you've
got
to
be
kidding
me
.
Speaker 2
15:07
She's
like
your
ovaries
working
great
.
I
was
like
,
how
am
I
like
this
?
So
I
you
know
,
fortunately
having
the
knowledge
of
a
patient
advocate
and
just
like
science
background
.
I
looked
at
my
blood
work
and
I
noticed
that
I
had
like
no
testosterone
,
Like
you
know
,
even
though
the
normal
range
at
anything
less
than
a
certain
amount
.
Speaker 2
15:22
Like
,
well
,
like
I
know
better
than
to
just
be
like
,
oh
,
that's
fine
.
So
anyway
,
I
sought
out
somebody
that
I
trusted
.
Yeah
,
yeah
,
I
had
sex
with
so
many
girls
.
I
was
so
sick
inside
to
take
a
closer
look
at
that
.
And
so
I
found
my
current
hormone
replacement
therapy
doctor
,
who
I
am
so
blessed
to
have
found
.
He's
taught
me
everything
I
know
now
and
he
kind
of
just
explained
it
to
me
.
It's
like
,
yes
,
your
ovary
is
still
making
estrogen
,
but
you're
not
making
testosterone
anymore
.
And
I'm
like
,
why
does
that
matter
?
And
he
said
,
well
,
funny
story
,
as
a
females
make
more
testosterone
over
their
lifetime
than
estrogen
.
Speaker 2
15:54
And
I'm
like
sitting
here
like
,
are
you
kidding
?
He's
like
,
after
menopause
,
the
ovaries
do
still
serve
a
purpose
,
they
continue
to
make
testosterone
.
And
I'm
sitting
here
like
,
oh
my
God
,
I
did
not
know
this
,
I
knew
nothing
about
this
,
and
so
you
know
.
Then
I
started
my
journey
down
that
and
I
started
my
testosterone
replacement
therapy
journey
and
every
single
symptom
resolved
and
I
was
shocked
by
that
.
But
as
I
kept
working
in
that
realm
and
meeting
more
individuals
going
through
this
hormone
replacement
journey
,
I
started
to
realize
that
no
one's
even
being
really
told
why
,
like
you
were
saying
,
why
they
need
this
replaced
.
And
so
estrogen
,
yes
,
at
some
point
through
natural
menopause
,
at
the
end
of
that
,
when
we're
on
the
other
side
of
that
,
we
no
longer
create
estrogen
,
and
that's
fine
because
that
has
been
a
natural
process
.
But
when
you
have
it
done
surgically
or
medically
induced
,
or
you
go
through
it
like
way
too
early
because
of
some
sort
of
failure
,
then
we
start
to
face
the
issue
where
,
okay
,
the
body
still
needs
to
have
access
to
estrogen
,
right
?
So
we
know
the
implications
of
not
having
enough
estrogen
and
that
it
is
absolutely
essential
to
so
much
of
our
continued
health
,
right
?
And
I
think
the
most
commonly
known
one
,
of
course
is
our
bone
health
right
,
so
there's
no
reason
that
we
need
to
be
having
fractures
by
this
age
of
60
if
we
can
be
supplementing
with
proper
amounts
of
estrogen
cognitive
function
.
There
are
so
many
validated
,
researched
,
well-known
benefits
to
maintaining
estrogen
that
we
normally
would
have
,
but
we're
The Importance of Hormone Replacement Therapy
Speaker 2
17:31
not
.
Speaker 2
17:31
Of
course
,
it
gets
a
little
bit
more
complicated
when
you're
talking
to
people
who've
gone
through
maybe
a
natural
menopause
.
That's
not
my
realm
.
I'm
really
only
versed
in
individuals
who've
gone
through
it
early
due
to
some
factor
there
.
And
that's
where
it's
like
,
yes
,
it
should
be
supplemented
,
Of
course
,
working
with
a
provider
who
understands
it
.
But
that's
also
its
own
difficulty
in
finding
someone
who
understands
it
.
Speaker 2
17:53
There's
a
lot
of
fear
mongering
around
estrogen
and
we
know
that
very
well
in
the
endo
community
.
We're
told
estrogen
is
like
the
worst
right
,
oh
,
it'll
make
your
endo
come
back
,
It'll
make
everything
wrong
.
Well
,
turns
out
that's
not
necessarily
the
case
.
Estrogen
can
be
inflammatory
,
it
just
is
.
Naturally
it's
not
a
bad
thing
.
It
serves
a
very
important
role
as
something
inflammatory
.
Speaker 2
18:14
So
it
can
cause
some
maybe
uncomfortable
symptoms
,
but
as
you
get
to
be
quote
like
leveled
off
or
whatnot
on
it
,
everything
seems
to
,
typically
in
individuals
I've
helped
resolve
and
from
a
lot
of
people
I've
helped
.
They
will
all
tell
you
that
the
symptoms
of
having
no
estrogen
are
so
unbearable
that
any
other
kind
of
mild
discomfort
will
be
worth
,
yes
,
the
replacement
.
And
so
I
know
that
,
like
we're
just
told
,
you'll
wake
up
from
surgery
with
a
patch
just
slapped
on
and
you're
good
to
go
and
like
it
doesn't
even
make
any
sense
.
So
you
know
that's
what
so
many
are
told
who
I
work
with
.
And
so
then
we
have
to
go
through
and
be
like
well
,
why
am
I
replacing
the
estrogen
?
And
then
it
doesn't
stop
there
.
Right
,
it's
like
okay
,
there's
local
vaginal
estrogen
,
because
that's
a
whole
different
environment
and
I
needed
that
.
So
my
estrogen
levels
are
totally
fine
when
you
look
at
my
blood
,
but
my
vaginal
estrogen
is
depleted
and
we
had
to
go
based
on
symptoms
.
So
there's
where
it
gets
complicated
,
right
,
Right
,
Sure
,
my
ovaries
making
estrogen
,
but
I
need
local
added
.
And
no
one
tells
you
what
that's
like
,
and
it's
a
horrific
journey
when
you
need
to
have
vaginal
estrogen
.
And
then
,
of
course
,
the
benefits
of
testosterone
.
Speaker 2
19:30
The
reason
that
we
make
that
for
,
like
almost
the
rest
of
our
life
,
you
know
it's
that
helps
maintain
a
variety
of
other
health
factors
that
there
just
isn't
a
lot
of
research
on
so
it's
hard
for
me
to
point
people
to
where
to
go
get
that
information
.
But
,
as
a
disclosure
,
my
hormone
doctor
.
He's
very
elderly
at
this
point
he's
been
practicing
for
I
don't
even
know
how
many
years
.
I
think
that
he's
had
like
over
50,000
patients
.
He
brought
bio
identical
hormone
replacement
therapy
to
Mayo
Clinic
in
Scottsdale
,
Arizona
,
One
of
the
top
gynaoxic
Mayo
Clinic
who
also
is
an
excision
surgeon
for
endometriosis
.
He
calls
him
my
doctor
,
the
hormone
magician
.
He
believes
in
his
patients
to
my
doctor
because
he
genuinely
is
a
hormone
magician
and
I
really
taken
I've
seen
him
for
four
years
now
.
So
everything
that
I
share
a
lot
of
it
comes
from
him
.
It's
hard
to
find
research
just
because
it's
not
really
being
done
.
Speaker 1
20:23
No
,
that's
the
biggest
thing
right
now
For
me
.
I
didn't
even
know
after
my
hysterectomy
.
I
didn't
know
how
much
our
ovaries
played
a
part
in
our
hormones
other
than
estrogen
,
like
I
didn't
know
how
much
testosterone
it
really
produced
,
and
how
insufficient
our
education
is
in
translating
that
to
like
how
we
get
post-operative
care
.
I
don't
think
that
it's
necessarily
the
doctor's
fault
.
I
think
there's
just
not
enough
information
out
there
and
it's
a
very
challenging
thing
to
navigate
and
to
learn
about
because
there
is
no
research
.
And
that's
where
it's
frustrating
for
me
as
a
patient
who
has
experienced
a
number
of
things
.
Speaker 1
21:06
I
thought
my
fatigue
was
great
and
then
I
realized
that
I
couldn't
formulate
my
sentences
correctly
.
I
realized
I
couldn't
get
enough
sleep
again
and
it
was
almost
like
that
endophatigue
a
little
bit
,
where
I
was
like
,
oh
gosh
.
It
made
me
question
is
my
endometriosis
acting
up
again
?
Am
I
a
reoccurrence
patient
,
which
we
know
reoccurrence
isn't
a
high
number
.
After
proper
excision
Maybe
symptom
generators
are
still
there
,
but
the
reoccurrence
,
unless
some
is
left
,
is
not
really
as
much
of
an
issue
with
that
.
Speaker 1
21:38
But
I
was
sitting
there
thinking
what
is
going
on
with
me
?
I
can't
formulate
my
sentences
,
I'm
having
a
hard
time
sleeping
,
my
weight
gain
was
going
up
.
My
muscle
mass
is
going
down
.
I
had
started
working
out
and
then
I
couldn't
lift
as
much
,
like
my
muscles
were
fatigued
and
my
bones
and
I
have
hypermobile
EDS
as
well
.
So
I'm
sitting
here
with
all
of
this
piling
on
and
really
what
it
was
is
someone
telling
me
Alana
,
have
you
ever
thought
about
testosterone
?
No
,
like
,
why
aren't
we
talking
about
testosterone
?
That
plays
a
huge
part
in
our
overall
health
.
What
have
you
learned
that
testosterone
does
for
those
of
us
who
are
surgically
menopause
or
perimenopause
or
menopause
due
to
having
surgery
or
otherwise
?
Speaker 2
22:26
So
from
my
,
again
,
my
personal
journey
.
And
then
there
are
some
researchers
I
chat
with
about
testosterone
,
as
well
as
some
physicians
that
work
with
patients
and
utilize
testosterone
.
So
one
of
the
most
interesting
things
I
think
about
testosterone
is
it's
innate
anti-inflammatory
nature
.
So
people
forget
that
Testosterone
isn't
just
like
some
male
thing
,
it's
a
critical
component
to
.
Everyone
wants
to
talk
about
hormone
balance
.
Well
,
you
got
to
have
the
testosterone
in
there
to
kind
of
manage
how
the
the
ebbs
and
flows
within
the
body
and
maintain
you
know
what
should
be
our
equilibrium
.
And
so
when
you
remove
this
wonderful
anti-inflammatory
agent
,
things
just
like
.
Hormone Replacement Therapy and Its Effects
Speaker 2
23:13
I've
met
multiple
people
who
started
having
wild
allergic
reactions
.
I
thought
I
had
developed
a
seafood
allergy
and
I
would
just
like
scratch
and
scratch
and
scratch
until
I
would
bruise
.
And
the
only
thing
I
was
thinking
of
is
like
we
were
going
out
to
eat
and
I'm
like
,
well
,
it
happens
sometimes
after
I
eat
shrimp
.
You
know
coming
up
with
something
.
But
no
,
I
just
had
lost
so
much
of
the
natural
oil
production
for
my
skin
and
I
was
just
so
inflamed
and
I
noticed
that
my
hair
was
dry
,
right
.
Speaker 2
23:43
So
the
testosterone
brought
so
much
of
that
back
to
life
and
you'll
hear
like
side
effects
that
can
be
hair
falling
out
If
you're
taking
too
much
.
Yeah
,
you
can
get
male
pattern
baldness
,
but
in
the
right
amounts
.
We
actually
see
I
say
we
.
When
you
look
at
literature
on
it
,
I
see
hair
regrowth
.
My
hair
got
thick
again
.
My
hair
got
shiny
again
.
My
hair
got
thick
.
It
doesn't
break
off
as
much
my
skin
you
know
everyone's
like
oh
,
it'll
make
you
break
out
.
I
may
have
a
few
more
zits
occasionally
,
but
my
skin
no
longer
burns
when
I
put
something
on
it
.
Speaker 2
24:15
Right
,
it's
more
like
I
don't
know
more
plump
in
a
lot
of
ways
it's
not
just
like
feel
like
haggard
,
yeah
,
but
other
than
you
know
,
so
like
.
Those
are
some
of
like
the
physical
things
I
noticed
and
,
yeah
,
the
muscle
mass
,
I
feel
like
I'm
less
flabby
.
But
when
it
comes
to
like
I
think
probably
it's
most
important
rule
for
me
were
the
cognitive
.
Speaker 1
24:34
Mm-hmm
.
Speaker 2
24:35
Same
.
I'm
not
panicked
,
so
it's
like
I
can
almost
mess
when
someone
messages
me
about
like
I
think
I'm
having
hormone
issues
.
I
don't
know
if
it's
estrogen
,
I
don't
know
if
it's
testosterone
.
It's
wild
.
I
can
literally
say
are
you
waking
up
at
like
two
and
three
AM
with
panic
attack
and
like
they'll
be
like
,
yes
,
how'd
you
know
?
Because
it
seems
to
be
all
of
us
.
Yeah
,
we
lose
testosterone
.
It's
like
our
clocks
go
off
in
the
middle
of
the
night
and
we
wake
up
with
a
panic
attack
.
And
it's
not
a
night
sweat
,
it's
a
panic
attack
and
the
world
is
ending
and
I
would
be
like
I'm
worthless
.
Oh
my
God
,
what
am
I
even
doing
here
?
Speaker 1
25:06
Yeah
.
Speaker 2
25:07
It
was
.
I'm
on
an
antidepressant
,
I'm
on
a
mood
stabilizer
and
this
was
still
happening
.
I
said
this
is
messed
up
.
Yeah
,
that
went
away
,
so
I
no
longer
have
the
panic
attacks
.
And
that
blew
my
mind
right
there
.
And
the
word
recall
.
When
my
testosterone
drops
,
I
can't
find
words
.
My
husband
notices
.
He'll
say
I'll
be
like
saying
something
and
not
even
know
I'm
saying
it
.
Like
what
did
you
say
?
Speaker 1
25:31
And
then
I
can't
remember
what
I
just
said
.
Speaker 2
25:34
I
just
that
went
away
when
I
got
my
testosterone
back
up
.
Just
wild
things
that
I
did
not
know
could
be
impacted
by
a
hormone
that
I
didn't
even
know
I
needed
,
right
?
You
know
,
no
one
ever
tested
my
testosterone
before
.
I
didn't
even
know
it
was
a
thing
.
And
here
I
am
on
the
other
end
of
it
learning
oh
my
God
,
like
I
genuinely
can't
function
without
this
,
and
it
makes
me
so
sad
.
For
how
many
?
Not
only
are
there
individuals
that
don't
even
know
about
hormone
replacement
therapy
at
all
.
Right
,
they're
not
given
estrogen
or
they
are
put
on
estrogen
,
but
that's
like
a
tiny
piece
of
the
puzzle
,
right
,
and
then
they're
put
on
antidepressants
and
they're
taking
down
this
other
crazy
route
.
And
another
thing
about
the
testosterone
is
that
some
doctors
that
are
like
for
some
reason
there's
a
whole
group
that's
like
against
testosterone
in
women
.
Speaker 1
26:25
Weird
.
Speaker 2
26:26
And
they're
like
well
,
you
know
it
can
cause
clitoral
enlargement
.
And
the
thing
with
that
is
what
happens
,
and
anyone
who's
been
through
menopause
or
dealt
with
this
understands
that
their
entire
vulva
just
like
shrinks
for
some
reason
.
You're
like
what
happened
to
my
anatomy
?
You
don't
know
where
my
clitoris
is
.
I
don't
,
I
don't
know
where
my
vulva
is
anymore
at
all
.
And
what
happens
is
that
that
is
something
testosterone
can
do
.
Is
it
just
like
?
I
don't
know
how
else
to
say
it
other
than
bring
life
back
.
Yes
,
and
it
like
increases
blood
flow
.
And
then
that
clitoral
enlargement
is
literally
just
a
healthy
bringing
it
back
to
life
.
Speaker 2
27:09
I
really
dislike
when
doctors
say
that
,
because
I'm
like
are
you
just
?
Why
?
Are
you
shaming
,
right
,
a
body
for
that
even
happening
,
right
?
And
that
also
makes
me
upset
,
because
I'm
like
that
just
puts
it
in
someone's
mind
that
it's
like
the
female
anatomy
is
supposed
to
look
a
certain
way
and
like
,
no
,
it
needs
to
be
.
Are
you
feeling
better
,
right
?
Yeah
,
are
you
feeling
better
?
Is
your
sex
life
better
?
I
know
,
when
everything
seems
to
like
shrink
up
,
it's
impossible
to
have
an
orgasm
.
And
then
testosterone
not
only
does
it
rev
up
that
sex
drive
,
but
increasing
that
blood
flow
and
increasing
the
size
of
the
clitoris
and
then
the
whole
vulva
,
kind
of
like
coming
to
life
again
.
That
improves
the
ability
to
have
an
orgasm
.
It's
also
interconnected
in
so
many
ways
and
nobody
ever
brings
that
up
.
And
then
,
to
make
it
worse
,
you've
got
doctors
demonizing
it
.
Oh
no
,
it'll
make
your
clitoris
well
enlarged
,
like
it's
some
horrible
thing
.
Speaker 1
28:08
Like
thank
you
,
it
does
.
Yeah
,
okay
,
Clearly
you
don't
understand
.
Speaker 2
28:13
The
other
thing
is
that
I
like
to
point
out
is
that
it
is
we
know
that
it
is
dose
dependent
right
,
and
testosterone
doesn't
stay
accumulated
in
our
body
.
It
goes
very
quickly
,
and
so
if
you
don't
like
something
that's
happening
on
it
,
you
can
always
decrease
your
dose
,
right
?
That's
one
of
the
great
things
about
it
.
It's
a
horrible
thing
that
it
leaves
our
system
so
quickly
,
because
it
can
be
hard
to
maintain
,
but
it's
also
a
blessing
.
If
you're
not
liking
,
maybe
you're
on
too
much
for
your
body
,
right
.
Speaker 1
28:41
So
you
take
the
raisin
.
Without
it
,
you're
raisin
.
Speaker 2
28:45
Yeah
.
Speaker 1
28:46
And
then
you
hydrate
it
,
you
give
it
the
proper
nutrients
,
you
have
a
grape
.
I'm
just
saying
,
like
,
if
you
need
that
visualization
,
that's
what
it's
like
.
Speaker 2
28:55
That's
exactly
it
.
And
then
there
are
other
issues
where
you
have
to
utilize
the
vaginal
estrogen
,
even
because
,
yes
,
I've
got
,
I
had
a
lot
of
improvement
with
the
testosterone
,
but
I
still
ended
up
needing
to
add
the
estrogen
because
the
vagina
and
the
bladder
have
a
very
similar
,
if
not
the
same
,
microbiome
and
that's
why
you
get
a
lot
of
these
symptoms
like
painful
urination
or
frequent
urination
with
menopause
,
and
you'll
notice
a
lot
of
endometriosis
.
Patients
that
have
been
on
long-term
hormone
suppression
or
GNRH
analogs
.
They
are
told
they
have
interstitial
cystitis
,
but
magically
a
lot
of
that
resolves
when
they
get
put
on
vaginal
estrogen
.
And
so
the
vaginal
estrogen
.
It
will
resolve
a
lot
of
the
chronic
bacterial
infections
,
yeast
infections
.
Speaker 2
29:46
I
thought
I
had
something
very
wrong
and
I
was
so
embarrassed
because
I
know
I
shouldn't
be
.
I'm
supposed
to
be
the
empowered
patient
advocate
,
but
I'm
still
a
human
and
I
was
so
embarrassed
.
I
thought
I
had
the
worst
bacterial
vaginosis
imaginable
.
I
thought
I
had
the
worst
yeast
infection
.
I
was
just
like
why
can't
anything
get
better
?
And
it
didn't
get
better
until
I
was
on
vaginal
estrogen
and
it
all
resolved
.
It
just
blows
my
mind
that
it
was
that
simple
yet
never
brought
up
.
Fortunately
there
are
more
urologists
talking
about
it
.
Now
they're
even
calling
out
their
OBGYN
friends
.
Why
are
you
not
doing
this
?
Why
are
you
still
prescribing
antibiotics
for
a
suspected
UTI
?
Why
are
you
still
putting
patients
on
medications
for
painful
bladder
syndrome
without
trying
vaginal
estrogen
first
?
Finally
,
I
got
to
this
point
where
I'm
on
testosterone
and
I
finally
got
that
entire
system
working
again
.
That
was
life-changing
,
because
when
you
feel
like
you
have
a
yeast
infection
constantly
,
it
is
the
most
distracting
,
miserable
thing
.
Speaker 1
30:57
It
is
.
We
already
deal
with
that
a
lot
of
times
with
our
endosymptoms
.
Then
we
take
the
effort
to
relieve
those
symptoms
,
but
then
we
are
gifted
this
other
symptom
of
vaginal
drain
.
I
had
to
move
my
estrogen
from
the
patch
to
the
pill
,
which
I
know
is
a
big
like
people
don't
like
that
,
because
it
does
have
to
go
through
the
liver
to
process
and
things
like
that
but
the
patch
did
absolutely
nothing
for
me
anymore
.
That
was
something
that
I
had
to
do
a
little
bit
more
research
on
and
weigh
the
benefits
versus
the
drawback
,
because
if
you
are
so
miserable
on
what
you're
doing
,
you
have
to
find
something
else
and
find
what
works
for
you
but
know
what
you're
getting
yourself
into
.
Speaker 1
31:49
But
I
will
say
that
there's
one
that
I'm
going
to
see
,
but
I
have
yet
to
see
a
really
good
hormone
doctor
that
can
explain
this
stuff
to
me
.
I
feel
like
that
is
where
a
lot
of
us
in
this
journey
for
me
,
specifically
where
I'm
at
now
is
finding
someone
that
will
even
take
me
on
as
a
patient
when
it
comes
to
hormones
,
specifically
to
get
testosterone
if
you
want
to
do
a
progesterone
,
which
we
can
talk
about
that
in
a
second
too
but
someone
to
actually
look
at
me
.
Do
my
labs
understand
it
?
That
is
a
whole
nother
beast
,
because
we're
talking
balance
,
but
if
you
don't
know
what
you're
trying
to
balance
,
then
you
can't
balance
,
you
can't
help
someone
.
How
do
we
get
there
?
How
do
we
get
there
,
Kate
?
Speaker 2
32:34
I
wish
I
had
an
answer
.
This
is
like
my
next
endeavor
.
I
will
,
and
I
believe
this
.
HRT Provider Challenges
Speaker 2
32:39
It
is
harder
to
find
someone
who
is
knowledgeable
in
hormone
replacement
therapy
than
an
endometriosis
surgeon
at
this
point
.
Speaker 2
32:45
I
agree
10
,
15
years
ago
,
maybe
not
,
but
now
we
have
more
surgeons
that
are
at
least
capable
of
performing
an
endometriosis
surgery
than
we
do
.
Doctors
or
providers
of
any
kind
that
have
any
smallest
amount
of
knowledge
on
testosterone
that
is
just
out
the
door
.
There
are
some
doctors
trying
on
social
media
now
to
educate
on
that
.
I'm
very
grateful
for
them
,
but
it
is
still
just
an
absolute
nightmare
.
What
you
end
up
with
is
you
can
go
to
a
provider
that
takes
your
it's
like
in
network
with
your
insurance
and
it's
like
,
okay
,
they
very
rarely
are
going
to
.
They
may
take
you
seriously
,
maybe
kind
,
but
they're
just
going
to
look
at
the
results
and
clinical
guidelines
which
will
say
,
okay
,
everything
here
looks
normal
,
right
,
and
then
send
you
on
your
way
not
knowing
the
nuances
of
what
normal
means
.
Or
you
end
up
getting
scammed
by
a
really
expensive
med
spa
that
is
not
doing
it
right
.
They're
giving
levels
that
are
actually
completely
out
of
line
and
they're
not
following
up
with
the
blood
work
,
they're
not
following
up
with
the
patient
and
they're
charging
way
too
much
money
.
So
we're
definitely
at
a
space
where
it's
like
we
do
have
to
find
we
typically
end
up
finding
a
fringe
provider
,
which
is
what
I
call
them
because
they're
not
going
to
be
your
you
know
your
traditional
OBGYN
,
right
.
You
know
they're
not
just
like
with
endometriosis
surgeons
,
it's
not
going
to
be
the
self-proclaimed
menopause
experts
.
Speaker 2
34:19
I
work
with
patients
often
who've
been
to
those
Right
and
I
still
wasn't
heard
,
because
they
insist
that
it's
their
way
or
the
highway
,
it's
their
way
.
You
follow
these
guidelines
and
that's
it
.
And
I'm
like
,
once
again
,
there's
no
perfect
template
right
Of
us
and
most
of
the
time
they
have
no
idea
what
to
do
with
an
endometriosis
patient
who
has
been
on
hormone
suppression
forever
,
been
in
medical
menopause
,
put
into
surgical
menopause
.
We're
just
an
entirely
new
subset
of
patient
group
that
is
like
completely
ignored
,
right
.
And
so
what
do
we
do
?
You
know
we
have
to
approach
it
a
lot
like
how
we
approach
finding
a
surgeon
,
and
the
unfortunate
reality
is
that
it's
just
not
going
to
be
accessible
for
most
people
.
So
we
end
up
finding
,
essentially
,
like
I
was
saying
,
a
fringe
provider
,
right
,
and
we
have
to
vet
them
ourselves
to
make
sure
.
You
know
,
are
they
?
Are
they
being
safe
in
their
practices
?
Are
we
getting
scammed
?
You
know
?
Are
they
charging
too
much
money
?
You
know
,
is
this
validated
?
Speaker 2
35:16
If
they're
doing
compounding
,
is
it
through
a
good
,
reputable
compounding
pharmacies
.
There's
a
lot
of
hate
on
compounding
pharmacies
,
but
people
forget
that
they're
not
new
,
they're
not
something
special
.
People
have
forever
had
allergies
that
necessitated
medication
being
formulated
without
specific
ingredients
.
So
compounding
pharmacies
have
always
been
around
.
They're
not
new
or
scary
.
Most
of
the
time
if
you're
getting
a
compounded
formulation
of
a
hormone
,
they'll
tell
you
the
lab
and
then
that
it
is
an
FDA
approved
lab
,
which
is
a
separate
.
Everything
can
may
not
be
FDA
approved
,
but
it
can
still
be
made
within
an
FDA
approved
lab
,
which
I
do
feel
is
it's
still
important
to
note
.
But
a
lot
of
it
is
us
going
through
and
you
know
we
go
out
with
our
gut
and
then
asking
around
in
the
community
like
does
this
seem
out
of
line
to
you
?
Does
this
seem
like
it's
too
much
money
?
You
know
how
do
you
think
I
should
go
about
?
Speaker 1
36:07
this
Talking
about
compounding
,
so
I
take
a
compounded
testosterone
cream
.
That
is
because
that
is
what
is
available
to
me
that
I
trust
,
and
I
think
that
something
that
you
have
highlighted
is
that
not
all
you're
on
the
pellet
right
,
but
it's
not
what
is
offered
everywhere
.
Speaker 1
36:25
Like
it
is
a
different
type
of
bio
identical
pellet
than
what
you
would
get
at
a
med
spa
or
things
like
that
.
So
that's
important
to
note
too
is
that
there
are
other
options
,
but
you
have
to
know
where
they're
going
and
you
have
to
look
at
the
research
behind
them
.
That
is
one
thing
that
I
that
I
have
been
hesitant
about
with
the
pellets
specifically
is
the
research
longterm
with
what's
typically
offered
is
not
.
I
don't
think
it's
a
complete
research
yet
because
it's
not
longterm
In
my
opinion
of
what
I've
seen
and
I
could
be
wrong
on
that
,
but
from
the
research
that
I've
seen
,
longterm
I
haven't
seen
a
lot
there
for
that
,
but
I
don't
know
.
Speaker 2
37:01
So
it's
complicated
and
I
love
mine
.
I
think
it
is
the
preferred
method
,
at
least
for
testosterone
,
just
because
,
when
you
look
at
the
way
testosterone
works
in
the
body
,
you
need
to
always
have
a
reserve
,
because
it
ebbs
and
flows
increases
in
the
morning
,
it
decreases
throughout
the
day
,
it
changes
.
You
use
it
more
as
you
exercise
,
so
the
issue
is
,
though
so
there's
actually
I
don't
even
know
where
to
start
with
this
Pellets
have
been
around
for
80
years
or
something
.
Wild
People
who
get
the
Zolodex
injection
for
endometriosis
.
That
is
technically
a
pellet
.
It's
a
slow
release
pellet
that
goes
under
the
skin
,
not
the
same
as
Lupron
and
there
is
an
FDA
approved
pellet
for
men
for
testosterone
.
It's
called
Testopell
.
Of
course
,
right
,
pellets
are
a
just
,
well-known
,
very
wonderful
method
for
medication
administration
and
because
it
can
provide
consistent
levels
.
Speaker 2
37:53
The
issue
lies
in
the
fact
that
you
get
greedy
companies
and
get
providers
that
don't
know
what
they're
doing
.
So
the
most
popular
one
that's
expensive
and
sold
everywhere
you
see
it
on
TV
.
They
got
great
marketing
.
What
they
do
is
they're
putting
an
appellate
and
they're
putting
in
too
many
milligrams
,
so
they're
putting
their
loading
patients
up
on
this
testosterone
,
and
then
they
also
do
this
bizarre
thing
where
they
tell
you
something's
wrong
with
your
thyroid
and
they
have
all
these
patients
go
on
thyroid
medication
and
you
got
to
do
this
and
you
got
to
do
that
and
you
got
to
take
this
supplement
because
you're
going
to
get
hair
growth
,
so
you
need
to
take
this
to
combat
the
hair
growth
on
the
testosterone
and
that's
where
it
becomes
this
issue
Right
,
and
then
they're
just
loading
patients
up
.
They're
not
monitoring
them
,
and
I've
dealt
with
patients
that
have
gone
through
this
,
and
so
that
is
where
you
run
into
a
lot
of
trouble
with
the
pellet
when
you
get
good
providers
.
Speaker 2
38:44
There
is
a
brand
.
It's
called
Soda
Pelley
.
They're
different
than
the
main
one
that
everyone
sees
called
Bioti
.
They're
actually
the
original
one
.
There
was
an
issue
in-house
and
one
of
the
people
left
and
made
Bioti
,
and
so
Soda
Pelley
is
made
and
developed
by
this
amazing
,
very
well
respected
OBGYN
.
Actually
His
name
was
Gino
Tutera
.
He
did
pass
away
a
few
years
ago
.
His
wife
has
started
.
She
took
over
the
company
and
I
know
for
a
fact
.
I
know
where
their
compounding
lab
is
because
I
personally
,
if
I'm
going
to
be
putting
this
in
my
body
,
I
got
to
know
.
Speaker 2
39:15
So
no
other
their
compounding
facility
.
They
only
use
steric
acid
with
their
testosterone
as
the
only
other
ingredient
.
So
steric
acid
is
just
a
,
as
a
chemist
,
very
common
ingredient
for
making
anything
bind
.
Speaker 1
39:27
So
it
holds
it
together
.
Speaker 2
39:29
That's
all
it
is
.
So
I
know
for
a
fact
I
don't
know
what's
in
the
other
one
and
I've
recently
made
a
graph
of
tracking
my
hormone
levels
and
it's
very
.
I
mean
,
my
doctor
was
on
it
within
three
weeks
.
We
were
testing
again
within
another
few
weeks
.
We
were
testing
again
because
we
needed
to
see
how
my
body
was
reacting
and
the
reality
is
these
places
aren't
doing
that
.
So
that's
where
you
get
into
trouble
with
the
pellet
.
No
one's
monitoring
these
patients
properly
and
they're
having
experiences
or
they're
having
several
side
effects
,
but
again
,
fortunately
they're
reversible
.
Speaker 2
39:57
The
other
issue
,
like
you
were
saying
,
like
what
about
long
term
?
Because
a
lot
of
this
is
just
being
done
in
like
meds
,
balls
or
whatever
you'll
lose
the
ability
to
get
good
data
when
it's
not
being
utilized
and
more
controlled
environments
.
Fortunately
,
there
is
a
group
out
there
that
does
do
amazing
research
,
the
most
prominent
one
of
my
favorite
one
.
Her
name
is
Dr
Rebecca
Glacier
.
She
is
an
breast
cancer
surgeon
.
Not
sure
if
you're
familiar
with
her
work
.
Yes
,
she's
retired
from
the
surgery
part
and
now
she
treats
her
breast
cancer
patients
with
testosterone
pellets
.
Don't
know
what
brand
she
uses
,
but
she
has
them
compounded
in
the
similar
fashion
that
endoses
that
I
get
mine
in
and
she's
got
phenomenal
research
done
on
an
incredible
amount
of
patients
and
when
you
look
at
that
you
know
and
some
of
it's
pretty
long
term
because
of
just
the
nature
of
how
long
pellets
have
been
around
,
and
then
her
research
being
,
I
forget
,
the
longest
group
that
the
research
has
been
done
on
.
And
then
Dr
Gino
Tatera
has
a
lot
of
documented
data
on
his
and
I'm
not
sure
for
how
many
years
.
Speaker 2
41:05
Okay
,
but
again
the
issue
lies
in
dosing
,
because
when
testosterone
is
too
high
,
really
the
side
effects
are
all
superficial
,
like
physical
,
right
,
there
has
been
some
concern
with
,
maybe
,
cholesterol
levels
,
but
those
can
naturally
get
out
of
control
in
menopause
anyway
,
yep
,
so
that
is
a
concern
.
But
my
biggest
thing
is
,
as
long
as
levels
are
being
maintained
,
not
above
a
certain
amount
,
and
I
go
based
on
,
you
know
,
what
my
doctor
has
told
me
and
shared
with
me
and
what
that
entire
corporation
,
that
whole
company
,
goes
based
on
.
You
know
,
basically
,
my
doctor
explained
to
me
he's
like
most
of
my
patients
,
feel
best
about
120
.
And
it's
like
an
enneagram
for
a
deciliter
that's
.
You'll
see
the
total
testosterone
level
,
right
,
and
when
I
went
in
my
total
testosterone
level
was
like
13
.
But
when
you
look
at
a
lab
report
.
It
says
anything
below
.
One
lab
will
say
anything
below
like
55
.
Another
lab
will
say
anything
below
like
80
.
So
little
is
known
about
it
that
we
don't
even
have
a
proper
reference
range
,
right
so
?
Speaker 2
42:07
when
someone's
doctor
is
like
,
well
,
it's
too
high
.
It's
like
you
don't
even
know
what's
too
high
.
Right
,
because
I've
also
had
another
doctor
tell
me
and
I
will
have
to
find
the
literature
on
this
that
naturally
,
when
we're
just
healthy
,
that
our
testosterone
levels
can
spike
above
100
during
ovulation
and
that
is
why
you
get
that
increased
sex
drive
right
with
ovulation
.
Speaker 2
42:28
Yeah
,
it's
this
whole
natural
process
.
It's
the
body
being
brilliant
.
We're
going
to
increase
your
testosterone
,
we're
going
to
drive
up
that
sex
drive
because
you're
ovulating
and
now's
the
time
to
get
pregnant
.
Right
,
that's
just
how
that
goes
.
But
it
fluctuates
and
so
there's
not
good
research
on
what
baseline
levels
are
.
Anyway
,
the
only
research
I've
seen
is
on
like
PCOS
and
nothing
like
long
term
of
you
know
.
Let's
track
these
testosterone
levels
throughout
.
Speaker 2
42:54
I
don't
know
more
of
a
confined
timeframe
,
like
more
regularly
and
within
a
healthy
population
.
So
,
anyway
,
all
of
that
to
say
is
that
,
yeah
,
I
love
my
pellet
,
but
I
got
lucky
right
.
I
have
a
provider
who
knows
how
to
do
it
responsibly
.
It
needs
to
be
the
same
with
estrogen
as
well
,
because
estrogen
I
feel
like
estrogen
needs
to
be
more
closely
followed
,
just
because
it
has
a
greater
impact
on
other
parts
of
our
health
.
You
know
,
like
looking
at
like
blood
clots
and
whatnot
,
but
I
definitely
think
there's
a
lot
of
fear
mongering
around
it
.
But
I
know
that
estrogen
can
be
added
into
the
pellet
.
That's
how
my
mother
gets
hers
.
She
gets
estrogen
and
testosterone
in
one
pellet
and
then
every
12
weeks
gets
it
redone
.
That
works
really
well
for
her
,
but
I
know
a
lot
of
people
who
will
do
like
testosterone
pellet
and
then
estrogen
patch
,
or
you
know
,
whatever
combination
and
,
honestly
,
if
a
compounded
testosterone
cream
is
working
,
do
it
right
.
Speaker 2
43:49
Like
I
feel
like
,
like
you
were
saying
,
there's
no
like
best
way
,
it
just
works
best
for
you
,
your
schedule
,
even
financially
.
I
always
tell
people
that
it's
really
important
to
not
feel
like
the
most
expensive
option
is
the
best
option
either
,
because
sometimes
we
get
sold
into
that
and
that's
a
lot
of
the
issue
with
those
med
spots
.
So
I
think
,
like
you
were
saying
,
just
make
sure
you're
doing
a
due
diligence
and
then
pros
and
cons
If
the
patch
wasn't
working
for
you
,
you
had
to
move
to
the
oral
fine
whatever
,
as
long
as
you
know
you
know
you
go
through
the
pros
and
cons
,
you
weigh
the
risks
and
it's
that
informed
consent
is
what
matters
.
Speaker 1
44:24
Which
is
,
I
think
,
missing
in
the
hormone
world
.
Because
I
think
what's
interesting
is
you
talk
to
some
people
and
they're
like
you
can
only
do
the
pellets
and
that's
the
only
way
that's
going
to
make
a
difference
.
The
creams
don't
do
anything
for
you
.
You
talk
to
other
people
and
they're
like
only
creams
.
I
feel
like
I'm
like
have
the
devil
and
the
angel
,
except
it's
like
more
testosterone
,
less
testosterone
.
Speaker 1
44:45
It's
on
the
shoulders
of
the
balancing
act
,
right
,
you
hear
so
many
different
things
that
it's
hard
to
weed
through
what's
beneficial
,
and
I
think
it
really
boils
down
to
what
is
accessible
to
you
,
both
location
and
financially
,
and
what's
going
to
work
.
But
making
sure
that
you
have
a
doctor
that
fully
understands
it
Because
I
mean
,
I
was
going
to
an
OBGYN
who
was
willing
to
do
just
about
anything
for
my
hormones
that
I
said
so
I
would
bring
in
.
Hey
,
I
would
like
to
look
at
this
,
and
she
would
have
the
baseline
,
but
to
be
fair
,
she
didn't
know
enough
so
that
she
could
test
me
frequently
and
adjust
those
levels
frequently
.
And
that's
where
I
think
that
we
get
ourselves
in
trouble
.
Is
that
we
kind
of
okay
,
we've
got
our
testosterone
,
we've
got
our
estrogen
,
what
next
?
They
don't
know
,
and
I
think
that's
.
Speaker 1
45:31
What's
frustrating
from
many
people's
perspective
is
that
they
feel
very
fish
out
of
water
when
it
comes
to
this
.
But
I
have
to
.
I'm
looking
at
all
the
people
who
do
know
more
about
hormones
and
they
sometimes
feel
like
a
fish
out
of
water
because
it's
so
nuanced
.
The
results
can
be
very
ambiguous
depending
on
the
person
,
and
so
the
other
seed
of
this
is
that
the
progesterone
.
We've
talked
about
this
.
You're
not
a
progesterone
person
,
but
then
I
.
There's
other
people
in
the
progesterone
camp
who
find
significant
benefits
for
them
and
how
they
feel
.
What
are
your
thoughts
on
that
?
Join
Kate
and
I
in
our
next
episode
as
we
continue
talking
about
the
nuances
of
hormones
and
all
the
ups
and
downs
that
come
with
it
.
You
won't
want
to
miss
it
.
Until
next
time
,
continue
advocating
for
yourself
and
for
those
that
you
love
.