I recorded this episode on August 13, 2020, Day Sixty-Freaking-Nine of my menstrual cycle. But guess what? I am typing these show notes on August 14, 2020, and it is DAY ONE OF MY CYCLE. That is right! Fire the confetti cannon! I got my period!

Oh Lordy, I feel so good. Zoloft did a good job of taking the edge off my Epic PMS, but I feel like my body is renewing itself now in the best way possible.

Okay, so back to the regularly programmed show notes. At the beginning of episode the seventh, I mentioned a podcast that I have been recently binging. It’s called Therapy Thoughts, and it is hosted by Tiffany Roe, a licensed clinical mental health counselor. I would like to talk about therapy in a future episode (sooner rather than later), but for now, I just wanted to share this awesome podcast because it is helping me supplement the work I am currently doing with my own therapist.

During the bulk of this episode, I talked about my transition from using a traditional Western doctor as my primary care physician to a naturopath. A naturopath is a doctor who goes to medical school and passes all the requisite boards but takes a more natural approach to helping the body heal itself. Instead of just quickly writing a prescription to alleviate a symptom, they dive deeper to figure out if there are any deeper issues and then recommend things like nutritional changes, supplements, meditation and exercise in addition to prescriptions. Yes, when necessary, my naturopath gives me a prescription! I am currently taking Naturethroid for my hypothroidism.

I love meeting with my naturopath. I feel like I have made enormous strides with my health since my first appointment three years ago. With my more traditional physicians, I have always felt like the doctor had one eye on the clock. My naturopath regularly spends an hour with me.

Traditional physicians also did not always seem to believe me when I told them about health issues. For example, when I started taking the birth control pill years ago, I noticed my periods suddenly got way more intense. I told my gynecologist, and he said, “Periods get lighter when you go on the pill.” And he gave me a look like he thought I was crazy. I had to talk to my girlfriends to learn that many women experience heavier bleeding when they are on the pill and even feel crazy. But my old gynecologist just wanted me to fit into a cookie cutter, one-size-fits-all-uteruses.

But that is not how the human body works! We all have our own biological nuances. Some of us have allergies. Some of us don’t. Some of us are lactose intolerant. Some of us can eat whatever we want. After years of being made to feel like my health did not matter to the doctors who were supposed to be caring for my health, I finally decided to take a chance on a naturopath.

Oh my god. I am never turning back. I love my naturopath!

A few appointments ago, my naturopath told me that I deserve to be healthy. My whole body tingled joyfully when she said that. After so many years of feeling like a nuisance to my doctors, I finally found a doctor who affirmed my right to be radiantly and joyfully healthy. I have felt so empowered the past few years and feel confident that even as my hormones go a little bat shit crazy, my naturopath will help me navigate the curves ahead.

Embracing Radiant Health is one of the themes I want to keep exploring on my podcast and blog. I might be in perimenopause land, but I still want to end this new decade of life healthier and stronger than I started it.