For generations, women quietly endured the changes that came with perimenopause and menopause. Today, they're asking questions, seeking answers, and recognizing that midlife can be a time to feel strong, informed, and fully themselves.
Dr. Meagan Marcuccilli, known to her patients simply as Dr. Meagan, is part of that new conversation.
Her passion for menopause care, however, didn't begin with a textbook. It began with her own experience. “I was in corporate medicine, managing an office, and at a youngish age, like late 30s, early 40s, started experiencing symptoms myself and had really no idea what was going on,” she said.
Despite being a physician, Dr. Meagan struggled to understand what was happening. She was experiencing as many as 30 hot flashes a day, yet her labs and exams were normal. “I could not find help in the community from providers that I had been seeing. They were like, ‘I don’t know what’s going on with you.’”
Eventually, she found hormone treatment through an online company and experienced what she describes as a “miraculous transformation.” It opened her eyes to how many other women were searching for the same answers.
“It was definitely not on my radar whatsoever until I experienced it and realized so many other people were experiencing it too, and could not find help. That's the reason why I quit my job and started my own practice.”
After nine years as medical director of the SpaceX Medical Center through One Medical, Dr. Meagan opened her virtual practice in April 2024. Today, she helps women navigate perimenopause and menopause through individualized care, including hormonal and nonhormonal options, nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes.
Her first priority is understanding what matters most to each woman. “It's very personalized. You make a priority list for me in our first visit and from that list of priorities, we make a plan.”
One of the most common conversations Dr. Meagan has with patients is about weight gain. But she also encourages women to look beyond the number on the scale and pay attention to the bigger picture: nutrition, muscle, movement, sleep, mood, and how they feel day to day.
She recommends starting by becoming more aware of what is on your plate, particularly protein and fiber, while incorporating resistance training and protecting sleep.
And when it comes to the enormous amount of menopause information appearing on social media, she encourages women to stay curious but seek context. “There's a lot of great information but I think for the average person, it's helpful to have an expert in the space guiding you through what you're seeing on social media.”
Rather than trying to make every decision based on the latest headline or social media post, she encourages women to have a conversation with a healthcare provider who can help them understand what applies to their individual situation.
Most importantly, she encourages women not to compare their experiences to others. “You don't need to compare yourself to someone else's experience. If you don't feel well, we can help you.”
That message feels especially timely as the holiday season approaches. November and December can bring an avalanche of responsibilities: shopping, cooking, entertaining, school activities, family gatherings, and the countless details that make the holidays special for everyone else.
Dr. Meagan's advice? Don't disappear from your own priority list. “I like finding time for yourself. We're all concentrating on everyone else's holiday happiness, and women are the creators of the vast majority of everyone's holiday happiness. Make sure you're taking time for yourself.”
That might mean taking the walk that clears your head, giving yourself permission to slow down, or simply creating a little space to decompress. “If you need to go out for a 60-minute walk every day because that's your way to decompress, find time,” she said.
And there's no need to approach the holidays with an all-or-nothing mentality. “It's okay to indulge and have cocktails and food, desserts, all these things,” she said, while recommending that women focus on healthy meals for breakfast and lunch to make sure they're getting the nutrients they need. Enjoy the season. Just don't forget yourself in the process.
Dr. Meagan has seen how transformative the right support can be. She recalls women starting care unsure of what is happening to their bodies, then checking in months later feeling rested, energized, and more like themselves. “A lot of times, I’m the last stop for a lot of people. They've been to other doctors, and they can't get help.”
For her, the growing conversation around menopause represents something much bigger than symptom management. It is about women becoming more comfortable asking for care, seeking information, and deciding what they want their next chapter to look like.
“Our mothers and grandmothers were silent sufferers,” Dr. Meagan said. “They were like, ‘It’s just another burden we have to carry.’ Now women are getting loud and are demanding care, and demanding research and options.”
That shift gives her hope for the future of women's health, but the message is personal, too. Dr. Meagan knows firsthand what it means to find your voice, make a change, and create something that matters.
She is grateful for the family who encouraged her to take the leap from a secure medical career to building her own practice. “I am super grateful to my family who has supported me. I think it's a big gamble to say I'm going to leave a paying job and start my own business.”
She's equally grateful for the patients who put their trust in her and refer friends and loved ones. “That is the highest compliment that you would refer me to your other friends and your loved ones. I'm really grateful for that too.”
And then there's the place she calls home. “I’m grateful to live in the South Bay. Weather, great community, and sunshine all the time. We're so lucky.”
That sense of gratitude may be the perfect perspective for navigating midlife: appreciate what your body can do, listen when it asks for something different, surround yourself with people who support you, and don't be afraid to speak up.
Because this chapter isn't about getting through it. It's about making the most of it.
“You don't need to compare yourself to someone else's experience. If you don't feel well, we can help you.”