In a world with such polarizing ideologies, never has it been more important for women to empower other women. If we aren't there to support, uplift and encourage each other, who is going to? It's time we cast away judgment, stop criticizing each other for good and be the support we can be for other women because we are the ones who can relate. If we are lucky enough to live past our 40s and 50s, we will all go through menopause. Sharing our personal struggles with aging with other women should be a priority. That is what our goal at Empower always has been and one we continue to strive for.
Dr. Amy Hurlburt certainly was that support for me. About a year ago, she reached out to me, suggested we work together, and told me she thought we'd make a good team. She was right and her timing was impeccable. I was at a time in my life when I needed someone, another woman to pick me up a little and show me some support. Almost exactly this time one year ago I was recovering from a difficult life transition and was in the thick of the most difficult period of my life. On top of all I was going through, I had been recently diagnosed with breast cancer, was in the middle of treatment and in perimenopause. Dr. Hurlburt was a godsend in my life and entered it at a time when I needed it the most. In working with her this past year, I've learned that I wasn't as limited as I thought in treatment of menopausal symptoms. I was still a candidate for vaginal estrogen and with approval from my oncologist, I could even use testosterone for treatment of low energy, brain fog and low libido. The feedback I'd been receiving from our patients was that hormones, specifically testosterone, helped "jumpstart their battery." I wanted my battery jumpstarted and as it turns out, I had options.
My double mastectomy unfortunately left me with two large, unsightly scars that keloided. Dr. Hurlburt has been helping me with those. With injections and eventually treatment with Morpheus 8 when I'm healed enough, she is hopeful I can achieve dramatic reduction in the appearance of my scars. She is quite literally assisting me from the inside and out.
One of the things I have learned in working with Dr. Hurlburt is that menopause and HRT are vastly misunderstood, that there are options for breast cancer survivors, and that it does require the expertise of a physician who understands the complexity of hormone regulation in older women. Dr. Hurlburt impresses me with most things she does, but her knowledge in menopause and its treatments is what stands out the most. Most of her new patients have at least one experience with providers in which they either didn't feel listened to or they weren't given options that adequately addressed whatever it was that was bothering them the most. At Empower with Integrity, both Dr. Hurlburt and I are committed to doing our part in the upliftment of women and women's health. We would love to meet you at a free consultation.