Dismissed as Just Perimenopause

Like any little things you want to share? All right, love hearing them. So, we can start with what led you to our practice? Um, I I had seen you guys on Facebook above the reels off and on. I had gone through physical therapy. Um, and so once you, you know, sign into any place, they wind up sending you a bunch of similar things. Um, and the physical therapy was for an actual injury and they helped me with that. Um, but one of the things that we had talked about at my therapist's office was me feeling low of energy and not feeling great. And I am a woman coming of a certain age. And so, everybody's thing is, "Oh, you're in perimenopause. It's okay." And I really didn't want to accept that that feeling was okay. Um, so I actually went to my primary care and this was in um, December. Last December I went to my my uh, doctor and he said, "We'll do some testing." I said, "I want to check my hormone levels. I want to check see what's going on." And he said, "We'll uh, we'll do that at your next physical." My next physical is going to be August. Late August or early September. And I was like, "I don't want to wait that long." So, you guys had come up again. At this point I've seen your your things enough to kind of already feel, you know, that I know a little bit more about what you do than if you just did that first Google search. And uh, I was like, "They're the ones I'm going to call." And so, I did. Um, and I'm really glad I did cuz every time I come in, um, everybody here has been, you know, focused on how I'm feeling now, has anything changed, good or bad. Um some little things that I kind of ignore because it's a daily part of my life. Um you know, Dr. Rose has been like, "Oh, that's We should work on that." And um it's really encouraging to have somebody that's on my side looking out for me. Um so that I can feel more like myself. All right, that was very eloquently said. [laughter] That was beautiful. So I guess that turning point was was you usually I love ask um is there a certain moment you remember, but I guess you kind of answered it that moment where your primary care said we'll do it during your next annual. Yeah. And another thing is I have a thyroid issue. And um the only time anybody has paid attention to my thyroid levels has been when I was pregnant. And it has been at least 10 years since I was pregnant. And so everybody just kind of ignored that or they would do just the the first level, you know, one vial blood, yep, you're right at the level. My my um TSH was you know, exactly at within the normal, you know, one more point it'd be over. And of course if it did go over by, you know, 0.02, my primary care was, "Eh, it's close enough to normal." But it's been fighting that high normal for as long as I can remember. And um I would even request could I know there's other um levels to this like I T4 and all that stuff. I'm learning those things um because you guys are sitting down and explaining those extra levels to me. Um but at the beginning I knew there were more, but I didn't know what they were called, so I couldn't just look at them and say, "Well, test my T4." I was like, "Well, isn't there a a secondary level? Cuz way back when I went to the endocrinologist, there was three or four things they looked at. Um and I would always get the one, two blood draw. Um the the person taking the blood was always like, you know, I'm doing what the doctor ordered. And I'd come back with, you know, we might up your meds, we might not, but usually it was just, you know, you're on the high end of normal. Um and I really appreciated that you know, when I first did my first evaluation and I had put that thyroid was a thing that I wanted to look into that that first appointment everything was done for that. So, I didn't have to come back and say, well, I already told you I knew I would need more on thyroid. Um and you may or may not do that to everybody and if you do, that's awesome because [laughter] um but where I've been had specifically requested it and been ignored, it felt really good to have it validated that, you know, that I could get that test done I wanted. Um Dr. Dr. Renault talks a lot about get the gaslighting. Yeah. Of, you know, like, you're not able to get these tests that you want and your when you do, you know, and the levels come back and they're in the normal range, it's like, oh, well, you know, you're fine, so we don't know why you're feeling that way. Yeah. So, validation is like a huge thing that a lot of people feel and that's something that, you know, we very much pride ourselves in. Yeah. So, thank you for sharing that. That's very like directly That's awesome. [laughter] Um so, let's talk about a little bit about your, I guess, first interaction with MedMatrix outside of the ad. For past the ad, you have that discovery call and how did you feel? Um I was very um optimistic with the discovery call for the most part, but there was still that part in behind that has been you know, kind of waiting for that the you know, rug to be pulled that you know, I've got you to trust me. So now I've got But it's not like that at all. Um but the first discovery call um they um were in depth. They asked questions. Um there were some things that I might not have thought to elaborate on that they asked more questions about, you know, um different uh diagnoses that I've had, um different ones that other doctors have taken away, and just it was really um it was a really good um even though it was All right, Laura. me telling what it was going on, it was really a two-way conversation cuz they were listening to what I said to get the correct or more correct information out um instead of just going down this list that was, you know, answer these so I can put it in the box. Um it was really much more personal than that. That's awesome. And then when you came in to the clinic, how was that first like lab draw and the inbody? How was that experience? Um so I have major anxiety. Like I can go to the grocery store and have to leave because they moved where the peanut butter aisle is. Uh so new things are very hard. New in-person things are even harder. Um so my first coming in, I had was very anxious. Um and I came in and you know, told them who I was and sat down and was very comfortable. Um anxiety was there cuz that's me. Um and then as I started interacting and they were explaining what needed to happen for like the in-body testing that I'd never had anything done like that before. So, you know, where to stand and what part to hold. Um At no It was very easy to do. Um Everybody was [clears throat] there to show me how to do what I needed to do. And um I didn't have to you know, I actually left feeling comfortable. I didn't get my anxiety raised throughout the visit. It was very much a comfortable thing to do. To go over. And then that that in-body um I know a lot of people are very like, "Oh, I've never seen something like this before." Is it something that you've interacted with? Or it was that your first That was the first experience. Here has been my first experience. Um uh I actually went somewhere and I don't remember where it was where they had the same machine, but they weren't doing all the things with it. Um and I thought that was interesting cuz I was like, "Oh, I've seen that before." Oh, in Brunswick. Oh, in Brunswick. I was at the hospital there. And uh one of the doctor's offices and and they had one. Um And uh But yeah, using the machine was easy. I'd never seen it before. Like And actually, even today's lab works came in and it shows that I went up 6 lb and I'm at the weight that I do not want to go up 6 lb, but the next level says that I have been doing some major working out and I, you know, 4 and 1/2 of that is muscle. And I'm like, "Okay, I can feel good about the 6 lb knowing that it isn't just you know, that I haven't been doing anything. It's that I've been doing things and my body is just registering the muscle mass. Um cuz I do It was really disheartening to see that that the weight had gone up um until we looked at that muscle mass part. Yeah, that is a pretty important piece, right? We get a little scared. [laughter] Um and what about that first visit with Dr. Rose? How was that? Um the first visit with Dr. Rose was uh was really good. Um because of my anxiety where I had seen her on Facebook, that really helped because I at least had a name a pic a uh a face already. Um it was really great to interact with her and see that what I see on Facebook is what is in the office as well. Um one of the things I absolutely love and I've told my husband this is when I'm talking with her and we're trying to figure out what my plan should be, she's it's almost like she's brainstorming out loud to me. And some of it is [clears throat] stuff that I don't know what she's talking about and some of it is [clears throat] oh, I caught that like that that TSH one, I remember that. Um but this other level I'm not sure. And when I say I'm not sure what that is, she'll let me know. Um and then you know, sometimes that conversation whether it's something I said or something leads her to be like, all right, yeah, well maybe because of this level we should do this. And it just love that it's a it's not a she looks at the numbers and says, okay, this is what it is. It's a brainstorming of well, you're this level says this, but this one is this and you're saying telling me you're feeling a different thing that obviously isn't on the numbers. Um so she's listening and she's reacting and um I really enjoy that that like you said it's almost like a brainstorming. It isn't that she comes in with a set this is what we're going to do. Um so I feel like I'm a part of it. Um and she's very easy to get along with, to talk to. Um she answers questions um you know, at my level. Um and I really appreciate that. What an interesting way to put it. I love that. That is very cool. Like people, you know, they explain their visits and things like that, but brainstorming session really is what it is. Yeah. Like that is very cool. I work with Dr. Rose a lot for um I'm on the back end of the webinars and the podcasts and like I'm on the other side of the camera. Yeah. So what a wonderful thing to hear for me that, you know, we're doing a really great job, I guess, portraying exactly who she is. I I Yeah. Yeah, I I see that and that's it's really good to you know, know that that's what is going on because I I've met people before that have a really great social media face and then you meet them in person and you're like I wish I only knew what their social media face was. And you know, she has been wonderful, so. She truly is. Yeah. So how are you feeling now? I know you talked about being in body and it was a little different, but from before you were feeling to now, how are you feeling? Um I am feeling a bit better. Um I also have uh some prescription drugs from another medi- uh provider that we're taking myself off of slowly so that I uh um can try to transition more to the the uh uh um Just another kind. Yeah, I was saying cuz it's not herbal and it's not but so that More of like a holistic. Oh, yeah. It It's So I can just have you know, Dr. Rose and not this other doctor doing meds um and uh it's been hard because the other actually I did decide to stop taking one of the three meds she gives me because I was like it keeps raising my heart rate. I'm tired of my heart racing and I told her that that's what it was. So she had me take it twice a day instead of once a day and I'm like um and I did for a little while cuz I'm like maybe I mean no no I I I So I just stopped taking that. um but uh [snorts] I forgot what your original question was. Um how are you feeling? Oh, how am I feeling? Okay. [laughter] Like in comparison to before. Comparison before I'm uh overall I'm feeling a little bit better. Um I know I still have more processes to go through. Um I know like right now Dr. Rose has uh she actually apologized cuz she wanted wants me to do my blood draws a little earlier than she would normally have people come in for um because of my thyroid that is acting up. So she's like I I really like to wait X amount of weeks between these. She's like but I need to cut that in half. I prefer to cut that in half. Is that okay with you? And I really appreciated that she involved me in it. um And I also appreciate that you know, she didn't do that cookie cutter. um But we're still working through that. So I am feeling better. um But I'm I know there's more to make me feel my best and I am confident that she'll get me there. So, how do you feel about your future, your health future now than how you felt before? Um I'm feeling very positive um and I no longer feel like that rug is going to be pulled out from underneath me. I know that it will take some time, but I feel like um you know, she's doing what she can by reading the results. Um even when I got my blood drawn today, she was like, "Looks like you're a little We did the inbody." And she's like, "It looks like you might be a little dehydrated. Do you know how much water you should be having?" And we talked about it and it's really great that you don't just have a blood draw that is all I do is draw your blood um or you know, I run this test and to have her look at that and say, "Hey." And to explain like the muscle mass, if I hadn't walked out of here like if that had have been I was doing those reports, the testing for a different doctor, they would have been like "All right, you saw what your weight was. [laughter] Goodbye." And not really, you know, show me also the next levels. Um they would wait for the doctor to show that. And I really appreciate that she did that. I know um there's more for me to go through for the future. Um I also am a a woman of an age. Um I'm actually going to be getting a hysterectomy in a few months which will change most of my hormone levels. So, I'm really confident with having that surgery knowing that um Dr. Rose will help me to make sure that afterwards my body's where it's in supposed to be. So, how do you feel um if you were to explain functional medicine to a friend, how do you explain it? [sighs] How do I explain it? Okay. So, I have been referring to you as uh my What have I been saying? I'm going to Portland to see the doctors that do my lab work. And so, I guess the reason I put it that way is because the functional medicine is looking at who I am biologically I guess, chemically, um however you want to um and [clears throat] taking that to make a a diagnosis add medications, alter, whatever. Um but yeah, so you guys have become my lab doctors. And when I try to say, you know I'm going to them they're running these labs they're getting levels on dozens of things that I really don't even know exactly what they are. I said and then they're helping me moderate them and to get them where my level is good not just the number that somebody has assigned as being normal. Um I've had quite a few people that have said, you know they'd never heard of such a thing um or they wish their doctor would do something like that. And I'm like, yeah, I wish my doctor would too, and that's why I go down to Ben Matrix because my doctor does not. [laughter] So, what do you say to those people when they're like, I don't know, I'm kind of on the fence, should I try it? Um I I tell them to, you know, give you guys a call and see if it [clears throat] would be worth it for them. Um because I really have learned over the years that I shouldn't assume anybody's affordability or drivability. You know, I drive down here just over an hour to get here, and I am great with that. You know, one of my other friends might not be willing to drive more than 20 minutes, but I'm not going to make that assumption. Um so, I really have been just like, you know, call them up, try it, go on site online to see what they are. Um and I have a couple I think that are kind of waiting to see um the changes in me before they they make a commitment. Or, you know, just sometimes your life gets crazy, hectic, and it's not quite the right time for them. Um but, I do I do tell them to, you know, just go check out hear what they have to say, and then decide for yourself if it's going to fit into your your um lifestyle it with your own, whether it's financially or or time wise or um expectations. I mean, this has been no expectation. I do the drive. I take some vitamins. I have a couple prescriptions. And there's nothing different about what I've been given um by Dr. Rose, but it's vastly different because it's not all pharmaceutical, and I'm confident that I'm getting it for the right reason. Um so, yeah. That's incredible. Yeah. Is there anything else you would like to share? I don't think so. I think you covered literally everything. [laughter] Thank you so much for doing this. me on a good talking day. I got a great sleep what last night. [laughter] That's good. Yes. Yeah, probably cuz I forgot I was going to do the the People do get a little nervous. Yeah, I think I because I forgot I was going to do it. So it probably helped cuz People get a People get a little nervous. I'm like, "Well, you don't even have to look at the camera, you know, like we'll just have a conversation and don't have to share anything you don't want to share. You don't want to talk about it, that's fine." Some people they really want to talk about their treatment. Some people really don't. Right, they want to talk about their experience. Right. And all of that is Yeah. I'm happy to hear any of it, you know. [clears throat] So, thank you so much. I really appreciate it. Not only does, you know, the clinic appreciate it and your journey here, but I really appreciate it you telling me. So, thank you. Yes. Well,