I went through menopause at age 41 — and I didn’t even know it.

Because I had an endometrial ablation in my late 30s, I didn’t have a menstrual cycle to clue me in. By the time I had my hormones tested, I was told I was already post-menopausal. Despite working with hundreds of functional medicine doctors through my marketing agency, I somehow didn’t connect the dots.

Losing Myself in Midlife

I had always been a glass-half-full kind of person — productive, upbeat, and driven. Then, suddenly, I wasn’t.

My motivation disappeared. I was overwhelmed by simple tasks, crying for no reason, and even had moments when I didn’t want to be here anymore. My energy was gone, my mood tanked, and my libido vanished.

Physically, my lady parts were dry as a desert, I had frequent UTIs, and I chalked it all up to being dehydrated or too much wine the weekend before. I was also navigating a toxic business partnership that had me reaching for a glass of wine too often to cope — which only worsened my gut health, sleep, and inflammation.

Doing All the “Right” Things… With No Results

I worked out five days a week — Orange Theory, Peloton, long walks — yet I was gaining weight.
20 pounds, almost overnight. None of my clothes fit, and I didn’t recognize myself in the mirror.

When I finally saw a functional medicine doctor, she confirmed what I’d missed: I was in menopause and completely depleted hormonally and my metabolism was shot.

Finding My Balance

We started bioidentical hormone replacement therapy — estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone — and within months, my brain fog lifted, my mood improved, and my UTI cycle stopped. I finally felt like me again on the inside.

But the weight didn’t budge. Earlier this year, my doctor told me I was stressing my body out with the intense workouts.  He suggested I switch to something slower and more restorative (which went against my entire being!).  I decided to give it a try.  So in January 2025, I stopped the high-intensity workouts that were spiking my cortisol andwent to my first Pure Barre class.  I was hooked!   Since then I’ve done almost 200 Pure Barre workouts, which I absolutely love — low-impact, strengthening, and great for my mental health.  I’m in better shape than I have been in probably 15 years.

Around the same time, I began microdosing tirzepatide and using my BrainTap for daily meditation and stress control. Within six months, I was down 20 pounds of body fat and, more importantly, I felt vibrant and calm again.

Healing from the Inside Out

When I developed a frozen shoulder that no amount of PT or steroid injections could fix, a regenerative orthopedic doctor introduced me to BPC-157 peptide therapy. I injected it myself and watched as my shoulder fully healed. That’s when I truly understood the power of peptides — and became an EllieMD Brand Partner to help more women discover these tools.

Paying It Forward

Now, I host bi-weekly “Midlife Metabolism” webinars with top integrative medicine experts to help other women understand menopause, hormone balance, and peptide therapy.

I take NAD, magnesium glycinate at night, and continue GLP-1/GIP microdosing with B12 for energy, inflammation, and sleep quality.

Menopause doesn’t have to feel like the end — it can be the beginning of your strongest, most aligned chapter yet.

👉 Explore my EllieMD Peptides and discover how to support your body and mind through this transformation.