I have written here before about the joys of menopause; symptoms that suck and symptoms I am going through and have been going through for quite some time. In the five years (or so) that I have been running this path, I have been seeking some help to alleviate the weight gain, the night sweats and the hot flashes. I have tried every herbal concoction going, with limited success, and so my quest for help continues.

Suzanne Somers has a reputation as the “queen of ditz” from her days in Three’s Company, followed by her Thigh Master days, promoting a questionable exercise device; more like an enticing series of advertisements to fuel many men’s imaginations. She has written several books from her life as the child of an alcoholic to a series of diet books and more recently a few anti-aging books. Whether you like her or not, her latest book, Ageless, is extremely well written and very informative regarding hormones and how the reduction of them can seriously affect your wellness. She is considered to be an authority on the subject from her years of endless research after having suffered from breast cancer and several menopausal symptoms that I have been dealing with. I bought the book in Utah and have been devouring it ever since.

Yesterday, I spoke with a doctor friend from Nevada who has been on this “bioidentical” (hormones derived from plants, NOT pregnant horse pee like the synthetics) hormone therapy for 2 years and cannot tout enough how much better her life has become as a result. She looks amazing and feels much younger than her age of 54. That was enough for me! After some research, I have found a clinic where both Rick and I can be assessed and then prescribed bioidentical hormones to balance our systems. (Yes, men suffer from hormone depletion as they age, too!) We can be followed up at one of several MD’s in Canada when we return there but until then we can get started here. This morning we were on the road to Palm Springs before 7:00 AM to have a series of blood tests done; the first steps towards being healthier. I’ll keep you updated as things progress!

This picture was taken when we were riding on the Coast Highway on Sunday.