From Falling Apart to Becoming Unshakable: My Pause Period Awakening

Ten years ago, I was a doctorate-trained pharmacist working across multiple areas of healthcare and confidently climbing the leadership ladder. I loved my job, my employer, and the people I led. By every external measure, life looked exactly as it “should.”

But something wasn’t right.

Little by little, I stopped feeling like myself. Heart palpitations. Weight gain. Word-finding issues. Emotional swings. Nights of disrupted sleep. I kept trying to explain it away—Maybe I’m stressed. Maybe I’m anxious. Maybe I’m just… losing it?

It wasn’t until I sought help for unexpected vaginal pain that a provider finally said the word: perimenopause. I began bioidentical hormone therapy and felt some relief, but not enough to truly feel “me” again.

Then came menopause—and a new wave of changes. My trusted provider left practice, and suddenly I was navigating shifting hair, skin, gut health, and more sleep disturbances without guidance. Every time a strange symptom appeared, I’d do the research I’d been trained to do and—sure enough—menopause again! My husband would joke, “Let me guess… menopause?!” and we’d laugh, but underneath that humor was frustration.

Looking back, it still amazes me: in pharmacy school we were thoroughly trained in disease states, yet we skimmed right over these Pause Period transitions. And because the WHI study came out my final year, my beliefs about the risks of HRT were shaped before I ever had a chance to see the full, updated evidence.

During that same season, life was demanding. I was working long hours while also trying to show up for my husband, my parents, our extended family, community commitments, and the constant responsibilities of keeping a home running. I didn’t have the time—or the clarity—to research anything more.

And then came a moment that changed everything.

We had a foster daughter living with us, and one day she made an innocent comment about me being physically weak—because that’s what she expected from a woman “my age.”
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. I wanted to be strong for girls like her… and for my nieces… and for my family. That comment sent me on a deeper search, especially with my family history of dementia, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis. The research was clear: declining hormones in menopause influence each of these conditions.

So I made a decision—one that would change the trajectory of my life:

I would build a foundation in lifestyle medicine.

It didn’t happen overnight. I didn’t have a coach. I was still working intense hours. But step by step, I kept going. Eventually I enrolled in advanced training programs—including coursework from Harvard Medical School—to deepen my understanding and sharpen my tools.

And slowly, everything began to align:

• Supplements—prescription and over-the-counter—tailored to my needs
• A personal trainer guiding me in strength training and my Unbreakable Score
• Nutrition calibrated for this season of life
• Restorative sleep practices
• Stress-resilience tools
• Daily wellness rhythms
• A renewed spiritual journey
• Intentional avoidance of substances that undermine wellbeing

My marriage has grown into the deepest partnership I could have imagined. My relationship with my Creator is now the joy and anchor of my life.

I also know what it feels like to be overwhelmed, jumping from one “quick fix” to another because you barely have time to breathe—only to discover none of them are actually quick fixes at all.

I pray that girls like the foster daughter we once had don’t grow up believing weakness is inevitable for women entering the pause periods. And I pray that women approaching perimenopause feel empowered to make changes now—changes that can make the second half of life the strongest, healthiest, and most purpose-filled.

Hormonal shifts still show up for me; I’m only five years post-menopause. But the difference now is confidence. I have a firm foundation for pausing well—one that is unshakable.

And now, my newest passion is helping women like you build that same foundation.

You’ve got this—and you don’t have to walk this journey alone.