Last week. I received a message from a former patient. I was sitting at my desk between appointments, when the notification popped up. We had not spoken in a while. I opened it and read her words. “It’s too expensive for me right now.” And she could find support cheaper. The old me would have felt a rush of guilt. Tight chest. Racing thoughts. The urge to explain myself or immediately offer a discount. This time, something different happened. I thanked her for telling me. I w

It is the Sunday after Black Friday. For the second year in a row. I did not work in the ER. No back to back shifts. No 3 a.m. traumas. No dragging myself home in the dark and wondering how I would keep this up. This year. I woke up. Laughed with my family. I had dinner and a dance party. Because for years, this was the dream. Not to leave medicine. To practice it on my terms. Concierge style. More time with fewer patients. Women who can text me when something feels off. Call

It is the Sunday before Thanksgiving. You should be resting. But you are not. You still have work to wrap up. Emails to answer. Charts to finish. One more meeting “before the holiday.” The family is already texting flight details. “Can we come a day early?” “Do you mind if we bring a friend?” You are cleaning guest rooms. Planning meals. Figuring out who is sleeping where. Your out of office message might be on. But you are not off. Everyone is gearing up for a “break.” You a

Every now and then, the government actually gets it right. This week is one of those times. The FDA has made a major change to how hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for menopause is labeled. The scariest parts of the “black box” warning on many menopause hormone therapy products are being removed. I want you to understand exactly why this matters for you. What Was the “Black Box” Warning on HRT? A “black box” warning is the strongest safety warning the FDA puts on a prescript

Most people think doctors are experts on menopause. That’s a lie. Even physicians don’t have answers. You can’t sleep. You’re gaining weight. You forget things that used to be second nature. You don’t feel like yourself anymore. And they say you’re fine. You nod and say “okay.” You go back for help. They run the same labs. They give the same answer. And you start to think maybe it is in your head. But it’s not. I spoke with another doctor recently. Her own physician missed he

I spoke to a woman recently. She said “I sleep at night, but I still wake up exhausted.” We were talking after work. Her voice was steady. But I could hear the frustration underneath. She runs a business. Raises kids. She takes care of everyone else. And still wakes up tired. Every. Single. Morning. Her body aches. Her patience is thin. She said, “I feel like I'm resting, but my body doesn’t.” Because I’ve heard it again and again. Different women. Same story. They go to be

I spoke to a friend when I was driving home. She had gone to the grocery store. But forgot what she went to buy. Her mind went blank. She said “I feel like I’m losing my mind”. She laughed, but she was nervous. Because it wasn’t the first time. Then she said, “This keeps happening, Tamara. I walk into rooms and can’t remember why I’m there. I forget people’s names. I’m scared something’s wrong.” Over the next two weeks, I had different versions of that same conversation with

Ladies, if you wake at 3 a.m. sweaty and wide awake, you are not alone. Read this and you’ll see exactly why your nights are awful. And the first small shift to change it. I talk with high-performing women every week. They are holding families together, leading teams, and still dragging through the day. It is not just tired. It is snappy with your kids. It is sharp with your spouse. It is a mistake at work you would not normally make. Hormones are part of it, but here are 5 c

Let’s talk about the lies that keep too many women struggling in silence. I hear them every week from high-performing women. CEOs, physicians, executives, accountants. I’ve even said some myself. But they are costing you your peace, your energy, and your joy. Here they are 1️⃣ “This is just aging.” No, it’s not. It's a hormone imbalance. You are not supposed to feel exhausted, foggy, or lifeless. That is not aging. That’s your body saying something is wrong. 2️⃣ “Everyone fee

A woman tracked me down on Facebook. I was scared to open the message. My mind went straight to the worst-case scenario. I opened it anyway. It was a thank you. She came into the ER late at night. Ruptured breast implants. She did not know if they were silicone or saline. She did not know what came next. She remembered one thing. I treated her like a human. I explained. I listened. I helped her breathe. She wrote, Your kindness really put me at ease. That line stays with me.

Octavia Spencer hopped on Instagram and introduced her menopause like an old friend who overstayed the weekend. She calls her “Menny.” I laughed. Then I exhaled. Octavia’s post blew up with thousands of comments. The response was instant, viral, and overwhelmingly supportive. Fellow actresses like Halle Berry, Tyra Banks, and Holly Robinson Peete jumped into the comments, turning the post into a hilarious, supportive, and much-needed virtual group chat. This is the ultimate "

I was in a Facebook group this week. A woman asked. “Are menopause supplements worth it?” Good question. The comments were full of: Try this. Do this mix. Drink that tea. Add these drops. All sorts of advice. Most of it was wrong. And it's not their fault. So much nonsense out there. Here’s why. The value of supplements is debatable. Studies are mixed. Some women feel better. Others don't. Labels aren’t the same as prescriptions. Doses vary. Quality varies. Some products are

I had two conversations last week that I cannot stop thinking about. Both women are leaders in their fields. Highly successful. On paper, they had everything under control. But when we got on the phone, I could tell something was off. The first said, “I’m already on a GLP-1. I’ve lost weight, yes… but this belly? It feels like it’s still hanging on. I thought the medication would fix it, but I still feel stuck.” The second admitted, “I haven’t tried medication yet. I’ve been

When she first reached out in January, she was at her breaking point. She had done everything she thought she was supposed to do. She cut back on food. She fasted for days at a time. She pushed through the fatigue and the hunger. But the scale would not move. She told me: “Even when I fasted for 3 to 5 days, nothing changed. I was truly frustrated.” It wasn’t just the number on the scale. Her energy was gone. She was dragging herself through the day. Her clothes no longer fit

Doctors miss menopause all the time. Not because they don’t care. But because the system isn’t built for you. Here’s why: No standard test. Hormones that fluctuate daily. Symptoms that mimic depression, thyroid problems, or “just aging.” Fatigue? You’re told it’s stress. Mood changes? You’re offered antidepressants. Joint pain? You’re told it’s just “getting older.” Meanwhile, you’re stuck in the middle of perimenopause. Foggy. Exhausted. Gaining weight. Feeling like your bod

One of the busiest menopause threads online right now isn’t about hot flashes. It’s about women wide awake at 3AM. Night after night, desperate for sleep. And the comments?  Whew. Here's the thing. You fall asleep fine. But at 3AM… You’re wide awake. Brain racing. Tired. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. This is one of the most common struggles I hear from women in perimenopause and menopause. Sleep problems are one of the hallmark symptoms of this stage of life.  Here’s why

Over the last few weeks, I’ve had the same conversation over and over. Different cities. Different women. Different stages of life. But the same story. “I’m gaining weight, and I haven’t changed anything.” “My doctor says I’m fine… but I don’t feel fine.” “I wake up sweating in the middle of the night.” “My brain is foggy.” “I’m exhausted.” Listen. This isn’t medical advice. But I need to say this: You’re not too young. You’re not imagining it. And your doctor may not even un

One of my clients told me, “I thought this was just part of getting older.” She had started gaining weight during perimenopause. Her knees and hips hurt every day. She was always hungry or craving something. She tried to eat right.  She worked out. She drank the smoothies and followed the advice. But nothing worked. She was exhausted. She didn’t feel like herself anymore. That was her life for years. She kept pushing through, thinking it would get better. That was her normal.

What if your body isn’t the problem? You’ve been eating clean. Moving your body. Trying to do all the right things. But suddenly your clothes don’t fit. You’re waking up at 3am for no reason. You’re snapping at your partner for asking what’s for dinner. And you’re feeling warm when no one else is. ALL the time. You tell yourself to push through. It’s probably just stress, right? From the job.  The kids.  Life. But deep down, you know something is shifting. And you’re right. I

I didn’t plan to talk about hormones this weekend. But by the end of the conference, five women had pulled me aside. But somehow. Every conversation led there. Friday night, I was eating a salad and chatting with a woman I’d just met. She was in her mid-50s.  Retired and now an entrepreneur And tired. We started talking about menopause. She leaned in and said. “Sister, this stuff is real.” She wasn’t talking about a few hot flashes. How quickly her body had changed on her. Th