In my last post (Menopausal Snake Oil?), I shared how and why I came to the decision to use bioidentical hormones to ease peri-menopausal symptoms and restore my libido. A big part of this journey was pinpointing a doctor with adequate knowledge of their use.
Through a conversation with a local compounding pharmacist, I was given a list of doctors in our area that prescribe bioidentical hormones. After internet research, I found Tabetha Smith, FNP, of Insight Family Healthcare to have the credentials and philosophy I respected.
As a licensed Family Nurse Practitioner since 1997, Tabetha’s career focus has been on women’s health and hormone balance. She is able to write prescriptions and practice medicine without a supervising physician onsite. But, she does meet regularly with her supervising physician.
From her online bio, “She also has a degree in health education and believes that educating people about their own health and how to improve that health is one of the best ways that she can help her patients. She believes that a health care provider can never know it all and continues to pursue more training.”
Insight Family Healthcare is a calm, friendly office. Coffee is always available. Even if they don’t remember you from year to year, they act like they do. After several visits, I found the reason I feel so at home here. It is an office that meekly follows Christ.
Tabetha is a warm, gregarious lady with shiny curls of dark brown hair. I immediately felt at ease with her. This was very important to me since she would be privy to my most personal details and organs. What clenched our friendship is that she’s seen me naked and didn’t laugh!
During my first year on bioidenticals we had several consultations. She didn’t just read my numbers, but she asked about my life. She looks at the whole package to try to help you regain your best health. I get 30 whole minutes of undivided attention from her during my yearly visits. It was during my last visit that she agreed to grant me an interview. She graciously gave me one of her appt. slots free of charge to speak with you, my lovely readers.
Bonny: What is the biggest complaint you receive from menopausal women? Tabetha: The top three are hot flashes, night sweats and moodiness. Libido is there, but it is lower on the priority list. Women view libido more in the hormone aspect. They want hormones to be the answer because it’s easy if that’s the answer. It’s almost never the 100% answer. Your body has to be in balance; Thyroid, Adrenals, reproductive system all has to be healthy. You have to watch the stress in your life. Stress affects the balance.
Bonny: What physical changes do women complain about the most in the sexual arena?
Tabetha: Dryness. Use extra lube and extra time. Use suppositories. If it is extreme there are hormonal suppositories. Dryness isn’t just a nuisance during sex, but you can tear if you are too dry. You can have an increase in urinary tract infections because of dryness.
Bonny: What would you want to say to menopausal women regarding their health in general?
Tabetha: If you don’t eat right, exercise, get adequate sleep, you won’t be healthy no matter how many hormones I give you. It’s physical impossibility. The care taking of yourself gets more important every year you age. Balance your life to counter-act aging. You can’t eat crap, sit on your butt and take prescription drugs and expect to feel good.
Bonny: What HOPE can you give to menopausal women in regards to sexuality?
Tabetha: My HOPE for everybody (not just women) is for them to realize the body is an amazing thing. It can regenerate and heal itself if given the right stuff. If you make the changes you need to make, you’ll feel better. You can feel crazy healthy. Christianity gives a lot of life and hope. Work at it. IT’S NEVER TOO LATE. Usually it can be fixed if you are willing to do the work and make the changes and know there is no magic pill.
Bonny: What correlation do you see between spirituality and health?
Tabetha: HUGE!! GINORMOUS!! The people that I know that have a strong relationship with Jesus, usually don’t have bigger health problems until later in life. People with a more positive, glass half-full attitude, do better than glass half-empty. That boils down to, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” Phil 4:13. That means I can get up at 4:30 AM and exercise if I have to. If you have lots of excuses, you are never going to be healthy. He can help you overcome the excuses.
Make decisions to be balanced. Have moderation.
People have to have not just sleep, but have a day of rest. Time to do nothing. God knew what he was talking about. Biblical culture worked sun up to sun down only 6 days a week. The day of rest is necessary. You have to decompress and have a day of no stress. Or at least half a day, not working in the nursery or doing extra ministry work, not thinking of work, or planning for the next week. Doing fun stuff not work related!! I’ve had patients not be happy with me because of this. But, I tell them I practice what I preach.
I even see 20-something moms with no sex drive because they are so busy doing stuff with no true rest. You are completely stressed out. That’s no way to BE BALANCED.
We are all body, soul, and spirit. The body is complicated, and has lots that needs to be balanced. There is a domino effect within the body itself and within the body/soul/spirit scheme. When one thing is affected, all things are affected.”
In Conclusion
Here’s the deal, ladies. We have to be an active part of our own health care. We have to be an active part of restoring our own libido. We have to be an active part of crossing this bridge called menopause. If we don’t manage our stress levels, what we intake and how we exercise, we will not be effective servants for the Lord. Feeling bad in body and mind causes an inner focus. Inner focus is a huge distraction from the outer focus of the Lord’s service.
“It is absolutely clear that God called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows,” Galatians 5:13 (the message).
It only takes one tiny step in the right direction and HE will give you the strength to do it.
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Thank you for sharing about this! Love your honest and pure heart. Where can I get one of those great t-shirts?!?
LOL…yes, the shirt is great!! Thanks for stopping by, graciegirl!
Pearl – Thanks so much for this article, very good, and very needed. And yes, the T-shirt is awsome!
Thanks for the continued encouragement, Paul!! It’s just on my heart to have ladies feel the best they can. Then, they have an advantage on serving the Lord, more fun in the marriage bed and all other areas of their life. Maybe we could somehow use the t-shirt as a fundraiser for generouswife/husband? It seems popular. 🙂