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Seniors Get It August 24, 2010

Posted by Lyn in : Hormone Therapy Joy, Hot BHRT Topics , 2comments

I had a fun experience at a recent Happy Hormone Hour at the Beavercreek Senior Center! I met with close to 50 women (and 2 poor men!!) between the ages of 55-90 and just had the best time. Several of them came into the room yelling, “Is this the hormone room??!!” or, “Do you think I will look just like you when you’re finished??!!” or, “Bring those hormones on!!”  (no pressure!  LOL!!) I really enjoyed speaking with the women and answering their questions. I think it finally hit home how far we are from the way we used to do things back in a simpler time, when one of the guests asked me about compounding “back in the day.” It is true. Compounding was how we used to make medicine customized for each patient and dosed for that individual. Do you know what happened in the mid 1900s to change the face of that? The inception of drug companies! After that, dosing medication for the masses became the way to go! I don’t think that’s a good thing! Why would I want to take the exact same therapy and dosing as every other woman? Aren’t we all different and unique? Especially in the area of women’s health with sex hormones, adrenal glands and thyroid. I want my OWN therapy made just for MY body that will meet MY body’s needs. Anything less than that just doesn’t make sense! I also drove home the point that it is no longer okay to visit your practitioner and just accept every word as law. Since when have we given up any opinions about our own bodies? When did we lose our voice? When did we stop being heard?? It is way past time to take our power back and become educated and empowered to take charge of our own journey. I think doctors appreciate intelligent conversation and respect our choice to stand up for our own bodies. You have permission to dialogue with your doctor about YOUR care. I did a recent blog about current standard of care and how it isn’t always the best option. In fact, just the opposite. I talk with women ALL day EVERY day and never cease to be amazed at how many of them just blindly accept their doctor’s word as law and don’t explore holistic options. You have no idea how many 20 year olds I meet on a daily basis who have had a hysterectomy! In their 20s! And when I hear the reason why…..because it is the “standard of care,” I just cringe! Come on, people! We are beyond this now. We are BETTER than that! Visit our “Resources/Reading” page to become educated. If you haven’t read Natural Hormone Balance by Uzzi Reiss or Ageless by Suzanne Somers or Adrenal Fatigue by James Wilson….it is time to start! Keep me posted on your journey. I have your back!

If you would like more information or want to take your power back (!), come join me for my next Happy Hormone Hour on September 15, at 6:30 p.m.at our newly remodeled Piqua Medicine Shoppe. PMS presents a Happy Hormone Hour! Kind of has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? See you there!

Fondly,

Lyn

THIS IS TO GUINEA PIGS EVERYWHERE!!!! August 17, 2010

Posted by Lyn in : Case Studies In Natural Compounded Hormone Therapy, Hormone Therapy Joy, Menopause , 1 comment so far

I just had yet another phone call from one of our clients, who will be meeting with me later today to get started on her natural customized hormone replacement therapy. She has been to the cottage for her consultation, has had her saliva tested to check her hormone levels at the tissue level of cells; had our team at the Piqua Medicine Shoppe craft a treatment strategy specifically for her; and went to her practitioner to get our strategy approved via a prescription. We compounded her therapy in our state-of-the-art compounding lab and are now meeting with her today to get her started. When she called to confirm our appointment, she was practically quivering with excitement!  “I can’t wait to get started,” she says.  “I have been telling EVERYONE what I am doing because I am SO excited!! They are all waiting for me to get better before they come in to see you.”  SO ANOTHER GUINEA PIG!!
We love guinea pigs. Do you know why?  Ever since we opened one year ago, we have had a plethora of guinea pigs come to the cottage. These are those
brave women who:
-have done the research on hormone replacement therapy
-think outside the box
-have a voice with their doctor in the strategies for their care
-won’t settle for drug therapy for a hormone imbalance
-don’t blindly accept standard of care in this area just because it has always been done that way
-prefer holistic health options over drug therapy that just band-aids the issues
-are assertive in the anti-aging process and have great respect for aging healthfully
-understand that DISEASE HAPPENS BEFORE SYMPTOMS OCCUR, so are being proactive with their health
Do you know what has happened over this past year? OUR GUINEA PIGS HAVE GOTTEN BETTER! So they are sending in their guinea pig friends;
who are sending in their guinea pig friends and we have exploded! They have even sent in their husbands for treatment of male menopause (andropause).
It has been an amazing adventure! We are so excited to be in the business of educating our women on hormone imbalance, so they will know they have options!
Get tested, get treated, get better!!

I’m forever and always excited!! Customized hormone replacement therapy at its best!! June 3, 2010

Posted by Lyn in : Case Studies In Natural Compounded Hormone Therapy, Hormone Therapy Joy , 3comments

You’ve heard of the “aha” moments??? I always get the “whoopie!!” moments every time I read an email from one of my clients who is experiencing life-changing moments on our therapy. Dawn, who began her natural hormone therapy 3 weeks ago just emailed me this morning. She says, “Thanks. I have to tell you I know it has only been a few weeks, but I totally feel like I have my life back and if it keeps getting better I can’t imagine what I will be able to do! I am so excited about this. I have been able to do more in a few weeks than I have in months and I actually have the desire to do things I didn’t have before! I feel like I am coming back to life!!” What’s not to LOVE about that??!!! My response is always the same. “I’m so happy for you, but I am not surprised. This “bio-cream” is doing exactly what it is meant to do: replace your hormone levels that your body needs to function correctly! By actually checking your levels first so we have the necessary data to make informed decisions, we can then customize the proper therapy for YOU!”
It works! Again, I say….”it’s not rocket science!!” So why the big deal? Why aren’t all the doctors on board yet?? I think a big reason and one that I hear practically daily from my clients is that their doctors tell them that “compounded hormone therapy is not FDA approved so buyer beware!” My response to this is simple. The FDA approves drugs that are manufactured. Compounding is customizing a therapy for just one person. So the FDA can’t approve it. That doesn’t mean we are free to run rampant and not follow any rules or regulations. Quite the contrary! Compounding labs are under the strict jurisdiction of state boards of pharmacy, so our Piqua Medicine Shoppe is strictly regulated by The Ohio State Board of Pharmacy. So when practitioners try to scare their patients away from what we do based on THAT argument, it’s just silly. It makes no sense. It’s like saying, “you know…you can’t make lemonade from apples.” Yes, and your point is?????? Again I urge everyone with a hormone imbalance issue to do the research and take charge of YOUR journey. The research IS out there in favor of what we do. You just have to look for it!

SEX and THE CITY 2 May 31, 2010

Posted by Lyn in : Hormone Therapy Joy , 3comments

FINALLY! Positive media promotion about what we do through our Happy Hormone Cottage and PMS (Piqua Medicine Shoppe)-customized natural hormone replacement therapy. You’ve GOT to love a movie whose oversexed main character, Samantha, not only uses but obsesses about her topical estrogen, progesterone and testosterone cream as a way to help her navigate through menopause AND help with anti-aging!! And when she and a group of middle eastern women actually hold up their latest book study read and it is Suzanne Somer’s bestseller, Breakthrough, I actually feel giddy!! Remember, it is OUR Piqua Medicine Shoppe and Compounding Pharmacy that is listed in Suzanne Somer’s last 3 books as THE compounding pharmacy of choice in Ohio!! Talk about customizing a movie for us! It couldn’t be anymore awesome!!
But it gets better! The culminating moment for me comes when Carrie calls Samantha the “hormone whisperer!”. I thought to myself, “That’s it! We could call ourselves the ‘Happy Hormone Cottage Hormone Whisperers!!’” Sort of has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?

ME! ON A RADIO CALL-IN TALK SHOW! WHO KNEW??? May 2, 2010

Posted by Lyn in : Case Studies In Natural Compounded Hormone Therapy, Hormone Therapy Joy , 5comments

I had an interesting experience today in the span of 10 minutes that really showcases the Law of Attraction at its finest! I was between consultations at the cottage when I got an urgent text from a cottage client. The cryptic message read, “Quick! Turn your radio to whio 1290!” So I went to my car, turned on the radio just in time to hear my client talking about the Happy Hormone Cottage and her success story!! She was on the air with the host of an hour-long “Ask the Expert” show and the topic this afternoon was menopause. When she was off the air, she called me and said, “I can’t believe I just did that!” She went on to say that she was working in her kitchen, listening to this radio show when a 57-year-old woman called in with such a sense of hopelessness. She was menopausal, miserable, and could find no one to help her. When the host of the show didn’t respond the way my client thought he should, (the host of this “ask the expert” show was an ob/gyn in the area)she said, “Lyn, I just HAD to call and help that poor woman! I couldn’t stand it!!” So she did! Then she said, “Oh Lyn, now YOU have to call in!” I wasn’t convinced, but she insisted. So she gave me the number and I called. Unbelievably, I was on the air in about 2 minutes! I told the host (the doctor) that I was the director of the Happy Hormone Cottage that the previous caller had mentioned and that our passion is helping middle-years women navigate the waters of menopause. I went on to say that at the cottage we really listen to and validate women and beyond all else, we offer hope! We actually encourage our clients to get their hormone levels checked and then we recommend practitioners who think “outside the box,” and are willing to work with us on customized compounded natural hormone therapy. The host of this radio show was responsive and fairly affirming of what I was saying. I mentioned my website AND the inclusion of many clinical studies that show the safety and efficacy of our compounded natural hormone therapy. All in all, I felt what I had to say was well-received by the host and I was happy with our conversation. So in the span of about 10 minutes, I had a happy cottage client call in to a popular radio talk show, talk about her success with us, offer a testimonial to other women that this natural option is a viable one, AND got me on the air to confirm. Talk about a one-two punch! This was obviously meant to happen today! Don’t you just love the Law of Attraction??

WOMEN ARE HAPPY! April 20, 2010

Posted by Lyn in : Case Studies In Natural Compounded Hormone Therapy, Hormone Therapy Joy , 1 comment so far

Happy Spring! Nothing makes me happier than seeing the women who come to me to get tested, treated and finally get better! It is just life-changing! I want to share a part of an email my husband, Jeff Hogrefe R.Ph., wrote to one of our clients. She is married to a wonderful man, who also happens to be a family practitioner and owns his own practice, so this email is also from one small business owner to another. I think it will give you insight into the daily struggle we wage every day in our fight to save women from being drugged for a hormone imbalance. If we can just save one woman every day from this fate, then our day is worthwhile!

“Just wanted to drop you a line to see how your consultation with Lyn went. My wife has great energy and she really has a passion for helping women who are suffering with hormonal imbalances. Our high-touch model and our involvement in our “women” is just what is needed in this area of women’s health.

I did read about the 21% reduction in Medicare reimbursements to MD’s in our new health care reform package. I think this is beyond sad, when 1/2 of all medical expenses are to providers and the other 1/2 goes to administrative and insurance issues.  We have a problem and that problem won’t be solved by cutting payment to providers. It just makes the system worse. And while we are at it, let’s cut the drug companies profits 21% also! Sounds completely fair to me. I spent 20 years working as a pharmacist in a very traditional setting until I discovered our business model: that of compounding, consulting, and customized BHRT therapy. Taking time to consult with women, monitor their therapy, and be available to walk them through the transitions and their journey to good health does require resources. If we stayed with dispensing FDA-approved commercially available products, not only would our flexibility in modifying dose/therapy be gone, but also the paltry insurance reimbursement we receive from the “system” would not make it economically possible for us to continue our high-touch model. And that would truly, truly be a sad thing. Women need us and what we do. Health care is not paint-by-numbers. It is real people and every woman is unique and needs to be treated as a unique being.”

Here is an email from one of our younger clients, Terri, who is in her early 30’s. When I read this, I just laughed out loud:

“Hi, Lyn! I just wanted to let you know how great I’m feeling already. I swear I popped out of bed SO much easier this morning after I started the progesterone! It’s been WONDERFUL this week being able to wake up and my brain works instantly! Not to mention my son had had a couple of rough nights this week because of his tonsil surgery and I still haven’t taken ONE nap this week! Normally I am so exhausted I just sit around all day and then lay down with the boys at nap time. I’ve gotten so much done this week! Along with my energy, my head just feels so much clearer and I feel like my eyes are open wider. I can’t believe it! Oh….and I’m pooping normally and regularly! Ha ha! That alone makes me feel a lot better! I’m just so excited I can’t stand it!!! Thank you so much, Lyn!!!!”

Finally, here is a testimonial from one of our middle-years clients, Cheryl. She has been on her therapy now for several months:

“After going through menopause, I felt like someone had just wrung me out; that is, I had no energy, I hurt with a myriad of aches and pains, and I either couldn’t get to sleep or I woke up in the middle of the night and had problems getting back to sleep. I went to my general practitioner, and he suggested I start taking Aleve in the mornings. I did, and it helped the pains some… but not much.

One day while reading the Dayton Daily News online, I found an article about the opening of the Happy Hormone Cottage. I was very interested, because I had previously read about natural hormones but wasn’t sure where to get help in this area.  One of my “side jobs” is being the director of fundraising and promotion for the Our Mims Retirement Haven, a retired thoroughbred broodmare rescue based in Kentucky. I knew, no matter what, I would not/could not ever take Premarin. The use of pregnant mare urine in the manufacturing of Premarin results in the birth of many foals that either must be taken care of or slaughtered. I knew I could never be part of that process.

I filled out the online survey then called to make an appointment at the Cottage. I went through the saliva test and sent it in. While waiting for the results, I made an appointment with Dr. Pawloski, a gynecologist on the recommendation list on the Cottage’s web site. It had been quite a while (cough — years — cough) since I had had a regular gynecology visit, and I was eager to work with a doctor familiar with bio-identical hormones.

After a consult between the doctor and the specialists at the Piqua Medicine Shoppe, I was put on a progesterone regiment, very simple, supplemented with the Adrenal Support. Within days, I felt better. Not much longer after that, I was sleeping through the night. Although I still have little aches and pains from time to time (I am almost 51 years of age), I feel younger and able to do things I have not felt capable of for quite some time.

For example: I have always had a problem with my weight. With the added aches and pains, no energy, and sleepless nights, I had all but given up on the idea of taking up even the simplest exercise routine. Now, I regularly exercise with the help of some DVDs (I especially love the Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds series). I am able to walk up to four miles in one routine. (I’m working on getting through the five mile workout.) I am losing weight, but I am more impressed with my stamina and alertness. I no longer drag myself through the day then collapse on the couch when I get home.

I feel so good now, and I owe it to Lyn and those at the Happy Hormone Cottage, the Piqua Medicine Shoppe, and Dr. Pawloski. I am so grateful that these people have studied about bio-identical hormones and are promoting it. I shudder to think where I would be if I hadn’t read that article in the DDN a few months ago.

Thank you so much! Cheryl”

There you have it! Women are happy and so can you be, as well! Take charge of your journey! Get educated and informed. Talk to other women. Call and schedule a consultation. Whatever you do, do NOT let an uninformed practitioner talk you out of what you know is best for you! Stand up for YOU! Get your levels checked (we like saliva tests the best) and then demand that your treatment be customized. You deserve better than a one-size-fits-most therapy that is used, based on your symptoms alone. But even this approach is better than being offered an antidepressant. Why would you need an antidepressant for a hormone imbalance?? Why not just check your hormone levels and then replace them with customized bioidentical hormones to replace those levels?? THIS is NOT rocket science. It just makes sense!!

Warmly,
Lyn

The Happy Hormone Cottage is Bursting at the Seams! March 7, 2010

Posted by Lyn in : Hormone Therapy Joy , add a comment

It looks like we made it through another grueling winter! Luckily, at the cottage, we have been so busy, we haven’t really noticed the winter! AND, with our female population of women stopping by who are having hot flashes, who notices the cold?? We actually sit around and glow! :)


We just celebrated our 6-month anniversary at our little Happy Hormone Cottage and I am just amazed at our growth. I really had no idea when we began our free resource center for women at the end of August, that we would experience this much growth this quickly! It just goes to show we must simply dream bigger! Since opening, we have established relationships with 30 area practitioners in the greater Dayton area, who partner with us in this area of compounded natural hormone replacement therapy. Since we launched our website in August, 744 women receive our monthly email Wellness Updates AND we have gone from 6 free consultations a week to 23 consultations a week. Even more interesting to me is that fact that now that our clients are feeling better, have more energy, and are sleeping better, they are bringing their husbands into the cottage for their male menopause (andropause) issues!! Luckily, my husband Jeff Hogrefe RPh, works with these men on Saturday afternoons and takes them off-site to a nearby location for their meetings. It is just too much for the men to step into a “happy hormone cottage” with grace and dignity! They are much happier meeting at an alternative location and talking over health issues with another guy, who has compassion for men in this area.

Finally, we just finished a $200,000 renovation at our Piqua Medicine Shoppe and Compounding Lab that includes a brand new state-of-the-art compounding facility. We are proud of the fact that we are listed in Suzanne Somer’s last 3 books as THE compounding pharmacy of choice in Ohio and we are proud to stay at the top of our game! Our clients’ health and well-being is our greatest treasure!


Have a great month! I hope to see you soon at one of our Happy Hormone Coffee Hours on Wednesday mornings, a Happy Hormone Hour, or a local health event like the Miami Valley Hospital South free Women’s Health Seminar that is being held Tuesday evening, March 9, 5:30-7:30 p.m.  Check my website’s events page for information and updates!

By the way, you can now schedule a consultation online!  Visit

http://www.happyhormonecottage.com/begin_your_journey.htm and click on Make an Appointment!

Warmly,
Lyn

Happy, Happy Women! February 24, 2010

Posted by Lyn in : Hormone Therapy Joy , 2comments

I love my job! My job is my passion: educating women on what a hormone imbalance feels like, and then offering them some solutions to fix their imbalance by replacing their hormones to refill their levels and get them back on track. I can’t tell you the joy I get working with women to get them feeling better. I think the most interesting part, for me, is the validation “my” women feel when their test results come back and they actually see their hormone levels (or lack thereof!!) Many of these women have been told by the medical community for so long that there was nothing wrong with them; “suck it up,”; or “here’s an antidepressant to help you live with the symptoms.” I’m sorry but women deserve so much better! So when these test results come back and validate the reason the women have been feeling so badly, they are just thrilled! I often hear comments like, “I knew I was feeling bad for a reason!” or “I’m so relieved to learn there IS a physiological problem and that I can treat the cause and feel better!” It just brings me joy! I won’t even begin to talk about the radiance these women express when they actually begin their natural compounded hormone replacement therapy and really begin to feel better! It just makes me smile!