How I Stopped Settling and Started Thriving

In October 2024, I sat in my doctor's office and heard the words no lifelong athlete expects: "Your cholesterol is dangerously high." She told me it was likely tied to my stage of life and declining estrogen.

That triggered a question I'd never thought to ask: How does estrogen affect cholesterol? Over a year into answering it, I now understand how much estrogen quietly regulates — not just cholesterol, but a sweeping number of the systems that keep us well as women.

Genetic testing confirmed something I didn't even know to fear: I carry a gene that predisposes me to high cholesterol. A calcium artery scan showed moderate buildup already in place — buildup that can't be reversed and raises my risk for cardiovascular disease. At 53, I was suddenly on two medications and staring at a health reality I hadn't seen coming.

My next visit brought another wake-up call. My doctor, Dr. Tamara Djurisic, told me I had zero estrogen. Now that I was starting to understand the critical function estrogen performs in my body, I began to put it together — the brain fog, the stubborn weight, the sleep that never refreshed me, the hip pain that kept getting worse.

So I did what I always do when something matters: I researched. I listened. I learned.

I was already leaning on Brené Brown's Unlocking Us podcast — it had been a lifeline while I grieved losing my mom in 2017 and my dad in April 2023. I'd kept working out through all of it, but had gradually gained over 20 pounds — including belly fat I'd never carried before. I needed help on multiple fronts and didn't understand the root cause.

Given the recent reality checks with my primary care provider, I scanned Brené's library and saw that she had an episode with Dr. Mary Claire Haver on The Pause Life. I listened. I smiled. I cried. Every point resonated — including two that hit hardest: I felt like I was falling apart, and more importantly, I was not alone. Far from it.

Best of all, there was a path forward.

I was both inspired and frustrated. I beat myself up at first — why hadn't I paid attention? How did I let things get this far?

I started with Dr. Haver's audiobook for The Galveston Diet where I tuned my nutrition and eating habits and kept going. Six months in, dear friends gifted us Dr. Peter Attia's Outlive, which reframed everything I thought I knew about health and longevity.

From there, the world opened up. Dr. Stacy Sims taught me that everything I'd been told about exercise was designed for men's bodies, not mine. Dr. Vonda Wright showed me that strength after 50 isn't just possible — it's essential. Louisa Nicola opened my eyes to what's happening in our brains, and why creatine, deep sleep, and heavy lifting aren't optional anymore.

I listened to hundreds of podcast episodes. I took notes. I changed my supplements. I started hormone replacement therapy — estradiol patches, progesterone, topical cream. I added creatine. I adjusted my training.

If I'm struggling to piece this together — and I have the time, resources, and drive to research — what about the women who don't?

I'm 5'5″. I've been active my entire life. I've never smoked. I stretch daily, do cardio, swim, and lift. I thought I was doing everything right. But my body had been quietly changing for years — and while I was well educated on wellness and nutrition for my 30s and 40s, I had no idea how little of that still applied in my 50s.

A year later, I went from dangerously high LDL cholesterol levels to cutting it by more than half, bringing it well within the healthy range. I also lost 22 pounds and have held steady at 128–129 lbs. I didn't diet. Candidly — I LOVE food. I rethought and tuned my nutrition and lifestyle with the guidance of experts, medication tailored to my body, and a physician who truly listens — Dr. Tamara Djurisic, who has become not just my provider but a friend.

But the number on the scale was the least interesting part.

My brain started working again. The fog lifted — not completely, but noticeably. My energy came back. My sleep improved. I started doing 300–500 deep squats every morning, hitting HIIT sessions twice a week, swimming, and lifting heavier than I ever had. My Apple Watch confirmed what I could feel: I was moving more, standing more, sleeping better.

The HRT made a measurable difference. So did the creatine, the CoQ10, the magnesium, the commitment to protein. So did understanding why my body was changing — that it wasn't failure, it was biology. And biology can be worked with.

I still have challenges. My hips and neck still hurt from old falls and car accidents. I bruise easily. My bladder still wakes me up at night. My skin still carries scars I want to address. My hair is thinner than I prefer.

But for the first time in years, I feel like I'm moving forward instead of just holding on. I'm also feeling better — physically and emotionally.

I built Omira Femme because no woman should have to do what I did alone. We deserve better.

The premise is simple: women need help navigating their health, but most don't know where to start. The experts are out there. The science is advancing. The information exists. But it's fragmented, overwhelming, and often buried in a two-hour podcast or locked behind a paywall.

Omira Femme is the navigation layer. The starting point. The place where a woman can say "My brain feels off" or "I'm gaining weight and nothing's working" and immediately find the right experts, the right episodes, the right evidence — organized by where she is in her journey.

No product bias. No single-expert agenda. Just the best information from the best minds, curated by a woman who's living it.

I am also running a pilot of MyHealthOS, a tailored-to-you AI-powered companion on your journey. If you are interested, please sign up here. My hope is that it enhances and accelerates your journey to thriving — like mine did.