28/07/2026
So yesterday, we talked about retirement. Today? Hormones!
Fun stuff, right? But it's important stuff to talk about if you're a midlife woman over 50. (One could even say 40.)
A couple of years ago, a doctor told me about a book called The New Menopause by Mary Claire Haver. (You can find her on Facebook at The Pause Life by Dr. Mary Claire Haver.) It's an eye-opening read...and it inspired me to pay more attention to my health as an older female. (Honestly, I hate the term 'older,' because I in no way feel my age, but facts...)
This year, as I was recovering from my back surgery (which was six months ago yesterday), I started experiencing some things that were new to me, mainly wild weight fluctuations overnight (from 3-9 pounds!), puffy face, brain fog, exhaustion the minute I woke up. My doctor sent me to a nutritionist because five pounds appeared on the scale within a week, yet my regular lab tests came back within normal ranges, and the fluctuations still continued way above and beyond those five pounds. I was already on HRT, so the nutritionist referred me first back to my doctor to get a full hormone panel run.
Who knew that having cortisol spikes and hormones out of balance could put weight on in your axillary crease? (And did you even know you had an axillary crease??) It could also result in a puffy face and early day exhaustion. And then there are those pesky lymph nodes that may not be draining properly...and of course, having spinal surgery can mess with ALL of this, too.
Thankfully, my doctor is amazing and easily ordered tests. The goal is to ensure my hormones are balanced and my cortisol isn't out of whack. Stress and sleeping problems can severely impact your cortisol levels, and they all coexist in a vicious cycle if even one thing isn't working properly. One test may not be enough; numbers need to be considered in conjunction with each other.
Why am I sharing this? Because we women are often told 'this is just how it is at 60.' We're told we need to accept ourselves as we are. To get used to it. To settle. If we don't want to do that...and I didn't...we are forced to become our own advocates in a healthcare system that doesn't explore our issues much if they can blame it on age...so many women are sent home being told there's no real help for a weight loss plateau, dry skin, or 1am waking. It's kind of infuriating.
I did see one new tele-health doctor in the midst of this who told me I needed to be okay with how I look. "Your BMI is fine!" When I asked for a cortisol test, she said "why would you want that?" Because I know how to lose weight, and I know that weight gain in this one specific area isn't typical. She instead ordered a basic thyroid test, which came back low but 'normal.' (And mine was normally borderline high, but that wasn't considered....)
My regular doctor is wonderful, and I look forward to continuing to work with her and my nutritionist to interpret my test results and figure out what I can do. Yes, my BMI is fine. My body fat percentage is still 'low,' and I'm not gaining more weight...but I'm also not losing those sudden five pounds and I don't want to have to count calories forever. And the axillary crease jiggles just aren't flattering in a tank top.
Ladies, speak up. Ask questions. If your doctor blows you off, consider another doctor. There's a fine line between though between being obsessed or being your own doctor and listening to those with actual medical degrees (which is NOT me), so find a team you can work with, one that listens to you and takes your worries into consideration while also providing information to help you understand your true situation. We don't want to be telling our doctors how to do their job. I want doctors willing to help me figure out what's actually happening and who won't immediately tell me to start taking a GLP-1. (That's a no for me.)
