Rescuing Noel from Traumatizing Menstrual Pain & Energizing Her Health
Noel’s Results
- Healed debilitating pain
- Lost 18 pounds
- Regulated periods
- Lowest body fat percentage since 2019
Despite being an active youngster who was passionate about health and wellness, Noel’s health declined in her early twenties during her college years at UW-Madison. Then the pandemic hit. Students were sent home. Already emotionally and mentally drained due to difficult relationships and significant life changes, Noel began to suffer from depression, weight gain and constant fatigue.
“I had this inner voice saying, ‘You’re so young, why don’t you feel good?’ But I was determined to find answers and regain my health,” Noel shared.
She took charge as best as she could, eating healthy, working out and researching various diet changes, detox smoothies and supplements. Still, Noel was in survival mode.
“It was probably a blessing in disguise to be closer to family,” she admitted.
Her health continued to worsen to the point she began to experience heart palpitations. After several tests, cardiograms and ultrasounds on her heart, Noel’s traditional doctors did a thyroid lab. Finally, Noel had an answer. She was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune disorder causing underactive thyroid.
However, despite treating her disease and making further lifestyle changes, Noel’s health reached a breaking point in March 2022. Her menstrual cycle pain was consistently excruciating, even necessitating a trip to the emergency room where her heart rate dropped to an alarming 40 beats per minute.
“I was told to go on birth control to help with the pain,” Noel remembered. “But I wasn’t satisfied with that answer. I wanted something more.”
As fate would have it, an online search for vitamin drips led Noel to the services offered at Wisconsin Institute of Functional Medicine (WIFM). Noel reached out to Dr. Page for help.
Noel’s Journey
First, Dr. Page conducted a full wellness panel, revealing estrogen dominance as a significant factor in Noel’s ongoing pain. From there, Dr. Page and Noel worked together to create a personalized treatment plan focused on rebalancing hormone levels and addressing underlying nutritional deficiencies. Noel began incorporating a progesterone supplement and refining her diet to address her issues.
She also found community and support at Wausau’s Burn Bootcamp, which surrounded her with people who shared her goal of living a healthy and fulfilling life.
“My experience with WIFM and my gym has been amazing,” Noel expressed with gratitude. “I’ve learned the importance of finding people and communities that have your back. Dr. Page provided me with the resources, safety and sense of belonging I needed.”
Today, Noel’s period cycles are normal. She no longer relies on ibuprofen to get through the week of her period. She’s lost 18 pounds and is at the lowest percentage of body fat since 2019.
“The weight loss I’ve experienced is less about how I look and more about how I feel,” Noel, now 24, shared. “My life has completely changed. I honestly don’t know where I would be without WIFM. I have so much I want to do in my life, people I want to meet and goals to follow. This journey has really been about feeling like my best self to live my best life.”
Noel’s Advice for Others
“If people get anything from my story, I hope it’s that there’s always hope. Don’t be afraid to question anything, even if it’s from an expert. What one person tells you is not the only information out there. Find people and communities who root for you and who want you to succeed. The support I’ve found in Dr. Page’s office is something I’ve wanted for a long time.”
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