By Debbie Friant, PA-C
For more than 25 years as a Physician Associate, I’ve had the privilege of helping patients improve their health, confidence, and quality of life. What many people don’t realize is that there came a point when I became the patient.
At age 50, I underwent a hysterectomy and chose not to pursue hormone replacement therapy afterward. At the time, it felt like the right decision for me.
Over the years, however, I began noticing subtle changes that gradually became harder to ignore.
Like many women, I assumed it was simply part of getting older.
I was wrong.
THE SYMPTOMS I COULD NO LONGER IGNORE
As time passed, I found myself experiencing:
- Persistent fatigue
- Brain fog and difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
- Dry skin
- Slower recovery after workouts
- Reduced resilience
- Waning libido
- An overall sense that I wasn’t functioning at my best
None of these symptoms appeared overnight. They developed gradually, making them easy to dismiss.
I told myself what so many women tell themselves:
“This is probably just aging.”
I stayed busy.
I pushed through.
I adjusted my expectations.
But deep down, I knew something had changed.
I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST AGING
For years, I accepted feeling less energetic, less motivated, and less resilient than I once had been.
As a healthcare provider, I understood that aging brings changes. What I didn’t fully appreciate was how much hormones could be influencing the way I felt every day.
Many women spend years attributing symptoms to stress, menopause, a busy schedule, or simply getting older. While those factors certainly play a role, hormone changes can have a significant impact on energy, mood, recovery, intimacy, motivation, sleep, exercise performance, and overall quality of life.
Eventually, I decided it was time to look deeper.
WHY I NOW OFFER HORMONE OPTIMIZATION AT KLS AESTHETICS
My own experience deepened my passion for helping patients who know something doesn’t feel quite right but aren’t sure why.
At KLS Aesthetics, hormone optimization isn’t about chasing youth or trying to turn back the clock. It’s about helping people feel healthier, stronger, more resilient, and more like themselves.
Every patient’s journey begins with listening. We take time to understand your symptoms, review your health history, perform appropriate laboratory testing, and discuss whether bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) using hormone pellets—or another treatment approach—is appropriate for your individual needs.
As my wellness practice has grown, I’ve also expanded my training in regenerative medicine. I’m personally trained and certified by Charles Runels, the physician who developed the original O-Shot® and P-Shot® procedures. For appropriately selected patients, these regenerative treatments can complement hormone optimization by supporting intimacy, sexual wellness, and overall quality of life.
No two patients are exactly alike, and neither are their treatment plans. My goal is never to recommend a one-size-fits-all solution—it’s to help each person understand their options and make informed decisions about their health.
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is that feeling “off” isn’t something we should automatically accept as part of aging.
Sometimes your body is trying to tell you something.
For years, I convinced myself I was simply getting older. Looking back, I wish I had asked more questions sooner.
Hormone optimization didn’t make me a different person.
It didn’t make me twenty-five again.
It simply helped me feel like myself again.
That has made all the difference.
If you’ve been living with fatigue, brain fog, poor sleep, mood changes, slower recovery after exercise, decreased libido, or you’ve simply lost that sense of vitality you once had, you deserve to understand why.
As both a Physician Associate and a hormone pellet therapy patient, I understand this journey from both sides. My role isn’t to convince you that hormone therapy is right for everyone. It’s to listen, evaluate, educate, and help determine whether hormone optimization—or another approach—may help you feel your best again.
If my story feels familiar, I’d be honored to hear yours.
Together, we’ll explore what’s contributing to your symptoms and create a plan that’s personalized to your goals, your health, and your life.
If you’re ready to begin, I invite you to schedule a consultation with me at KLS Aesthetics. It would be my privilege to help you take the first step toward feeling like yourself again.
Looking for More Information About Hormone Therapy?
If you’d like to learn more about the signs of hormone imbalance in both women and men, what to expect during treatment, and whether bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) may be right for you, be sure to read our companion article:
Hormone Imbalance Symptoms: Could Your Hormones Be Affecting How You Feel?
