A JOURNEY THROUGH PREMATURE OVARIAN FAILURE (and Early Menopause)

Written by: Emanuela Visone

INTRODUCTION
Survivors and challengers often share their stories (in print) hoping to memorialize their journey to empower others who feel lost in their health struggles. Mine is a story of resilience and healing and I want people to know there is hope beyond conventional medicine. It became the crossroads that inspired my career as a healer through nature, where the answers I discovered are all from the foods we eat, from better strategies to managing stress and eliminate toxins. If you are going through a similar health crisis, know that there are many answers (more than the conventional) and that you are not alone. Your body has the innate ability to heal. Sometimes, it just needs a little help. Trust in nature, trust in yourself, and never stop searching for answers.

I remember the day like it was yesterday. Sitting in the doctor’s office, nervously awaiting my test results, I heard the words that would change my life forever: “You are experiencing premature ovarian failure.” I was only 38 years old. My mind raced. How could this be happening? My doctor’s next statement shook me: “If you want to have a child, you have a six-month window to try.”

I didn’t have a significant other at the time, but I had a great support system. I decided to embark on the journey of becoming a mother on my own. But the process was grueling. I endured painful tests, including a hysterosalpingogram, where air was blown through my fallopian tubes. Despite all the tests, the only abnormality was my ovaries had failed prematurely.

Understanding Premature Ovarian Insufficiency
Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI), also known as premature ovarian failure, occurs when the ovaries cease normal function before age 40, leading to reduced estrogen production and potential infertility.

Smoking is a significant risk factor for early menopause and POI. Studies indicate that women who smoke may experience menopause one to two years earlier than non-smokers. The toxins in cigarette smoke accelerate ovarian aging, contributing to an earlier onset of menopause.

Common symptoms of POI include irregular periods, hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, irritability, and decreased libido. These symptoms result from decreased estrogen levels and can significantly impact quality of life.

Faced with this reality, I ultimately chose not to pursue in vitro fertilization (IVF) using donor sperm. The emotional toll was heavy, but I found comfort in being an aunt, a godmother, and loving my cousin’s children as my own. Making peace with my decision was just the beginning of my journey.

The Onset of Symptoms and My Search for Healing
As if infertility wasn’t enough, I now faced another battle: menopause at 38. Hot flashes became my unwelcome companions, arriving unannounced and leaving me drenched in sweat. Mood swings turned me into someone I no longer recognized. The bloating, discomfort, and weight gain made me feel trapped in someone else’s body.

Desperate for relief, I turned to alternative medicine. My first stop was a Chinese medicine doctor who prescribed a concoction of bitter herbs. I spent $300 a month on those teas, gagging with every sip. Although I noticed slight improvements, my hormone levels remained unbalanced.

Then, I read about bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT). Inspired by a well-known actress who had successfully balanced her hormones, I sought out a specialist. Tests revealed another shocking truth, I was also suffering from adrenal fatigue. My cortisol levels were through the roof.

I began taking estrogen, progesterone, and hydrocort (a low dose of hydrocortisone to balance my cortisol). At first, I felt amazing. But over time, I started gaining weight and feeling off. My body was telling me something wasn’t right.

During a routine wellness visit in 2017, my doctor expressed concern about my elevated liver function. When he asked about my supplements, he linked my high liver enzymes to the hydrocort, a steroid. So much for minimal side effects! I had spent thousands of dollars only to discover my treatment was causing more harm than good. I immediately stopped BHRT and turned back to nature for answers.

Returning to Nature for Healing
My mentor had always emphasized the power of food as medicine. She suggested incorporating phytoestrogens naturally through my diet rather than taking soy capsules. But, in my impatience, I ignored her advice and started taking soy supplements.

Within months, I felt terrible. My voice became hoarse, my body ached, and my legs throbbed at night. Heart palpitations and flu-like symptoms plagued me.

One morning, I woke up and noticed lumps protruding from both sides of my throat. I rushed to my doctor, who sent me for a thyroid sonogram. The results were alarming—my thyroid nodules had enlarged, and I had developed a new mass. My thyroid was malfunctioning, sending my cholesterol and hormone levels spiraling.

My doctor referred me to an endocrinologist for a biopsy. But before I went down that road, I had an epiphany. I had healed my dog’s irritable bowel syndrome through diet and supplements. If I could heal my dog naturally, why couldn’t I heal myself?

I dove deep into researching whole foods, enzymes, and gut-healing strategies. I overhauled my diet, eliminating inflammatory foods and focusing on nutrient-dense, alkaline foods. I incorporated superfoods, probiotics, digestive enzymes, and wildcrafted algae to support my gut and endocrine system.

Within months, the transformation was undeniable. My energy returned. My cholesterol stabilized, and I lost 24 pounds. The heart palpitations disappeared. Most importantly, when I went back for my follow-up thyroid sonogram, the mass and nodules had shrunk, and my hormone levels were normalizing.

CONCLUSION
Looking back, my battle with premature ovarian failure, leading to full-blown menopause at 43, adrenal fatigue, and thyroid dysfunction, was a blessing in disguise. It led me to uncover the body’s incredible ability to heal itself when given the right tools.

 

References: https://medlineplus.gov/primaryovarianinsufficiency.html

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/07/010716112326.htm

https://www.lancastergeneralhealth.org/health-hub-home/2021/october/one-more-reason-not-to-smoke-early-menopause

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17963-primary-ovarian-insufficiency

 AUTHOR

EMANUELA VISONE: As a Certified Functional Nutritionist Counselor, Health and Life Coach, Emanuela works with clients one-on-one in helping them make better food and lifestyle choices. Individuals who have a passion to feel better physically and mentally in order to increase daily energy and productivity. Ms. Visone was her own living experiment when she successfully healed her malfunctioning thyroid back to normal as well dramatically shrunk a mass and nodules that were also on my thyroid by more than half their size in 4 months. 

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Healing Through Nature's Medicine, A Story of Hope 

Paperback – Large Print, October 6, 2021

by Emanuela Visone (Author)

When I look back at how far I've come with regards to restoring my health, I am amazed at how much I've learned on this journey of naturally health my body and how miraculously wonderful our bodies are when given the right environment.

I felt like my body was my enemy for a long time. Starting at the age of 38, I was diagnosed with premature ovarian failure fast forwarding me into menapause by the age of 40. This was very hard for me to accept this because I still was not married and had no children. I had the dreams many little girls have to get married and I always wanted children. I say it all the time, I wish I knew then what I know now because the doctors all told me back then I am perfectly healthy, it's just that my ovaries were failing. I think to myself now, If I was I healthy, my ovaries would not have stopped working at such a young age? There was something obviously very wrong.

In my mid-forties my hormones were a mess, I had adrenal fatigue, bad body aches and joint pain and had also developed hypothyroidism as well as a mass and nodules on it. To put it mildly, I felt terrible. I had gained around 30 pounds that would not come off, I was always tired and that just made me very cranky and insecure. (see full story in Amazin.com)