I am a baby boomer born in 1947. I participated (quite happily I might add) in the sexual revolution of the 60’s. The birth control pill was radical. It meant that women could enjoy their sexuality without worrying about getting pregnant. Synthetic hormones, who cared! We didn’t even think about it. It was modern, like going to the moon, plastics, the Beatles. It changed the world and it allowed me to have freedom and fun. A few years later, when the scary stories came out, I switched to the IUD. I had three of them; the lippes loop, dalkon shield and finally the copper 7. I still have them. Maybe someday I’ll make jewelry out of them! 

In the 70’s, a book was published, “Our Bodies Ourselves” which gave women information about their bodies that had never been widely available. It was the first book of its type and was pretty radical for it’s time period. Part of my feminism was to take charge of my sexual and reproductive education and health. In the early 70’s, at a junior college in Southern California, a group of us “radical” women climbed on top of desktops with plastic speculums and mirrors and looked at our cervixes.

During this period, I also joined a women’s’ consciousness group. We would meet once a week, eat cheese and drink wine, and bitch about our boyfriends and husbands. It was the first time that women began to gather in groups other than Tupperware parties, baby or wedding showers. There was one lesbian in our group and I remember I had a crush on her. I was just amazed that a woman could “live” without the care and protection of a man. 

In my late twenties, I fell in love with a woman and got a divorce. I have been a lesbian since 1974. It was a relief to not have to worry about birth control anymore. I sailed along until my late forties when I developed Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and began to experience difficulty. The dreaded 50^th birthday came and I started to

get really uncomfortable. My periods became erratic and I began gaining weight, even though I still ate the same way. I began to experience terrible hot flashes, which interfered with my sleep. I was awake 3 to 4 times a night, wet and on fire. You may not be aware of it, but they use sleep deprivation as a form of torture. It is very destructive to one’s mental state, let alone job performance the next day. My life continued to get worse. In addition to the hot flashes and sleep disturbances, I also had foggy thinking, lost my interest in sex; my heart started feeling funny and would have “pings”. I became more and more depressed and my energy level was zero. I could hardly make it thru the day. 

My ten year relationship started to suffer. I felt like I was going to go mad and was acting like it also. I found myself in my doctor’s office, crying uncontrollably saying that I could not go on like this. She tried to put me on premarin, but I declined. I wasn’t going to take anything made from pregnant horse urine combined with synthetics (made-made extra chemicals). Besides, my mother and her mother both died of breast cancer. I was terrified of hormones at that point. She put me on blood pressure meds and anti-depressants. 

I started researching on the net and found a site called Power Surge which led me to a pharmacy which compounded natural bioidentical hormones in capsule form. These were to be taken every day in the same dose, not exactly what the body does, but they did give me a little relief. 

Then the Women’s Health Initiative Study was halted when it was discovered that HRT was actually harming women. That did it for me. I stopped all hormones, even though I knew I wasn’t taking standard, HRT. I’d had enough thank you! We can put a man on the moon, but we can’t have a safe and effective method for dealing with menopause. Outrageous! 

A few more years went by and my relationship ended. My health continued to deteriorate. I kept gaining weight, started on prescription antacids, an anti-anxiety

medicine (in addition to the anti-depressant that I was already taking) and a stronger blood pressure medicine. Most recently, they added a cholesterol lowering statin and synthroid, as it was discovered that my thyroid is under active. 

So I think you can understand why I was intrigued when I saw Suzanne Somers new books, “The Sexy Years” and “Slim and Sexy Forever”. You’ve got to be kidding? Wasn’t she my age, 58? My God, she looks fabulous. Those Hollywood types, they’ve got the money to look good! It’s not fair! 

I got the books and discovered that she was using natural hormones. This led me to additional research where I found T.S. Wiley’s book, “Sex, Lies and Menopause”. One week later, I saw in the Women’s Press that T. S. Wiley was going to be speaking at Arroyo Grande Hospital. I went, I believed her, and I bought it hook, line and sinker. I liked her no nonsense attitude and her pioneering spirit. I started on the Wiley Protocol. 

What exactly is the Wiley Protocol? It is a hormonal plan developed by T. S. Wiley. Her book offers strong evidence that the use of synthetic hormones leads to cancer and suggests that women turn to natural hormone replacement therapy – derived from plants, not drugs – to help them elevate their estrogen level for greater energy, libido and intellectual capacity. The research presented in the book allows women to create their own plan of action by safely putting themselves on the path to better health and hormonal balance at any stage of life. The book poses the question, “Is living without hormones really living?” 

More than likely your doctor has never heard of natural hormones. But getting your hands on the real deal isn’t the only problem. Getting “enough” hormones to make yourself on a real normal physiologically rhythmic cycle just like when you were young – that’s the problem. T. S. Wiley has standardized the manufacture of these natural hormones and has contracted with certain pharmacies that compound the ingredients the same way every time, hence the “Wiley Protocol”. I got a list of the physicians in the area that know about the Wiley Protocol, visited one and got my first prescription. 

I recently attended my first monthly support group of Wiley Protocol users. I felt that old sense of excitement and empowerment when I pulled up to the building and saw all the women waiting to go in. T. S. Wiley led the support group and she was to the point, no nonsense, matter-of-fact powerful. I love her! I was reminded of my junior college experience where women were taking control of their bodies and health decisions. I felt excited and proud to be part of this group. 

I have just started on my third month of the protocol. The protocol is cyclical just like the body needs it to be. I use the estrogen every day in varying amounts and the progesterone 14 days a month in varying amounts. It comes in a white cream and is rubbed on the inside of my arm. The natural hormones I take are prescribed in a cycle that mimics the rhythmic, escalating and descending doses my body naturally produced when I was young. This is not the case with conventional HRT, which is the same dosage every day of the month. My cycle follows the lunar calendar and oh yes did I mention that I will be restarting my periods? Radical? Yes! Outrageous? Yes! Do-able? Hell Yes! if I can have my life back. My goal is to be off all prescription meds and drop 50 pounds. And to feel like the “old” me. I want her back! 

I worry that Wyeth and the other major drug companies will try to shut us down. They are losing millions of dollars for not mass marketing dangerous synthetic hormones to all us baby boomers. That is why I am writing this article: to get the word out, to continue to be a pioneer for women and to say there has to be a better way to deal with getting older and staying healthier. I think I have found it with the Wiley Protocol. One final bit of information…..I feel fabulous and have begun tapering off the anti-depressants.