Three things I wish every woman knew:
Not textbook facts. The things I actually tell my patients, and myself.
1. Your labs can be "normal" and you can still feel awful.
Standard reference ranges are wide, and wide doesn't mean right for you. Optimal and normal aren't the same thing.
2. Perimenopause can start in your mid-to-late 30s.
Most women don't hear "perimenopause" until their late 40s, but the hormonal shifts (and symptoms) can start over a decade earlier.
3. Brain fog, anxiety, and rage aren't "just stress."
Estrogen and progesterone directly affect your brain chemistry. What feels like a personality change is often a hormone change.