Returning home, I settled onto my couch with my laptop.

At 48, I’m old enough to remember life before the Internet and smartphones.  When your doctor’s word was final. 

But times have changed – for the better, I think.

We have a world of medical knowledge at our fingertips, thanks to the Internet, and the ability to crowdsource advice and referrals from global communities of women via social platforms like Facebook and Instagram. 

I had tried the old-school approach to addressing my health concerns; I visited my doctor and struck out.

It was time to take my concerns online… 

… And try a telehealth solution.

A couple of months ago, I was confiding my symptoms to a small group of friends in our private Messanger chat, complaining about how stupid and old I was feeling lately. 

My friend swore that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) had turned her life around…  

… Getting her menopause symptoms under control.

But she warned me: “Old school doctors won’t recommend this.”

“Why not?” I wondered.

It’s well known that gender bias in medicine affects every aspect of women’s healthcare.

Men’s outcomes are favored.  Women’s outcomes are overlooked.  And as a society, we have a high tolerance for women’s suffering. 

So it can be extremely challenging to find a local doctor who specializes in women’s healthcare and menopause.

Especially for women who struggle to speak up and self-advocate.  

(Doctors are intimidating.) 

That’s why when my friend recommended Winona…

… I got curious.

A US-based telehealth company with board-certified doctors who specialize in menopause?
Having REAL conversations with women about their symptoms?And prescribing hormone replacement therapy customized to each woman’s specific needs?
It sounded amazing. But was it a scam?

After my last appointment with my regular doctor, I had no reservations about contacting Winona…

I had already lurked their website for a few weeks.

I’d read hundreds of their client success stories.

They clearly had a fan base with a 4.8 Star TrustPilot rating. 

And their website was dedicated to empowering women to make informed healthcare decisions – with hundreds of pages of articles, doctor videos, client stories, and more.

If my doctor wasn’t going to help me, maybe they would. 

Getting started with Winona was so easy…

… I felt a little skeptical at first. 

If you’re used to waiting weeks or months for doctor appointments, you might feel this way, too. 

Because their intake process is a simple “Get To Know You” quiz that takes about 2 minutes to complete on their website.  

Nothing tricky or surprising about it.

They ask you questions about your basic health and menopause symptoms. 

Like do you experience hot flashes?  Brain fog?  Painful sex? Anxiety? Weight gain?

Once your intake form has been submitted (via their secure, on-site quiz), you wait for a doctor to reach out.

I was shocked by how quickly they contacted me.

I heard back from Dr. Cathleen Brown within 90 minutes of finishing my quiz!  

And apparently, my experience is pretty typical.

They usually respond SAME DAY.  

(Daytime hours, weekdays, of course.) 

How are they doing this? My research uncovered that they currently have NINE board-certified doctors on staff who specialize in women’s health and menopause.

My conversation with Dr. Cathleen Brown moved swiftly…

After reviewing my intake form, she asked me a few more questions about my specific symptoms and confirmed what I already suspected:

I was likely experiencing perimenopause. 

When I asked her if I would need bloodwork done to check my hormone levels, her answer initially surprised me:“No, we don’t bother with blood tests – they’re not helpful for prescribing treatment.”
But her explanation made so much sense: 
“As women, our hormone levels fluctuate constantly… daily, even hourly. So blood test results are just a snapshot in time. It’s more useful for us to understand ALL your symptoms when prescribing treatment.”

This resonated with me. 

As women, we FEEL our hormones constantly shifting.

“But what about cancer?” I asked. “Does HRT increase my cancer risk?”  

I appreciated how patient Dr. Brown was being, taking the time to address my concerns.“Unfortunately, this is a common fear, and it prevents a lot of women from pursuing HRT.  It comes from an inaccurate study done by the Women’s Health Initiative over 30 years ago when they used hormones derived from pregnant horse urine.” 

“While some doctors DO still prescribe this hormone (Premarin), Winona does NOT!    We prescribe bioidentical hormone replacement therapy that is plant-based.” 

“And as far as HRT causing cancer, studies have shown that women receiving bioidentical HRT can actually have decreased risk of some cancers, stroke, heart disease, bone loss, and diabetes.”

Honestly, I’d already done enough research to know what Dr. Brown was saying was true.

But it was reassuring to hear it from her.

Choosing a treatment plan was easy.  

Dr. Brown explained my options and made recommendations based on my symptoms.

It was clear that Winona is committed to ensuring that every woman gets a treatment plan that’s customized to your unique health profile and symptoms.

A combination of estrogen, testosterone, and DHEA… 

(You might need one, two, or all three.) 

… In dosing appropriate for you, delivered via cream, oral pill, or patches. 

The entire conversation took less than 15 minutes.

Yet, for the first time in years, I felt validated, supported, and BELIEVED by my doctor.  

My symptoms WERE affecting my quality of life.  And I didn’t need to accept the weight gain, brain fog, painful sex, or hot flashes as a “normal part of aging.”

There were treatment options available. 

And I didn’t even need to leave my house to access them. 

Once we’d settled on my treatment plan, Dr. Brown surprised me again:

There was no prescription to collect.
No pharmacy to visit.

Because once your Winona doctor has finalized your treatment plan, it’s passed to their compounding pharmacies – who formulate the prescription specifically for you.

And ship it directly to your door.

(Shipping is FREE, too!)

So there’s no pharmacy visit required! 

I got mine within 7 days, but they say 3 to 10 days is typical.

And your next month’s prescription is sent automatically (so convenient), so you never run out.

Although you can adjust or even cancel your prescription renewal at any time.

Even once you’ve started treatment… 

… Winona keeps in touch with you. 

Offering free, unlimited follow-ups with your doctor.

So they can tweak and adjust your hormone replacement therapy until you’re really feeling better – like yourself again.

For me, 6 weeks into my treatment, I haven’t needed to make any adjustments yet.  

My hot flashes subsided almost instantly, within the first week.  

My anxiety has noticeably reduced, my libido has increased, and sex is finally FUN again!  (No more painful intercourse.) 

The brain fog is definitely lifting.  I’m feeling smarter again, clearheaded, and I’m not embarrassing myself at work with so many “forgetful episodes.” 

Plus, I am happy to report that I’ve stopped GAINING weight.

I’ve only lost 5 lbs so far, but after 3 years of relentless weight gain that I couldn’t seem to control, I’m feeling optimistic about my health again.

And more confident overall.

And my story isn’t unique…

There’s no “cure” for menopause.  It’s a natural life transition all women will go through. 

However, the GREAT NEWS is that:
An encouraging 80% of women who commit to 90 days of hormone replacement therapy experience COMPLETE RELIEF from menopause symptoms!

Which can include: 

• Anxiety

• Body Odor

• Brain Fog

• Cramps

• Depression

• Dry Skin

• Fatigue

• Frequent UTIs

• Hair Loss

• Painful Breasts

• Painful Sex

• Poor Memory

• Skin Dryness

• Hot Flashes

• Incontinence

• Joint Pain

• Low Libido

• Mood Swings

• Muscle Loss

• Nausea

• Night Sweats

• Osteoporosis

• Hormonal Acne

• Sleep Issues

• Vaginal Dryness

• Weight Gain

Just remember…

… To maintain the results, you will need to continue therapy.

While you can cancel and stop your hormone replacement therapy at any time, doctors note that discontinuing treatment puts you at risk of symptoms returning.

So just be sure to consult with your doctor before discontinuing treatment!  

Is hormone replacement therapy right for you?  

It won’t be the solution for every woman.  

But here’s what I know, based on my experience and research: