Meet Cherie Fetterman

In my late 30s I noticed that my menstrual cycle was becoming less predictable. It went from a 29 day cycle to a 26-32 day cycle. For 26 years it had been 29 days, predictably. At my annual gynecologic exam I said to my doctor, “I realize that my next phase is perimenopause/menopause. What can I expect?” My doctor literally shrugged her shoulders and said, “well, everyone is different.”. I pressed her for more information and she said, “When you get there, we can talk more.”, and she left the room. I remember thinking, “If I didn’t know what to expect, how would I know when I was there?”. I left the appointment thinking that I had done the responsible thing and asked the appropriate person. If I couldn’t get answers from my gynecologist, who could I get answers from? In grade school women are taught about menstruation and what to expect; in junior high (or sooner) women are taught about pregnancy; there are doctors and countless books to let you know what to expect when you are expecting; and after that there is nothing!

There were no reliable resources! No one would talk about it.

As a biologist I decided I am capable of figuring this out, and started researching. I read countless studies, webpages, and books. Unfortunately, I found that although the information is available, still no one is talking. I went to a different gynecologist, and asked my primary care doctor about the information I had found. Both of these failed to give enough information to satisfy me, and dismissed my symptoms.

Soon, I had countless symptoms. For years I chased down diagnosis after diagnosis going to dermatologists, rheumatologist, bone doctors, allergists, ear, nose and throat doctors, and no one put the symptoms together. Until one day, after 6 years of being bounced around, a lovely physician’s assistant at the allergist said to me, “I think your body soreness and your itching are related. You may consider a doctor consultation about hormones”. This was an eye opener!

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I was fortunate enough to obtain an appointment at Mayo Clinic’s Menopause and Women’s Sexual Health Clinic. Here I finally had most of my questions answered!! I was reassured that I didn’t have to accept the pain, itching, weight gain, sleepless nights, and other symptoms that had nearly debilitated me. I was reassured that I could and would feel better. Within a week I started feeling more energy and a bit more like my old self. Two (2) years later I had regained nearly all the strength and endurance I had lost, and my activity level was where I wanted it to be. I was able to run, swim, bike, water ski, and do all the things I had slowly given up, because I thought that was my fate in aging and going through menopause. Today, I am very active. I run 4-5 times a week, do stretching and static exercises, scuba dive, and my body doesn’t hold me back as it did before. I am able to sleep through the night, work and vacation on my terms, and live a healthy lifestyle. After my dramatic experience, and all the research I had done, I decided that I wanted to help women know more, to be able to make their own decisions, and feel better.

 

This is what led me to become a Menopause Coach.