Happy Hysterectomy Anniversary to Me (And Welcome to My HRT Experiment 😬)

Boy have I learned a thing or two-- the hard way

It’s been almost exactly one year since I parted ways with my uterus, ovaries, and the whole nine yards, and honestly? Best decision ever. I’ve felt radically great. Like, genuinely didn’t-know-I-could-feel-this-good great.

But here’s the thing about being a DNA-based wellness founder who’s also a certifiable biohacking nerd: I can’t leave well enough alone. 🙃

When “Good” Meets “Optimal”

This fall, I ran my follow-up labs to see where my hormones had stabilized post-hysterectomy. I felt good, but my levels were hanging out on the low side of what’s often considered “optimal” in functional medicine circles.

My brain immediately went: Well, if I feel THIS good at these levels... imagine how amazing I’d feel at slightly higher levels!

You can probably guess where this is going.

I decided to run an experiment in the name of science (and let’s be real, vanity and performance). I completely overhauled my HRT protocol—switched from oral progesterone and topical estrogen over to all injectables for three months. And because I apparently enjoy living dangerously, I reintroduced a teensy dose of testosterone too.

The goal? See if slightly higher progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone would unlock an EVEN BETTER ME.

Spoiler alert: It did not.

The Honeymoon Phase

For the first couple months, I felt incredible. Energy was up. Workouts were strong. Brain fog? Gone. I was convinced I’d cracked the code, naturally.

Quite pleased with myself, I pressed on. I even started to wiggle up the dose on my Testosterone and Estrogen.

And then... things started getting weird.

When “Optimal” Goes Rogue

The past few weeks, I started feeling puffy. Inflamed. Just... off. My jeans felt tighter. My face looked rounder. My skin started breaking out like I was 16 again. And the chin hairs? NOT. ON. MY. WATCH.

So I did what any self-respecting genomics nerd does: I went back to the drawing board. I ran progress report labs, since it had been 3 full months, and WHOOPS—

My testosterone had skyrocketed over 230 ng/dL. Now, some women feel absolutely amazing at these levels—I am not one of them. My body also has faster genetic conversion from T to Estrogen, so I knew this was risky to begin with. Cool, cool, cool.

Progesterone results were actually GREAT—it climbed from 0.5 to 4 ng/mL, which is finally a functional level. I’m keeping this win and sticking with injectable progesterone instead of oral.

But then there’s the estrogen situation. My levels tripled. Not inherently “problematic” by lab standards, but my body had opinions. Specifically, it decided to hold onto a burst of puffy, inflamed weight. Nearly TEN. POUNDS. 🤬

And here’s the part that genuinely scared me: my lipedema started flaring. For those who don’t know, I had lipedema surgery about a year and a half ago to manage the painful fat deposits in my legs. Seeing my legs swell again? HELL to the NO NO.

Now I know this is mostly fluid retention— but I’m not messing around.

The Course Correction

So here’s what I’m doing to unfuck this situation.

I’m switching back to topical estrogen at my previous dose. Turns out my body processes topical way better than injectable. Turns out I DO feel better at minimal levels. Who knew? Oh right—my genes did.

Now I could continue injectable Estrogen and titrate down, but here’s the concern. My starting dose was already quite small in number of units, and it’s dosed twice per week— not daily. I’m not confident that I’ll be getting consistent dosing if I’m aiming for just a couple of units twice per week. Even as a very experienced injector— we’re talking tiny amounts here, and I think it’s just going to be too strong and/or inconsistent for me personally. Back to my daily spray!

I’m keeping the injectable progesterone at the higher dose though. After years of struggling here, I finally got progesterone into a functional range, and I’m not giving that up. I honestly wish I’d started injectable much sooner— could have looked differently for sure, although I have absolutely ZERO regrets about my hysterectomy. Honey, I’m celebrating the past year of not having to deal with cycles or monthly fluctuations.

Testosterone? We’re breaking up. Sorry, T. You and I are done. Shelved indefinitely. See you NEVER.

And I’m temporarily adding DIM and CDG to support detox (per my genetic pathways) so I can clear out this estrogen excess. Thank God I know exactly which detox pathways to target based on my DNA—this is literally what our Body by Design testing is for!

The Real Lesson Here

Here’s the unsexy truth that nobody in biohacking likes to admit: Optimal lab ranges are not universal.

Bio-individuality still reigns Queen:

You can have “perfect” numbers on paper and feel like absolute garbage. Or you can be outside the “optimal” range and feel phenomenal. Your body doesn’t care what the chart says. It cares how it feels.

And this is where genomics becomes non-negotiable. My DNA tells me how I metabolize these hormones—fast, slow, or somewhere in between. It shows me which detox pathways I need to support, and what my inflammatory triggers and thresholds are.

Without that roadmap? I’d still be chasing “optimal” numbers while wondering why my jeans keep getting tighter and my face looks like a pepperoni pizza.

The Takeaway

If you’re navigating perimenopause, menopause, or post-hysterectomy HRT, here’s what I want you to know.

Labs are data points, not gospel. If you feel good at lower levels? Stay there. Don’t let “optimal” ranges gaslight you into thinking you need more.

True— it doesn’t hurt to explore a little because what if it had been great?! But having advanced biochemical insights to attempt to eliminate blind spots and prevent pitfalls is essential— as is frequent monitoring. If it hadn’t fallen during high holiday season (and my fabulous vacation to Mexico to ring in the New Year!) I would’ve tested a couple weeks sooner and likely avoided the intensity of the spikes.

Delivery method matters—a LOT. Topical, oral, injectable—they all metabolize differently in your body. What works brilliantly for someone else might be a complete disaster for you.

Your genes hold the answers. Seriously. If you’re guessing at HRT protocols without knowing how YOUR body processes hormones, you’re flying blind. And even if you think you’re educated on this stuff, you might be missing critical pieces.

Biohacking is a game of iteration, not perfection. I’m a literal genomics expert and I still screwed this up. The win isn’t avoiding mistakes—it’s catching them fast and adjusting before things spiral.

So here I am, almost one year post-hysterectomy, slightly puffy, slightly humbled, and significantly wiser. My legs are reminding me that hormones are not to be toyed with. My skin is calming down, TFG. And I’m course-correcting with the precision that only comes from actually understanding your blueprint.

Happy anniversary to me. 🧬✨

And if you’re thinking, “Damn, I wish I understood MY body this well”—that’s literally what I do. Let’s talk.