Barbara Sheridan was a busy woman, balancing work, household chores, and raising a family. Concerned with her health, she even quit smoking, only to suffer a debilitating headache in the middle of a work day. The headaches continued, along with vomiting and nausea. Barbara’s doctor conducted a CAT scan, but concluded that Barbara was suffering from peri-menopause. Peri-menopause refers to the symptoms of menopause experienced five to ten years before menopause. Barbara says, "you see changes to your body like hot flashes or night sweats. You become a lot more irritated at simple little things."

The standard treatment for peri-menopausal symptoms is hormone replacement therapy, which Barbara tried. She immediately gained weight and became fatigued. She says, "I was totally fatigued and exhausted all the time so every little task became an issue." Her frustration led to a rise in Barbara’s stress level. She began to explore other kinds of therapy. "One of my friends suggested that maybe I should start having massages," she says. She also began to visit a chiropractor in hopes of reducing her pain and stress.

Just as Barbara began to feel that her life was under control, she suffered another attack at work. This time it was her heart. She had a virus called myocarditis which had damaged her left ventricle. Her immune system was too weak to fight back. Emotionally and physically devastated, she went to Dr. Alvin Pettle, a gynecologist who combined alternative and traditional medicine.Dr. Pettle recommended hormone therapy, but this time a natural cream therapy instead of a synthetic pill. The treatment worked for six or seven months, but didn’t solve all of Barbara’s problems. She met nutritionist Julie Slipacoff, who suggested that she had a major yeast infection which could be treated by dietary changes. Julie says, "I decided to build up her immune system with pretty heavy duty supplementation and gave her a diet which eliminated simple sugar." Barbara began to feel better. Today, she’s slowly recovering – thanks to many helpful people. She says, "I really believe it’s my team – my nutritionist, my doctor, my chiropractor – all of them have really helped me." Now it’s Barbara’s turn to help, as she shares her new found knowledge.

"You see changes to your body like hot flashes or night sweats. You become a lot more irritated at simple little things."
– Barbara Sheridan