Stuck in the Middle: The Menopause Clinic is helping women take their lives, and bodies, back
“Maybe it’s just in your head?”
This is how each of nurse practitioner Crystal Burke’s doctor’s appointments ended, when, at 38, she was suddenly plagued with an onslaught of symptoms, from insomnia to heart palpitations to brain fog to anxiety. In a quest for not just answers but solutions, Burke found herself bouncing from doctor to doctor. But after seeing the inside of more waiting rooms than she could count, she felt even more hopeless and lonely than ever.
“I wish someone had just grabbed my shoulders and said, ‘Hey, you’re not crazy. This is real. It’s common. And, yep, perimenopause can crash your party in your 30s,’” Burke says. “Hearing that would have saved me years of confusion—and maybe a few ugly cries in the car.”
For nearly all of history, the midlife struggles of women have remained tucked away in the background. The nameless woman depicted in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” comes to mind, as she—and her postpartum depression—is isolated, confined and dismissed. But much like the short story’s narrator, the women of today are tearing down the facade in desperate pursuit of freedom. Freedom from debilitating symptoms. Freedom from faking a smile. And freedom from being told they’re just losing it.
The first step? A proper diagnosis. And thanks to outspoken public figures and honest and open lines of communication through social media and podcasts, the term “perimenopause,” or the period prior to menopause characterized by hormonal fluctuations and other changes, has now made its way to the mainstream and to the women who need to hear it.
“Suddenly, you’re not broken or imagining things,” Burke says. “You’re just, well, perimenopausal.”
Her own journey through perimenopause, and her 15-plus-year background in medicine, led Burke to join forces with her partner, Steven Youngblood, MD, to establish The Menopause Clinic. The New Orleans-based Telehealth clinic aims to meet women where they are, listening to symptoms with compassion and offering real, science-backed treatments that make a difference in women’s lives, both short and long term.
“When we catch perimenopause early and treat it right, especially with hormone replacement (HRT) where it fits, we’re not just cooling off the hot flashes,” Burke explains. “We’re protecting your bones, your heart, your brain and your spark for decades to come. HRT, when started at the right time, which is within 10 years of menopause or before age 60, can help keep bones strong, lower your risk of heart disease by 50%, support brain health and decrease the risk of dementia and diabetes, and make sleep, mood and sex a whole lot better.”
But Burke says treatment isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation. With over 45 symptoms ranging from hot flashes and night sweats to mood swings and depression to achy joints and itchy skin, and the possibility of kicking off as early as a woman’s late 30s, no two women and no two circumstances are alike. Rather, the key to success, and the key to The Menopause Clinic’s approach, is listening and tailoring treatments to each woman and her unique symptoms.
“I’m still riding the perimenopause rollercoaster myself, so when I say, ‘I get it,’ trust me, I really do,” Burke says. “Not that long ago, I was up at 3 a.m., too, wondering why my body suddenly felt like it was running on a software update nobody told me about. From personal experience, I know the right treatment can be absolutely life-changing.
So when I talk to patients, I hope to bring not just my professional healthcare training but my own journey, too. I think that combination—professional know-how plus lived experience—makes for the kind of care that’s honest, open and full of heart. It builds real trust, sparks honest conversations and, hopefully, reminds the women I talk to that they’re not alone in this.”
You’re not crazy. Here are some perimenopause and menopause myths that Crystal Burke says you shouldn’t fall for.
It’s all in your head.
“Oh, give me a break. Your symptoms are real. Hormones can actually shake up your brain chemistry and even change its structure. The MRI scans are proof enough. You’re definitely not imagining this.”
It doesn’t start until your 50s.
“Nice try. Perimenopause often kicks off in your late 30s or 40s, and symptoms can sneak in even while your periods are normal.”
Hot flashes are the only symptoms.
“If only it were that simple! Anxiety, mood swings, brain fog, bizarre periods, joint pain—the whole circus comes to town. Estrogen clearly loves drama.”
You just have to tough it out.
“Hard pass. There are real treatments—hormonal and non-hormonal—and guess what? Many are covered by insurance. We’re talking FDA-approved options you can pick up at CVS, Walgreens or your local family pharmacy (yes, even the bioidentical kind) today— not in a week or a month. Suffering is not a requirement.”
Only severe cases need treatment.
“No trophies for suffering in silence. If your symptoms are messing with your life, you’re allowed to get help.”
Menopause means you’re old.
“Oh, please. Menopause is just a new chapter, not a one-way ticket to grandma-ville.”
