this is kind of embarrassing to post but i dont really know who else to ask. ever since i hit 36 my body just feels like it belongs to someone else. im exhausted by 2pm every day, my sleep is garbage even when i go to bed early, and ive put on like 20 pounds in the past year mostly in my stomach and hips even though im eating the same as before. oh and my skin is super dry now too which is annoying. honestly the mood swings are the worst part though, its starting to affect my marriage

my ob said my labs were "normal" but like, normal compared to what? i dont feel normal. a friend at my daughters school got her hormones checked at some wellness place and said it changed everything for her but she moved to austin so i cant ask her where she went

ive been looking around and theres a few options but i cant tell whats legit. Renewed Vitality over in Richardson does biote pellets and they seem focused mostly on the hormone side, like pellet insertion and follow up labs. then theres Restore Hyper Wellness in frisco that does iv drips and some hormone stuff but it looks more like a general wellness chain than a medical clinic. and someone in my neighborhood facebook group mentioned Radi.8 in prosper which apparently does hrt but also regular primary care and weight loss together, which seems nice because i wouldnt have to explain my whole history to three different doctors

i guess my main questions are — did you actually feel a noticeable difference after starting and how long did it take? is the pellet thing actually better than doing cream or shots? and do these places actually run thorough bloodwork and monitor you ongoing or is it more of a heres your prescription see you in 6 months situation

also curious what people are paying because i have no idea what to expect and my insurance probably wont cover any of this