Your first hormone consultation at Restorative Health is a free, thirty-minute conversation with me in our St. Matthews office, and if it makes sense we draw your hormone panel the same day. There is no referral, no second location for the blood draw, and nothing you have to decide before you leave.
I am the nurse practitioner who sits across from you at that visit. Most people who find our hormone clinic in St. Matthews searched for hormone replacement therapy in Louisville, then sat on the phone number for a month because they did not know what the appointment would be like. So here is the whole thing, start to finish, the way it actually goes in our office.
Who comes in for a hormone consultation?
Most of the people I see are women somewhere in perimenopause or menopause, women who have had a hysterectomy, and men who suspect their testosterone has dropped. Plenty of them are in their 30s and 40s. Almost all of them have been told that what they feel is normal for their age.
The symptoms I hear about most, in roughly the words patients use:
- Waking at 3 AM and not getting back to sleep
- Hot flashes or night sweats
- Energy gone by mid afternoon
- Low or no interest in intimacy
- Mood swings, anxiety or a short fuse
- Brain fog, trouble finding words
- Losing muscle even with regular workouts
- Erections not what they were
If a few of those sound familiar, you are the person this visit is for. If you want to read about your side of it first, we have a page on hormone therapy for women and one on testosterone therapy for men.
What happens in the first thirty minutes?
We sit down in my office and talk. I ask every patient the same opening question: what has changed? Then I listen. Sleep, energy, mood, drive, focus, the things you stopped mentioning to your family doctor because the answer was always “that’s age.”
I ask about your history, any surgeries, the medications you take and what you want back. The intake form is short on purpose: your name, how to reach you and what you are experiencing. The real conversation happens in the room, not on paper.
There is no charge for this visit and nothing to decide that day. Some people come in just to ask questions, and that is a fine use of the time.
Do I get labs drawn at the first visit?
Usually, yes, if your symptoms and history point that way. We draw your hormone panel right here in the office, often at that same first appointment. No referral, no lab across town, no waiting weeks for a result you then have to interpret yourself.
For women the panel typically covers estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. For men, total and free testosterone and the related markers. I add vitamin D or thyroid when they matter for your situation. You do not usually have to fast for a hormone panel. If anything we add needs fasting, we tell you when we book it.
Results come back in a few days. I call you and we go over them together, line by line, in plain language. If your numbers look fine, I tell you that too. We do not put people on hormones their labs do not support. I would rather help you figure out what else is going on than start you on a treatment you do not need.
How do you decide on a plan?
From three things: your labs, your symptoms and your history. Two people with the same complaints can have very different numbers, and the same person’s numbers change over time. That is why I never dose off a chart.
For most of our patients, women and men, the foundation is bioidentical hormone pellets from an accredited compounding pharmacy. A pellet is a small, rice-sized dose placed just under the skin, usually at the upper hip, in a short office visit. The spot is numbed first, a tiny opening is made, the pellets go in and a small bandage goes on. It takes a few minutes. You drive yourself home and go about your day, with a short break from soaking baths and hard workouts while the site heals. Pellets release a steady dose for several months, so there are no daily pills to remember and no peaks and valleys.
Men who prefer injections can choose those instead. Testosterone injections are weekly or every other week, in the office or at home once I show you how. Which route is right depends on your labs, your schedule and what you prefer. I lay out both at the consultation, and the choice is yours.
The full process, visit by visit, is on our how it works page.
What happens after I start?
We recheck your levels after your first round and before each round that follows. The next dose is based on where you actually are, not where you were last time. Most patients settle into a rhythm of a few visits a year. Between visits, you can call.
I want to be plain about one thing. Hormone therapy is a medical treatment with real benefits and real considerations. Many patients tell us they sleep better and feel more even within the first few weeks, and that energy, focus and libido often follow over the first couple of months. Everyone is different. Hormone therapy is not right for everyone, and if your history points another way, I say so.
Where is the office and what should I bring?
We are at 4010 Dupont Cir, Suite L28, in the Professional Towers building in St. Matthews, Louisville, KY 40207. There is free parking out front. Visits are by appointment, and we can usually find a time that works around a work schedule.
Bring a list of your current medications and any recent lab work or records you have, especially if you have had a hysterectomy or your ovaries removed. If you have nothing, that is fine. We start from scratch all the time.
Questions we hear
Is the consultation really free?
Yes. Thirty minutes with me, no charge, no obligation. If you choose to have labs drawn that day, we go over the cost before anything happens, so there are no surprises.
Do I need a referral or a doctor’s order for the labs?
No. I order the panel and we draw it in the office, usually at your free consultation. You can call or book online and come in.
Does the pellet insertion hurt?
The spot is numbed first. Most patients describe pressure more than pain, and the visit itself takes a few minutes. You drive yourself home afterward.
Do you take insurance?
Hormone therapy is not typically covered by insurance, so we keep things simple and tell you exactly what to expect at your consultation. HSA and FSA cards are welcome.
If you have been putting this off, the first step is a conversation. Book your free consultation or call (502) 749-6565 and we find a time that works for you. I look forward to meeting you in St. Matthews.