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“This is normal”

Every time Kim went to her OB-GYN, she got the same answer.

It's menopause.

Poor sleep and unexplained weight change? Menopause. Cholesterol increasing year after year? Menopause. 

As a retired environmental consultant and scientist by training, Kim spent her entire career paying attention to the slow accumulation of things you can't see with the naked eye. And yet her own concerns kept getting dismissed.

She ate well. Stayed active. And still felt these slow internal shifts no one could explain. Just "This is normal. This is what it feels like to be 55… 60… 65."

But normal didn't feel right.

She needed data.

The decision to test

Standard testing only went so far. Basic cholesterol. Glucose. A basic thyroid panel if she pushed for it.

So she took it upon herself to read the science. She learned how estrogen affects the heart, brain, and bones. She followed Mark Hyman, M.D., and decided to look deeper when she kept seeing Function.

Days later, at a work event through her husband’s employer, she learned they were offering a year of Function membership.

“I took it as a sign and signed up.”

Never saw it coming

Kim expected a few minor flags.

Instead, 10 out of 13 cardiovascular markers were out of range. 

Her Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), was elevated at 222 nmol/L. Lp(a) is a genetically influenced particle linked to higher cardiovascular risk. It’s not typically included in standard cholesterol testing. 

Kim had never seen this number before. No one had ever measured it. What made it harder to process: there was no history of heart disease in her family.

That was a shock. I could be the woman who walks into the ER with a heart attack and never saw it coming.

Her hs-CRP was out of range at 3.6 mg/L. Chronically elevated hs-CRP is also linked to cardiovascular risk. Seeing it flagged, stacked on top of high Lp(a) and elevated LDL, reframed everything.

I learned more from that 1 set of lab tests than I had in years of annual physicals.

It wasn’t just the numbers. It was the context. Each result came with detailed insights explaining what the markers mean and what areas to focus on next, from nutrition to specific supplements to follow-up conversations with her doctors.

“I finally felt like I wasn’t guessing.”

A change in hormones

For more than a decade, Kim had asked about hormone therapy.

Both her primary care provider and her OB declined because she was “too far past menopause” and the risks were “too high.” The 2002 study linking hormone therapy and breast cancer was repeatedly cited.

But Kim had read the updated analyses. She understood the flaws in the original interpretation — that most women in the study had waited years after menopause to start, that the risks were actually pretty small, and that findings from one formulation had been broadly applied to all hormone therapy. The newer data painted a more nuanced picture. Her Function results were the tipping point.

“If estrogen affects the brain, bones, and heart and I’m showing cardiovascular risk, I need to look at this seriously.”

She sought out a telehealth provider, sharing her full lab results and medical history. After discussing the benefits and risks, she started hormone therapy under medical supervision. Within 2 weeks, her nights had transformed.

I’m sleeping through the night. I wake up rested.

Better sleep improved her mood. Her energy. Her willingness to move. She started walking more, added a mini trampoline she'd always wanted, and began omega-3 and cholesterol-focused supplements. Plus, she tightened her diet: minimally processed foods and more greens from her hydroponic kitchen garden. She lost 8 pounds easily.

“I feel like myself again.”

Pushing back with data

Kim brought her results back to her original doctors.

They had heard of Function. Some were skeptical. Others were dismissive. But this time, she wasn’t asking questions. She walked in prepared.

These are my numbers. This is what I’ve changed. This is how I feel.

Kim is now committed to testing twice a year for the rest of her life. Because information is no longer anxiety-inducing. It’s stabilizing.

“There’s nothing to lose by having more in-depth information about your health. Especially as a woman. We get brushed off too easily.”

I've always advocated for my family. I realized I wasn't fighting as hard for myself.

Now she always will.

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