When I sat down with Dr. Jordan Emont, I thought we would jump right into menopause, hormones, and women's health. Instead, we started somewhere I wasn't expecting at all: insurance. And honestly? It ended up being one of the most fascinating parts of our conversation.

We talked about the complexities of our healthcare system, the hurdles both patients and physicians face, and why getting the care you need isn't always as straightforward as it should be. Dr. Emont offers a unique perspective as a board-certified OB/GYN and menopause specialist who sees firsthand how insurance decisions can impact patient care and access to treatment.

From there, our conversation expanded into menopause, hormone therapy, and the importance of individualized care. We discussed what women need to know to advocate for themselves, ask better questions, and make informed decisions about their health.

We also dove into one of the biggest topics women are talking about right now—the ongoing estrogen patch shortages. Dr. Emont shared alternative options, including estrogen injections and the use of oral estradiol vaginally, a method that may help some women improve absorption while bypassing the liver.

What I loved most about this conversation is that it wasn't just about hormones. It was about understanding the system, understanding your options, and understanding that you deserve answers.

So whether you're struggling to get the treatment you need, wondering if your hormones are optimized, or simply looking to learn more about the ever-evolving world of menopause care, this episode is for you.

THANK YOU to Dr. Jordan Emont! It was such a pleasure to finally meet you. I am incredibly grateful not only for the time you spent with me on this podcast but for the countless hours you spend educating women online. Your willingness to show up, answer questions, and help women navigate menopause and healthcare is making a huge impact. I learned so much from our conversation, and I know our listeners will too!

Follow Dr. Emont @drjordanemont

Check out his Substack: drjordanemont.substack.com

Visit his website: www.drjordanemont.com

Did you know that endometriosis has been found in embryos? That's right. Endometriosis doesn't suddenly begin with a woman's first period—it can be present long before symptoms ever appear. Yet despite affecting millions of women, it still takes an average of 7 to 10 years to receive a diagnosis. For many women, that's years of pain, confusion, dismissal, and being told their symptoms are "normal."

This week on Sharing Out Loud, I'm joined by Greg Miles, PhD, Founder and CEO of Milestone Gyno-mics, an innovative women's health startup working to change that reality.

Greg is a bioinformatics PhD with more than a decade of experience in genomics, artificial intelligence, and diagnostics. His career has been built around one core belief: early detection changes lives. That conviction began after losing both of his grandparents to leukemia. There were warning signs, but technological limitations and limited access to early detection meant their diseases weren't caught in time.

Years later, that mission became deeply personal again when someone close to him spent more than 12 years suffering from chronic pain before finally receiving an endometriosis diagnosis. Like so many women, she was misdiagnosed, dismissed, and gaslit before getting answers.

Today, Greg is applying the same principles of early detection that have transformed cancer care to women's health. Through Milestone Gyno-mics, he and his team are developing a non-invasive blood test designed to diagnose endometriosis in 10 days—not 10 years.

In this conversation, we discuss the diagnostic delays that continue to plague endometriosis care, the impact those delays have on women's lives, and how emerging technologies like AI may finally help close the gap. Most importantly, we talk about why women deserve to be heard, believed, and given answers sooner.

If you've ever struggled to get a diagnosis, know someone living with endometriosis, or are passionate about improving women's healthcare, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

Let's start saying the quiet parts out loud.

Want to connect with Greg for more information or to become a research participant? Email him at greg@milestonegx.com, visit the MilestoneGX website: https://www.milestonegx.com/, or connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-miles/

Did you know that endometriosis has been found in embryos? Yes, you read that correctly. Endometriosis doesn’t suddenly begin when a girl gets her first period — research suggests it can start developing long before that. This is not simply a “woman’s disease.” It is a female disease that can impact girls and women across their entire lifespan.

In this episode of Sharing Out Loud, I sit down with Nicole Notar, founder of Endo Excision For All, for a conversation every woman, and quite honestly, every human, needs to hear. Nicole shares her deeply personal journey through the pain, dismissal, and medical gaslighting that so many women with endometriosis experience, often for years before receiving proper care.

In our conversation, we unpack the harsh realities of living with chronic pain, navigating a healthcare system that frequently minimizes female suffering, and the dangerous pattern of women being told their symptoms are “just anxiety,” “stress,” or “all in their head.” Women (and young girls!) with endometriosis do not need to be dismissed, handed antidepressants, or sent for psych evaluations when they are living with very real physical disease and pain. They deserve to be heard, properly evaluated, and given access to evidence-based care.

Through advocacy, awareness, and community support, Endo Excision For All is helping women get the care they desperately need and deserve. Any donations are so appreciated and go directly toward helping women access proper treatment and reclaim their lives.

This episode is raw, emotional, validating, and empowering — a reminder that women deserve to be heard, believed, and properly treated. Whether you live with endometriosis yourself, love someone who does, or simply care about the future of women’s healthcare, this is a conversation that will stay with you long after it ends.

Questions? Need guidance with surgery or finding a doctor that specializes in Endo and Excision Surgery? Visit https://endoexcisionforall.org/ or send a message via their Instagram page @endoexcisionforall. Nicole is there for any woman who needs guidance.

Thank you, Nicole, for sharing your time with me and for all you are doing❤️.

xoxo,

Heather