How Can I Help?
What do I DO?
My name is Shannon Hirst and I am a naturopath that provides consults to women who feel like they are going around and around in circles in the healthcare system.
What do I mean by going around and around in the healthcare system?
The healthcare system is messy. There is incredible knowledge there, but time and organization can be challenging. It can take quite a bit of deliberate planning to get yourself through a diagnostic process and settled on a treatment plan. For example, the diagnostic delay for endometriosis can be 7-9 years. That is not from lack of speaking up. Similarly, it can take multiple providers and a year or more to be diagnosed with PCOS. My goal is to help you through the process.
What are some examples?
PCOS: Probably the largest percentage of my consults are about polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Even after previous health encounters, patients can still feel confused about whether they have gotten the diagnosis, what it is, what it means for their future, what the fertility implications are, and how to take control of their care for it. Some patients are suspicious they have PCOS and want to know how to get themselves diagnosed and what that process is like. We can talk about all of that.
Perimenopause: Patients who are in perimenopause and just want a debrief on what treatment is available and what they should be following up on or asking about. In perimenopause there is A LOT of change. Sometimes the only thing that there has been time for in previous visits is discussion of hot flashes or sleep, but that isn’t all you are concerned about. You’ve gotten a patch or a pill, but you aren’t sure what to make of it and you have a lot of other things you want to talk about. A consult would be a time to just lay it all out there and discuss resources.
Fertility: Patients preparing to get pregnant who have questions about coming off of oral contraceptive, or who have a history of PCOS or other issues and just want to talk it out before getting started. I also have patients who are in fertility treatment and want someone to talk to about the process so they can understand better and advocate for themselves.
Do I need to schedule a series of visits?
Usually not. Usually, one or two visits can get people out of where they have gotten stuck. I try to end each visit with a clear plan forward so the patient can pursue their ultimate diagnosis or commit to one of the treatment options they may have already been offered. I’m always available to consult again on the same issue or a new one, but I don’t offer a package of visits or a set of supplement plans.
Do you offer detoxes?
No. Set supplement protocols and detoxes is not something I do. Also, I am not a fan of the rhetoric that there are secret treatments that your doctor doesn’t want you to know. I think that, most often, what we have are communication delays from subspecialty expertise to more general providers which slows the process down for some people. Where I stand is that diagnosis is the most important step in healthcare. My goal in consultation is to help you get through that process with the fewest time-consuming side quests.
Do you prescribe medications?
Usually I do not. With telemedicine, I keep this pretty strictly to consultation. We can talk about medications and go over them. Most people tend to have multiple providers already, will usually have been offered the typical medications by those providers, and are just looking to sort out what to do about everything. Patients see me a couple of times and then they are able to return to the original care team and finalize their discussion about going forward.
So what do I do?
My job is to get you the information you need so you can get on with managing your treatments and providers. This is a win-win for everyone. You spend less time in limbo and PCPs, OB/GYNs and other specialists can feel confident you both are getting the most out of the visits.