I could feel myself changing slowly over the last five years but chalked it up to being stressed from work and family. I couldn’t concentrate or focus and could do a million things in a day and never complete anything. I would speak to someone and forget what I was saying in mid sentence. I also had difficulty sleeping and would get at the most 5-6 hours a night of restless sleep and some of those nights I was soaked from severe night sweats. These were just some of the symptoms of peri-menopause I experienced.

In October of 2008, I went to bed a happy person and woke up a raving lunatic. It’s like a bomb went off in my head. I no longer could tolerate anything. I felt angry all the time and really, I just felt dead inside…nothing. I didn’t care about anything or anyone. I didn’t care what I said or who I hurt in the process. I found myself becoming more and more self-absorbed. We are taught to choose our battles but with me everything was a battle. The slightest little thing would set me off. It was World War 3 every time. I increasingly became depressed as I wasn’t happy with who I had become, my life or my marriage. I decided to change a few things. I lost 85 lbs and told my husband to shape up or ship out. I had an emotional affair because I wasn’t getting the emotional support I needed from my marriage.

The day I knew I had to do something about my behaviour was when my two sons were having a conversation and one of them said “don’t do that you’ll make Mom mad” and my other son replied “so when isn’t Mom mad”. I broke down and cried. I didn’t want my boys to remember their Mother in that way. I knew that I was a fun loving person and just didn’t like this monster I had become. I’ve always been a happy person and have always chosen not to dwell in unhappiness. I kept telling myself “this isn’t me”. I made a doctor’s appointment to see my GP and she prescribed Wellbutrin, an anti-depressant and Ritalin for my concentration and focus problems. I hated the fact that I had to be on these drugs. I’ve always been a strong person and have been through many struggles in my life and have never had to resort to medical assistance. I looked at this as a sign of weakness and it only put me further into depression. My GP had done blood tests and according to her stats my hormone levels were “normal”.

My work place had a program where you could get counseling and I thought I would try that route first. In a short, I explained to the Counselor that I was 49 and over the last year I had lost a significant amount of weight, became a raving lunatic, was in an emotional relationship and gave my husband an ultimatum. Her response was “oh, you’re right on schedule”. Of course I had no idea what she was talking about. She told me I was in “peri-menopause” and that everything I was feeling is to be expected. Thank God was all I could think of because now I had a name for what was wrong with me. I really thought I had a brain tumor. What a relief! I continued to meet with this Counselor for five sessions and she helped me tremendously in knowing that what I was going through wasn’t abnormal and that I could change the course of it all.

My next step was to get help from an expert in the hormone field. A friend had recommended Dr. Ron Brown. I was fortunate enough to sit in on one of his all day symposiums and also got to meet with him about my issues. Having taken the blood tests weeks before he was able to see my Progesterone levels were low. He also did tests to see if I had Adrenal Fatigue. Dr. Brown prescribed a Bio-Identical Progesterone cream which I use daily. I call it my “Happy Cream”.

I have been using my “Happy Cream” for six months now and am a completely different person. I am delighted to say I’m no longer having an emotional affair and can’t even believe I had one (who was that woman?). I am still with my husband of 23 years and am happy. We are a work in progress and it helps that he understands and is supportive of what I’m going through. I have my control back and can pick and choose my battles at home and work. I’ve taken myself off of the anti-depressants and feel just fine. I’m able to handle everyday situations without incident. I am still taking Ritalin every now and again for focus and concentration. I’m hoping over time I can cut Ritalin out entirely too. Meeting with Dr. Brown has given me my life back. When I look back over the last eight months, I cannot even believe some of the things I had done and said. I really don’t know who that person was and I care not to meet her again. She was not a nice person. So Dr. Brown, I appreciate what you do and thank you for giving me and my family the real me back. For this, we are grateful. – D.R. Female Age 49


I was always tired and had no energy. I would go to the gym exercise and be exhausted by noon. I honestly thought I was dying of cancer. I was ill years ago and I thought I had something wrong with me again. I also was in bed at nights by 8 pm and I never wanted to go out at night. I had no sex drive and no motivation to do things. I had been to a homeopathic physician who helped me some but not in everything.

I had a friend who was going through the same as me and she had gone to see Dr. Brown. I decided to book an appointment and go see him. My exhaustion was due to my Adrenaline Glands being out of whack. I had the saliva test done and sent to Calgary and it was that. My thyroid was also a bit off.

My impression of the clinic and the staff was that they were very friendly and polite and made me feel there was hope for me to get back to my old self. I always had a lot of energy and was generally happy with a lot of motivation. Dr Brown was very kind and made me feel like he would help me.

I feel really good now. I feel alive again.  I started the BHRT and the supplements and within in a few days I was running around doing things. I had a sex drive again. I go to the gym and I am good and am no longer exhausted by Noon. I go out again to things in the evenings and also parties like I used to. In fact I think I am almost as good as I was 20 years ago.

The treatment has definitely made a great difference in my life. I am not as impatient and short with others as that was never my nature. I would definitely recommend this treatment to others. In fact I have!

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the research you have done and for caring about woman who really need help when we go through hormone changes. The health stores sell so much. Nothing helps until you have the blood work done on each individual then you can get the proper help, that’s what I tell people. I am alive again!!! – L.M


I am a patient at True Balance. I had my first appointment in the fall of 2009. I am presently 60 years old so I have already been through menopause and have not had a period for nine years. Around the time my period stopped, I was experiencing some hot flashes and night sweats but considered it a small price to pay for no periods.

I was fortunate to have a doctor who did hormone testing on me and prescribed a form of bioidentical hormones that was available at that time. Birth control pills had never been right for me and the usual hormone prescriptions from the medical doctors had sent me on an emotional roller coaster. I was pleased to find something that worked for me. About that time I also started thyroid medication.

Unfortunately for me, that doctor moved back to South Africa and I was unable to find anyone who was interested in testing or treating hormone imbalances. Nine years later I was still managing on that old prescription although I knew my body was changing.

Four years ago my oldest son died unexpectedly. I was expecting to be mentally and emotionally drained but I was not prepared for the physical toll of shock and grief. I managed to do my work and keep up my outside activities but it was a tremendous effort. I told myself I was managing as well as could be expected and that I would have to give it time and that my symptoms were probably age related anyway.

At the time of my son’s death, I had been running four to five times a week. Running had become an important part of my strategy for healthy aging. I did try to return to it and did continue for about a year but my energy and strength kept diminishing and my runs gradually turned into walking. I also stopped sleeping through the night.

My brain stopped working normally. I would forget things, misplace things and multi tasking became a thing of the past. I managed to get through the first year day by day. By the time I was into the second year I was trying everything I could think of to regain some passion and purpose in my life. Still every day was a struggle.

My friend, who was a skin care practitioner, suggested that I see Dr. Brown for hormone testing. It was a ray of hope that perhaps I could feel normal again. I’d had positive results with my earlier experience with bioidentical hormones and any alternative therapy that I researched or used over the years was either very positive or totally neutral. Thus, the decision to do this was an easy one for me.

I left my name with the staff at True Balance and left the country for some foreign adventures. In the past, a new experience, or a really good rest in another location, would bring me back to normal: one of my best home remedies for relieving stress and exhaustion in my life. The trips were wonderful: one for rest and relaxation, one to experience a new and different country and culture, and one for family. However, I came back even more exhausted, lacking in energy and dealing with foggy brain. I even wondered if I had caught some foreign bug.

Shortly after my return I was booked for a consultation with Dr. Brown. The staff was friendly and professional and the office pleasant and comfortable. Also helpful was the information available in the reception area. Print material and a video explained the services offered.

At my first appointment I was given the opportunity to describe my symptoms despite not being able to remember all of them. I do know that I felt trust and confidence that I was being heard and that my blood work had actually been looked at and that I was being treated on that basis. And I was hopeful because I actually was given a treatment plan that had a chance of success and made sense to me. I also liked that the treatment starts at the low end and is adjusted after the follow up blood work. Dr. Brown and his staff are genuine in their desire to help people feel better.

Undoubtedly, Dr. Brown has helped me. The big thing is that I am getting my brain back. I have more energy. I welcome new activities and life does not overwhelm me. My follow up blood work confirmed that progress had been made and Dr Brown adjusted my prescriptions. He says we can do better yet and I believe him. I still have moments of foggy brain so I know we are not quite there yet. However, I am looking forward to an active, healthy life. I am grateful to Dr. Brown and True Balance and I hope that my story will help someone else know that there is help available. This choice was right for me. – H.M.


Dr. Brown sees many clients, most of whom come to him suffering from hormonal imbalances. They need help, and he gives them relief. Dr Brown is a passionate and fascinating doctor. He is unique in that as a gynecologist he has researched and learned about the complexities of the hormonal system, which generally is not the specialty of gynecologists. His approach is learned and refreshing because he has stepped outside of the pharmaceutical common course of synthetic hormones and as a result, women are flocking to him. He recognizes the need for women to understand their hormonal lives. Women love what he has done for them. Words cannot express my appreciation. -D.R. -Survivor of endometrial cancer diagnosed 2007


I am writing to thank Dr. Brown for his help and professionalism. I have been a patient for over a year and my health has improved significantly because of Dr. Brown. I have been trying treatments for my menopause symptoms from my G.P. for the last five years, including prescriptions, herbal medication and lifestyle changes. Nothing helped the severe hot flashes. Dr. Brown was thorough and took the time to listen to my medical history and explain my options, including any risks. He has made changes, as indicated by the blood tests, and has explained his reasoning to include me in his decisions. I appreciate Dr. Brown’s interest and refreshing approach and have experienced considerable improvement due to his treatment. My hot flashes are gone and my other symptoms have improved. – M.M.


Before coming to your clinic I had seen the top neurologist in the city. I had also seen a rheumatologist. I had extensive blood work performed to the point where my family physician even had me tested for HIV. I was so sick. I couldn’t function and was off work. I had debilitating migraines daily. I was unable to think, to focus, my memory was so affected that I would forget normal words in sentences and I have 6 years of university! I was very fatigued, with severe back and neck pain, weak, no energy, cold, dry skin, dry eyes, dry hair, unable to lose the 40 or more lbs I gained over the last few years, symptoms of depression etc. The worst was my debilitating migraines. Most of the specialists I saw treated me like I was crazy like it was all just in my head. It was not and I truly believe that it was either a nerve disorder or a vascular disorder related to my thyroid and adrenals and that was undetectable by standard tests but that it was causing me severe debilitating migraines. Out of desperation and commitment to get healthy somehow I found information on bioidentical hormones and my family doctor supported my efforts and referred me to Dr. Brown.

Since coming to Dr. Brown’s clinic and being placed on dessicated thyroid and bio-identical hormone therapy and supplements for my adrenal glands I am significantly better. My migraines have lessened in severity, and quantity. I suffered then with only a window of one to three hours of lessened sledgehammer pain in my head for over 6months. At that time I really had no hope in life and thought about ending the pain once and for all as it was so horrific. Now I only get a few migraines a month and they are lessened in severity. They are a cakewalk considering the life I had not long ago. It is truly a miracle! Again, I want to thank Dr. Brown and his assistant Korisa for listening to my symptoms and for allowing me to have my life back!! – T.P.


I have been a patient of Dr. Ron Brown’s since Feb.13, 2009. I’m a Woman in “Surgical Menopause.” In September 2008, I was diagnosed with cancer and it was recommended to me that I should have my ovaries removed because now, I had an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer. In September, I chose to have a radical Hysterectomy with the removal of my ovaries, at the age of 41.  Even as a Registered Nurse, I was not prepared for “Surgical Menopause.”

I was told that as soon as my ovaries are clamped, during surgery, I would not be able to make any more hormones (estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone). I was told that I would only be given hormone replacement for estrogen and that progesterone is only needed if a woman has her uterus. There was no discussion of testosterone replacement. I was prescribed “Premarin 0.625 mg” and sent home. I started experiencing severe hot flashes just hours after my surgery and they continued at home. Once home, my hot flashes continued and I was increased to two Premarin pills a day. By Novemeber, I had been increased to four Premarin pills, in hopes of regaining hormonal balance and the cessation of menopause symptoms.

I had the classic symptoms of “Estrogen Dominence” such as: loss of memory, hot flashes, night sweats, dry hair and skin, itchy all the time, dry eye, mood changes and increasing lack of coping skills. I was desperate for menopausal relief and knew that “life as I had known it” was quickly slipping away. I was referred over to Dr. Brown and discovered Bioidentical Hormones. I want to acknowledge that I am eternally grateful to my amazing Surgeon, she saved my life!!

Dr. Brown was very confident and knowledgeable about Bioidentical Hormones. He is an Oby/Gyn Surgeon with years of experience and extra interest in Bioidentical Hormones. I put my trust and faith in him to help me get hormonally stable again. He started me really really slow on a low dose of progesterone first, as I was still experiencing hot flashes and night sweats. I started on low levels of Bi-est (estradiol and estriol) and testosterone creams about two weeks after the progesterone. He said that I need to wean off the Premarin in order for the Bioidentical hormones to be effective. I went for it! I chose to wean quickly, knowing that I would experience really severe, hair raising, hot flashes again but that it would end, and I would be converted over to BHRT. It took a lot of Faith, Trust and Patience to achieve this Goal!

Within 3-5 months, my body began to stabilize and all my symptoms improved dramatically. Hormone changes are very slow and take about 2 months to stabilize every time you adjust dosages. I am 14 months post-surgery and I am feeling good! I feel like my old self again! There is some tweaking of each hormone which is part of the process but Dr. Brown has given me…my life back. – M.K.


My first appointment with Dr. Brown was April 08, 2008. I was tired most of the time, I lacked energy and a spice for life, which was always blamed on Multiple Sclerosis. The core of my body was cold to the touch.  I had  difficulty warming up once I was chilled.  A friend came over and she looked wonderful. I asked what she had been doing and she quickly and excitedly told me about Dr. Brown. She left and I called and made my first appointment to see Dr. Brown.

Dr. Brown is truly a doctor who cares. He is the first doctor who seemed to listen to me, understood me and agreed with me and offered true help. The results of my first blood work which Dr. Brown ordered documented my typical day. He showed me my highs and lows throughout my day, to a T. He addressed these and offered help. My Libido was quickly addressed and things there are as good and even better than when I was younger. Prior doctors did not offer any help but stated menopause changes our bodies and there is nothing to be done. I sleep extremely well now, which was a problem before. I am calmer and feel happier and content. I have more energy for the day.

I still face the same medical challenges, but I am feeling a whole lot better. My husband commented only yesterday that I looked better and happier. I know that is a good testimony coming from such a sceptical man! – M.Mc.


One of my passions is planting and tending to my garden. A long time ago a friend said to me that the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago and the next best time is now. The philosophy of making each day an important step in the rest of your life is one that I have taken to heart. Without question, the same applies to Dr. Brown and how his clinic and expertise has improved the quality of my life. I am 49 years old and have been seeing Dr. Brown for 7 short months. I am thankful for the first day that I planted the seed on my journey to wellness as I cannot imagine the alternative.  A miracle, I don’t think so, but it sure feels like one! Now I need to take you back in time…

I am not sure when I started feeling poorly, but it was a long time ago. It began with profoundly heavy periods that seemed to worsen with each passing month. I was sent for several ultra sounds due to what my family doctor referred to as controlled hemorrhaging. It reached a point where I no longer had monthly cycles, just one continuous, painful period. This persisted for several years until I felt I had no other option than to undergo a subtotal hysterectomy. Soon thereafter, the discomfort of my period was replaced by severe headaches, hot flashes and periodic night sweats. Over a period of 5 years, the night sweats progressed to a level which did not allow for any suitable sleeping pattern. I consulted with my family doctor several times but only left the office with recommendations of over the counter remedies. I faithfully tried them all only to confirm that these did not work for me.

It is not over exaggerating to say I was exhausted 24 hours a day… it was so difficult to get out of bed in the morning and once I did I couldn’t allow myself to stop during the day as I was certain that I could not get up again. In retrospect, I was robotic because it was the only way I could function. My family told me I didn’t smile and I never understood them at the time. This was not how I viewed myself, but admittedly, I had lost myself and did not realize it. I am a professional woman with a demanding career, I am a mother who loves and cares for her sons, aged 15 and 23, I am a woman who loves her husband, what more could anyone want of me? I was certain of one thing though… I didn’t know what it felt like to be well and it seemed I spent my waking hours on autopilot.

I am a big believer in things happen for a reason. Having said this, I didn’t seek out Dr. Brown for his expertise in BHRT. A good friend of mine told me of a Dr. Brown in Sherwood Park that she had heard of through friends. I made a phone call which ultimately ended up in my enrollment in a Spring Health Symposium hosted by Dr. Brown’s clinic True Balance (formerly Laser Elegance). This was not a researched decision on my part. I had not heard of BHRT until the day of the symposium. I sat through the presentations until my scheduled appointment with Dr. Brown at 3:30 p.m. It was only at this point that I realized each session presented was relevant to my purpose in being here. After my appointment with Dr. Brown, I was consumed with the need to leave his office immediately. I was overwhelmed with the realization that everything I had been feeling was real and apparently treatable.

Here was this guy, telling me I would be shocked from the results after 2 months of treatment. I remember telling Dr. Brown that “pleasantly pleased would be sufficient.” I also realized that the pain I felt on the inside was outward facing. Although I held a healthy skepticism of what might come to be, I remember feeling that this interaction with Dr. Brown was vastly different than any I had experienced before. For the first time, I felt diagnosed and understood. The completeness of the blood work ordered by Dr. Brown addressed issues and prescribed remedies that should have been diagnosed by my family physician who I was faithful in seeing several times throughout the years.

As Dr. Brown avowed during my first appointment, I was truly shocked by the results. Within two weeks I was feeling better. Within a month, others around me noticed the difference and began to comment. Within three months I had found “me” again. Within three months! I had literally spent years trying to achieve this, feeling like it was an unachievable goal. I remember telling Dr. Brown on my first follow-up appointment “I just feel like me.”

Feeling like me again is a great thing!  What I feel on the inside shows on the outside!  I have an abundance of energy, plenty of smiles, laughter, and a zest for the journey I take each and every day. What was remarkable was how many people noticed a difference. Family members, work associates, my hairdresser, my aesthetician, my massage therapist, my family doctor and friend after friend commented on my beautiful skin, my bright eyes, my energy, my smile, and in general how great I was looking. I know looking great starts on the inside and works its way to the surface but this transformation happened in such a short period of time. Remarkable!

For me, the most profound changes were in how I felt and how I continue to feel. I am no longer plagued by headaches. My brain is clearer in that I can again make conscious decisions in what I do or choose not to do, whether it is in my professional life or my home life. My energy level is where I expect it to be and I can easily manage my full days. I sleep at night… hooray! My sex drive is back, much to my delight and I have not had one hot flash or night sweat since 2 weeks after I began my program.

The transformation from my inside to my outside was so profound that I cannot even count the friends, friends of friends, family members and acquaintances who have visited Dr. Brown since I started. My husband just began his program this past month as this is one journey we definitely want to share.

Like gardening, this journey to wellness has been incredibly rewarding… you plant a seed, you nurture it with what it needs to thrive, and you watch it flourish. Life doesn’t get better than this! – J.C.