EP18 – Scratching an Itch: Perimenopause, Persistence, and the Birth of an App

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About the episode

For Fee Sandoval, perimenopause started with symptoms she couldn’t quite explain — sleeplessness, randomly itchy armpits, brain fog, and waves of anxiety. Her husband suspected perimenopause, but Fee wasn’t convinced. Determined to prove him wrong, she wrote down every symptom and took her list to the doctor. The response she got? “You’ll know you’re in menopause when you’ve gone 12 months without a period.”

Fee was appalled. How could women’s healthcare be so far behind that this was the best guidance available? That moment sparked her determination to dig into research, test lifestyle changes like fasting, and track her own experiences. What started as frustration grew into a vision: women deserve better tools, better information, and a better way to navigate menopause.

That vision became FemmeLoop, an app designed to move beyond the “one-size-fits-all” approach to menopause care. Still in development, FemmeLoop brings together biometrics, lifestyle patterns, and symptoms to generate personalized insights. The goal isn’t just to track — it’s to help women spot trends, anticipate challenges, and advocate for themselves with real data.

Our conversation covers Fee’s early symptoms, the gaps she discovered in women’s healthcare, and the steps she took to piece together her own answers. More than that, she paints a picture of what’s possible when women have the tools to track their bodies, recognize patterns, and advocate for better care.

This conversation is both personal and forward-looking — a story of one woman turning frustration into innovation, and a reminder that paying attention to your body, noticing trends, and speaking up for yourself can change the menopause experience.

Show notes and resources

• The Pause Life by Dr. Mary Claire Haver (various menopause resources)
• Heather Hirsch, MD, MS, NCMP, Women’s Advocate, Clinician’s Teacher (various menopause resources)
• The Menopause Society (various menopause resources)