Speaker 1: 0:03

Welcome to Hormone Heroes, where I share testimonials from real people who have experienced bioidentical hormone therapy. Men and women share the symptoms they have experienced and the difference proper hormone replacement has made. I'm your host, dr Kelly Hopkins, and I have been in the functional medicine space for over 30 years years, with a focus on hormones for 20 years. Please keep in mind this podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Please consult with your physician or practitioner for medical advice. Let's get started with today's guest. Welcome to the podcast. Today we have Tommy Campbell. He is a 64-year-old male, he's a native Arkansan and he is a retired Army officer and educator. Welcome, tommy.

Speaker 2: 0:56

Hey, good morning. I'm glad to be here.

Speaker 1: 0:58

What I failed to mention is where you live now. Do you mind telling us that?

Speaker 2: 1:03

Okay, sure, like I say, I'm a native Arkansan. I grew up in southeast Arkansas in a delta town, little bitty delta town in Arkansas County, and I currently live in the Lake Hamilton area out in Piercy.

Speaker 1: 1:17

Okay. So, Tommy, I know that you're retired. Now Tell us a little bit more about your Army career and then your education career.

Speaker 2: 1:26

Oh gracious. I went to school at the University of Central Arkansas where I obtained a regular Army commission and I was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1982. You know quite a ways ago, but I did that for almost 23 years, wow. And I deployed all over the world in different situations and different areas and different parts of the world. And after that I went on to start my educational part of career where I served as a senior Army instructor down in El Dorado for seven years, teaching instructor down in El Dorado for seven years teaching and then while I was there, first when I was on active duty, I got my first master's degree when I was on active duty, so that helped me whenever I started to teach.

Speaker 2: 2:19

So I started teaching, did a lot of adjunct work with different universities while I was teaching. Then I did that for seven years and then I chose to get into the administration side and then for another nine years I was a. Then I did that for seven years and then I chose to get into the administration side and then for another nine years I was a high school and middle school principal. Wow, did that a while and got more graduate hours and education. And then I started to work at a university at Henderson State the veterans and did a lot of adjunct work there with the Teachers College, and while I was there I started my doctorate and I'm 52 out of 60 hours toward my doctoral degree. And if I would finish my dissertation, you know, just in my spare time, but now that I'm retired I can do that.

Speaker 1: 3:01

Right, that's incredible. Thank you so much for your service as well, tommy.

Speaker 2: 3:07

Oh, certainly.

Speaker 1: 3:08

And I know that you are newly married, right?

Speaker 2: 3:11

I am. I met my wife several years ago at Henderson. We were directors and I was assigned as her leadership mentor and to help her as a new director and we developed a great friendship. And she's a few years younger than I am but we just plugged on so many levels and we had a great friendship and then we fell in love and this past June we're coming up on six months as newlyweds.

Speaker 1: 3:43

Wow, time flies, doesn't it?

Speaker 2: 3:45

It does.

Speaker 1: 3:46

And how many children and grandchildren do you have?

Speaker 2: 3:50

I have three children of my own that are all grown and out in the world doing their own things, and I have four grandchildren with those guys. I have three boys and a little girl. Oh, and I have a stepson that you know. He's my son. There's no step to it. You're either a dad or you're not, and so, and that's with Kimberly.

Speaker 1: 4:12

Wonderful. So, Tommy, let's get into the hormone side of things. When did you start to notice symptoms of hormone deficiency and what were your symptoms?

Speaker 2: 4:23

Okay, and the interesting thing about there's no one specific instance, I guess, or one flash in the pan thing is that, oops, there's some hormone things going on. I think it's just a cumulative effect and I've always been very, very active in the military and with kids and doing everything I've done. I've always been really active and always had plenty of energy and everything. And then after I turned oh, 59, 60, I knew age was. You know, the OLD disease was catching up with me, no doubt about it, but I chose not to let that be a deterrent on living a full life.

Speaker 2: 5:08

So I started doing my research and I knew that, you know, our system is our anatomical physiology and everything is just a closed loop system. If one thing doesn't work, something else is going to be out of whack. So we discovered then, through research and then ultimately talking to you guys and doing just a full panel of blood work and everything to see what was going on, and we discovered there were some deficiencies and that, just because of such an energy and you just didn't want to get up and go do anymore, right, you started getting lackadaisical and that was never, never me, I mean. I was always doing something. I always tell people. Before I retired, I was always doing one of two things either earning or learning.

Speaker 1: 6:01

Uh-huh.

Speaker 2: 6:02

And you just didn't feel like doing much. Yeah, so the cumulative effect is really what it was. And then it's whenever I decided to go ahead and let's just do something about this, and that's when I sought out you guys with restoration.

Speaker 1: 6:19

What did you type in to Google or whatever?

Speaker 2: 6:22

however, you found this, what I did actually was basically physiology over 60. Okay, you know, and it started to kind of populate some different things. And you know you go through the standard different systems, your gastric, your pulmonary, your cardiovascular, and all those were, you know, very good. You know I have a lot of orthopedic issues, but my, you know, systems are all great. So that only left the endocrinological system. So I knew at some point that that was going to require some maintenance. Yes, and so there was. It's almost a differential diagnosis. We know what it's not. So then we must go another direction.

Speaker 1: 7:10

I like what you said about how we are a closed system and we use that a lot when we're talking to patients, kind of like an electrical system is closed. If there's an opening in that loop, you know your lights won't come on and things like that. And we we talk about the endocrine system the same way. If your sex hormones are low or unbalanced, you know that's going to have an effect on your thyroid and vice versa. And if your adrenals are tired, they're not going to be able to back up the hormonal system and blood sugar. You know all these different things.

Speaker 1: 7:46

And so we tie in so many things in your labs to try to get to the bottom of where your deficiency is exactly. So you mentioned orthopedic issues. Do you have achy joints, or what's going on with you there?

Speaker 2: 8:01

Well, I was an infantry officer in the Army, so we walked everywhere we went and you know I've had multiple surgeries on my knees, my ankles, my feet, my hips. I've had both my hips replaced shoulders. So I have arthritic opportunities abound and I do have some arthritis. But I also know that if your endocrine system is not functioning properly, that's going to lead to a lot of joint issues. And so just the fact that I'm balanced now and I'm able to do, and also it's given me the energy to stay active and go to the gym and work in the yard and do 10, 12,000 steps just around doing whatever I do, it takes all that pressure off my knees, my feet, my ankles, just all those things my back. You sleep better because you're not aching so much at night.

Speaker 2: 9:02

You know I stopped taking. I was taking NSA at night. You know I stopped taking. I was taking NSAIDs. You know I was taking Celebrex daily and that also does damage to your kidneys, obviously, and you know you've got to watch your numbers, and so my kidney function numbers were kind of getting to the not where they were bad, but they were bordering on, you know, getting to that point. So I said, okay, well, I've got to change what I'm doing, so I don't take any NSAIDs now. I stopped taking Celebrex completely. The only thing I'll do is I'll take a couple of Tylenol for aches or something like that.

Speaker 1: 9:42

Occasionally.

Speaker 2: 9:43

Yes, and it's not a regular thing because I don't need it. That's fantastic. And since I've started several years, I've also dropped about 40 pounds. Yes, you have. Over the past three or four years, since I've been associated with you guys and I've always been proud of my fitness, and whenever you start getting not so fit, your self-esteem goes down, your confidence, the way you present yourself, everything suffers.

Speaker 1: 10:15

That's so true.

Speaker 2: 10:16

Not only has it helped me anatomically, but just emotionally and psychologically. It's really given you more confidence and allows you to put yourself out there more.

Speaker 1: 10:28

Yeah, it gives you the confidence you've always had, gives it back to you and then, men lose testosterone one to three percent a year after about age 35. So it's just an insidious effect, you know. You don't notice it till one day you're so far gone you can't help it.

Speaker 2: 10:46

Well, like I was saying, it's that cumulative effect, right, it's not that one or two percent this year, but it's that one or two percent that accumulates over 10 years Exactly. And now, all of a sudden, you're a fifth of what you were and your levels are gone, right. And you look at yourself. Well, what happened? I don't have the same energy I had. Well, go figure. You know you're 20% lower and that means you're really your old. 100% is now only 80% of what you could do.

Speaker 1: 11:17

That's right. So, Tommy, what type of hormone therapy did you try?

Speaker 2: 11:23

We did the pellet therapy and we did the pellets and we used the adipose layers of my you know butt basically just for lack of better words and it wasn't uncomfortable. I expected it to be a little more uncomfortable, honestly, because that's where you sit all day, for goodness sake, right. But once you get the bandage off and you get that little bit of pressure, it's not uncomfortable at all. I mean, you can immediately go back to work. You can go do what you want to do, normal activity. You don't need to go to the gym and do squats or anything or go do a long run or something, but doing your normal activity going to work, doing your things or working around the house, and you just don't need to do anything absurd. But there's virtually no side effects, you know, other than just that little bit up front, and then that's gone. In just literally a couple of days You're back to feeling completely normal.

Speaker 1: 12:21

We do ask that you don't do any gluteal exercises for about seven days, just to give that part of your anatomy a chance to heal. Okay, so how long did it take you to notice some benefits?

Speaker 2: 12:36

The first time it took probably a few weeks to really get a good dump of testosterone in with the other hormones that are added. But after a few weeks you can tell the difference. But now, since I've been doing them for a couple of years, I guess you can tell your cyclic when you're starting to get low, cyclic when you're starting to get low, and then you can almost whenever you get the new insertion. It's almost like a rev, your engine coming back up. You know, and it's almost. It's not an immediate thing, but within a day or two you can really start telling okay, I'm back where I should be, I'm starting to feel what my new normal is and it's never bothered me to a point where I have any problems with anything. But it just gives you more, you know, just more energy, your libido, your drive and your drive for life, not just your sex life, not just the ability to go work out in the yard or go do anything. It just gives you a new outlook. It really does.

Speaker 2: 13:50

It's more of a mental state.

Speaker 1: 13:53

And less joint pain, like you mentioned before. And I just want to say that testosterone increases nitric oxide, and nitric oxide allows your vascular system to be more flexible and when that happens, you're going to get more oxygenation, more nutrients to all your cells and tissues. So that's, that's a big reason a lot of the joint pain lessens.

Speaker 2: 14:17

Well, and not only that, I have glaucoma and you know, part of that is the vascular system of the eyeball and the optic nerve. And I've been going through that, for I've had seven different surgeries on my eyes and I have stents in my eyes right now. And one of the concerns that my ophthalmologist has is the vascular system of my eye, both eyes, my left more than my right. So just the simple fact that it does release that, you know, we think about the major you know arteries and things that but also those capillaries, those small veins, those small arteries, and where they all join, not only does the major arteries and veins, the vascular system, open up, but it opens up everywhere, right, and it really, it really helps because I have a deterioration of that, the membrane where my optic nerve attaches to the back of my eye, and the more that stays oxygenated, the more healthy it's going to be. So it has more multilevel effects than one thing's just the knees, and you know what people do it for. So, yeah, Right, right.

Speaker 1: 15:32

That's fantastic, and you're the first to say anything about the eye health. So have you had to donate blood? Has your blood gotten thicker? It?

Speaker 2: 15:44

does? It does and generally I've always donated blood. I've always either done platelets or double reds or something and I've given over I think 15, 16 gallons over my lifetime over I think 15, 16 gallons over my lifetime seriously, and I've done the platelet phoresis 30, 40 times for cancer patients and different things like that. But now what I'll do is I'll go in, oh, probably once a quarter and it's just one just to donate because I have O negative and they need it. But it also helps, like we talk about. It kind of gives you a new quart of oil every once in a while, you know, just by regenerating from the marrow out.

Speaker 1: 16:29

Yeah, that's wonderful. So, Tommy, how has hormone therapy changed your life?

Speaker 2: 16:36

Oh it's, you know, with everything I've said, it just gives you a better outlook. And it's funny. You know, I retired a year and a half ago, april 23. And since then I kind of stay busy. I got lots to do. I keep myself busy, but I also substitute every once in a while at the schools and I was substituting yesterday for a PE class and it was a history, it was a coach at a history classes and PE classes. So I was there and the PE class after I take role.

Speaker 2: 17:12

I was out there, I was messing with the kids, shooting basketball with them and stuff, and one kid came up to me and they asked me how old are you? And you always get that question. It's like when in the army, whenever I was talking to kids have you ever killed anybody? Have you ever started a panic? You know it's like at school. They always say, well, how old are you? And I always ask well, how do you think I am? And you know, for a seventh or eighth grader, you know 30 is like over the hill, you know Right.

Speaker 2: 17:42

But then one kid said, oh, you're probably about 42. And I said I love that. I said I think it's great. Yeah, I've seen 42 a few times. And then the other kid said you're not, you're not 42. Are you 50? I, I said a little more than that, 60. I said well, just a little a little higher than that. And then I said 64, I'm 64 years old. And they said mr campbell, you don't look it, you're out here shooting basketball, you're out here doing these things and and I think just to come around to how it's made, a difference is just that you're not perceived as that old person.

Speaker 1: 18:23

Right.

Speaker 2: 18:24

And you know, at some point in time we're all going to age and get to a point where we can't. But until that time I'm going to do as much as I can and what this does, this is the catalyst for that. You know Kevin and I have talked many times about you know, we don't know how much life we have left Right, the quantity. You can't project what your quantity is, but you can sure do what. You can sure project what your quality is. And I choose to have a quality of life.

Speaker 2: 18:59

And again, you know I could drive out of here and get hit by a bus, but I can honestly say that my quality of life has improved tenfold just by the fact that I don't have to wonder if I can get up today. You know it's what am I going to do when I get up today and how much of it can I do. You know and yesterday I was talking about just just messing with the kids and around school you know you do 10, 12,000 steps with those kids and you're talking six, five or six miles and when you get home you still got things to do and you have the energy to do that.

Speaker 1: 19:41

That's great. So, tommy, as a hormone hero, which you definitely are, you do the big three, which are nutrition, exercise and hormone replacement. So what would you like our audience to know? What message would you like to leave?

Speaker 2: 19:57

So, what would you like our audience to know? What message would you like to leave? Well, I think the key thing is what you said. It's a triad of things. You just can't do one thing and expect that to be the fix-all. You know it's truly a three-legged stool and if anybody's ever tried to sit on a two-legged stool they'll know that it's next to impossible If you don't take care of what you put inside your body and if you don't take care of your systems.

Speaker 2: 20:20

It's just like a vehicle. You know, if you run it out of oil, it's going to burn up. If you don't take it for its normal preventive maintenance, checks and services, it's not going to be worth anything. But it's just like your life. If you don't add all those things and the one thing I would like to add whatever your spiritual source is, that keeps you getting up every day and being the altruistic person that you want to be. You know, with those three things, if you don't have a purpose in what you're doing in life, if you're not going to be a servant of some sort, if you're not going to do things for other people, then just cut the legs off your stool and just have a cushion Right, whatever that might be, if it's your grandkids, if it's doing for others, if it's volunteering, whatever it is. You need to maintain that triad or you'll fail. It just won't happen.

Speaker 1: 21:32

That's a beautiful message, actually, and I know you throughout your whole life. It's obvious that you've had strong purpose in everything you did, so would you like to give your clinic a shout out?

Speaker 2: 21:40

Oh, I tell you what the guys at Restoration Health here in Hot Springs have just been fabulous. The one thing is, you know, whenever I first met you, for instance, you made me so comfortable. I could talk with you about anything, and the same thing with Kevin and Kelly and everybody there. You know I can call Kelly and say, hey, I got something comes up, can you get me in another few hours or can I change this? And the flexibility has been wonderful.

Speaker 2: 22:07

But I really think that the family atmosphere and the ability because we've talked about some very sensitive subjects and I've been very, very comfortable in doing that Because you know I've had some weird questions and you didn't hem and haw around it, you came straight forward. You gave me a good clinical answer and I always tell people that if you want to take the emotion out of the decision, use the data Right, and that does it. And with data you can make a clear, concise decision about something without it being clouded by emotion, like it or not. That's just the way it is. That's right. I have loved coming there. I enjoy coming there. It's not a dread. Oh, my six months or my four months are coming up. I got to go do this? I enjoy coming in just to see you guys yeah, we probably do Just to say hi, and I love having conversations with Kevin. So it's been a very enlightening experience for me and I think we've developed more of a friendship than we have a clinical experience.

Speaker 1: 23:11

Sure.

Speaker 2: 23:12

So it's certainly not an institutional relationship.

Speaker 1: 23:15

So Kevin is my husband and he is the co-owner of our clinics, so that's who Tommy is referencing. Well, tommy, thank you so much for your time today and sharing your story. I'm sure it will be inspirational and hit just right with someone. And thank you again for your service and we'll be seeing you soon.

Speaker 2: 23:38

Yes, you will All right. Thank you so much.

Speaker 1: 23:48

Thanks for listening to Hormone Heroes. Take a moment to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss the next episode. While you are there, help us spread the word by leaving a rating and a review. If you would like to share your bioidentical hormone story or need help finding a physician in your area, please email us at drkelly at hormoneheroesorg that's D-R-K-E-L-L-Y. At H-O-R-M-O-N-E-H-E-R-O-E-S dot org. We want you to be a hormone hero.