Before cBRT, I felt as if my mind was functioning underneath a heavy blanket- simple thought processes and calculations often seemed slowed WAY down, or sometimes seemed like I couldn't find the thought at all. It was worrying, tedious, and I started to feel hopeless. I also watched my body lose its ability to perform easy tasks: my morning jog became painful and eventually so slow that I had to just walk; daily routines started to be really hard and slow. My skin got thinner and prone to injury, my hair started falling out and became really dry, and shockingly, my once robust sexual appetite and response completely evaporated. Aside from losing all interest in sex, I started to feel apathetic about people I loved and cared for. Once I got my hormones optimized with expert guidance from a well-trained doctor, all the lights came back on! I literally felt like a switch was flipped on, the blanket was removed, and all my usual abilities to think, move, and feel sexy restored. I can't imagine a life without cBRT. To live in that former state would be deeply depressing.