The Bioidentical Debate

Nine days later, Michele says she already feels the difference. "I feel so good," she says. "The side effect from the bioidenticals is a big dose of joy. It's fantastic."

Michele says after her last appearance, friends she hadn't heard from in a while began reaching out to her again. "[They] said: 'We used to invite you to everything. You were the life of the party. You would mingle. You were confident. You put other people at ease.' They said, 'We just stopped inviting you because you would never show up to anything.' Because I would do anything to get out of going anywhere," she says. "That would mean I would have to get dressed, put some makeup on—and I just wasn't motivated to be nice. I felt like I had one foot in the grave."

Now, all of that has changed. "I don't remember ever feeling this good," Michele says.