10/19/2026
I used to dream about the life I’m living right now.
Today is my birthday, and I’m feeling all of it.
There was a girl who dreamed of becoming a doctor. She was curious and quietly determined, and she wanted more than she knew how to say out loud. She didn’t have the whole map. She just knew she wanted to help women feel seen.
There was a medical student who wasn’t sure she’d make it. She studied late into the night, doubted herself more times than she can count, and kept showing up anyway. I still remember how it felt to finally hear “Doctor” in front of my name.
There was a young OB/GYN who delivered babies, cared for women through every stage of life, and kept noticing the same thing. The questions women most needed to ask were the ones they were too embarrassed to bring up: questions about pain, desire, their bodies changing in midlife. She wondered if she was even allowed to talk about those things.
There was a woman who whispered “s*xual health” to her sister like it was a secret. Her sister whispered back, “Go for it.” Those three words gave me permission I couldn’t give myself. So I went back to learning. I became an ISSWSH Fellow, a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner and a s*xual counselor.
There was a woman who said “absolutely not” to starting a podcast, and then said yes. The Muslim S*x Podcast has now reached more than 128,000 downloads in 51 countries.
There was a woman University of Michigan-Dearborn chose as Distinguished Alumna of the Year (Alumni Difference Maker) in 2024 and invited back to deliver the commencement address in December 2025. A woman who stood on a TEDx Oshkosh stage and talked about s*x education.
And there’s the woman I am today..
After more than 26 years in women’s health, I built Femme Vie Health so midlife women could have what they deserve: time, answers, and a doctor who listens. When a patient tells me, “No one ever explained this to me before,” I remember exactly why that little girl started dreaming.
I’m all of them. And I’m so proud of her.
To my patients, my podcast listeners and everyone who has trusted me with their story: you’ve given me a life full of purpose. Thank you for letting me walk alongside you. This next year, I’m still listening, still learning and still saying the things that need to be said out loud.
