With tens of thousands of Embr Wave bracelets now out in the world, we wanted to highlight the ways that Thermal Wellness can be embraced by sharing the stories of some of our most passionate Wavers. This is Laurie's story.
As an avid runner, triathlete, and mom of two teenagers in a self-determined “outdoors kind of family”, there isn’t much that slows Laurie down.
So when she was diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago, Laurie was determined to stay the active, engaged woman she has always been.
Laurie ended up beating her cancer, although there were some lasting and debilitating effects that she had little power over - chemotherapy and hormonal treatments forced Laurie’s body into a constant state of menopause.
“It was like someone turned on a light switch,” Laurie says of the experience, “Treatment broke my whole system.”
She began experiencing up to twenty hot flashes a day.
“I would take a shower, get ready, and suddenly just be in a pool of sweat,” Laurie explained. “I felt like a literal hot mess.”
Despite the major disruption and discomfort, she continued her lifestyle as an athlete and professional, doing her best to manage the symptoms as they came.
However, the effects of the hot flashes kept creeping in the way of Laurie’s efforts to stay healthy and present. They interfered with her sleep, making it harder for Laurie to get in her workouts and manage her weight.
To make matters worse, she was dealing with the constant stress that a hot flash might come at the wrong time, particularly at work.
“I could be in a meeting and suddenly look like I had just gone on a run in 90-degree weather.”
Years passed, and the flashes persisted. So last year, when Laurie’s 13-year-old daughter had to do a project for her school’s science fair, the topic was obvious to her:
How could she come up with a device to help her mom find relief from hot flashes?
In the midst of doing research, Laurie’s daughter and husband stumbled upon the Wave. Excited about the potential of the product to improve Laurie’s life, her husband bought it for her.
Laurie was skeptical. “I was like, okay, I’ll give this a shot,” she said, “but I didn’t think this thing could really help me.”
To Laurie’s surprise, and to her relief, the Embr Wave did.
At first, she began turning on the cooling setting when she would feel a hot flash coming on.
"It would significantly reduce the severity and duration of them,” Laurie said.
And as time went on, she found that repetition and routine made the Wave's cooling work even better for her.
With the Wave, she even noticed that some of her hot flashes were stopping before they began.
As Laurie began to get control back over her hot flashes, she found that every area of her wellness improved. Using Sleep Mode, she was able to fall asleep faster and be less disturbed by flashes at night, ultimately helping her achieve her fitness goals.
And she stressed less.
Laurie no longer had to live with the constant worry of an ill-timed flash getting in the way of her goals.
She found that her well-being didn’t just improve by reducing or abating the discomfort of hot flashes, but every part of her being was strengthened by the confidence she developed by taking control back.
Cancer is “in the rearview mirror" for Laurie.
Even though hot flashes are still a part of her life, having control over her temperature has been a cornerstone of Laurie getting to live her life on her terms.
“I have the ability to do something about my hot flashes now,” she says. “It’s been a lifesaver.”
“When people think of wellness, they think of eating a salad and going on a run.” said Laurie. “But it’s more than that, it’s about striking a balance of mind and body.”