Macon County Schools · Perimenopause Care
For Macon County Schools Teachers & Employees on Aetna Health Insurance Plans
A FREE 30-minute Zoom televisit about periods, PMS, and perimenopause hormone concerns — often with little or no Out-of-Pocket cost for care that follows.
Who This Is For
Macon County Schools employees who may benefit
This page is for schoolteachers and other employees covered by Aetna, including the North Carolina State Health Plan.
Women roughly 35–55 years old
Finished with childbearing
Still having periods
Employed by Macon County Schools
Covered by Aetna, including the North Carolina State Health Plan (NC SHP)
What We Focus On
Perimenopausal Medicine — Not General Obstetrics
The Ashford Center (Athens, GA) specializes in three connected domains of perimenopausal medicine. Many women tell us this combination helps them feel like themselves again.
Periods
Endometrial Ablation when clinically appropriate, to stop or sharply reduce bleeding and the fatigue/anemia that often come with heavy periods. In our experience, about 85% of our patients never have another period or PMS/PMDD; about 10–15% may have a day of spotting a few times a year.
The pre-period week
Bloating, headache, mood changes, and fatigue before menses — disrupting work weeks and family life before bleeding even starts.
Hormones
Bioidentical estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone (E/P/T) — right approach, right dosing — when clinically appropriate for perimenopause concerns.
Our televisit will help us determine your individual needs. Outcome percentages reflect our practice experience and are not a promise for every patient.
Is This You?
Symptoms we commonly evaluate
Heavy bleeding, cyclical headaches, bloating, mood shifts, and PMS are often driven by the same monthly cycle. We review what fits your history — including whether ablation, hormones, or another path is appropriate.
Heavy Periods
Bleeding that soaks through protection, disrupts your schedule, or leads to anemia and fatigue.
Cyclical Headaches
Migraines or throbbing pressure tied to the days before or during your period.
Bloating & Gut Issues
Monthly bloating, cramping, or diarrhea that tracks with your cycle.
Mood Swings & PMDD
Irritability, anxiety, or emotional shifts tied tightly to the luteal phase.
PMS & Fatigue
Breast tenderness, food cravings, and exhaustion that arrive like clockwork every month.
Endometrial Ablation
What is Endometrial Ablation?
The endometrium is the lining inside your uterus — it thickens each cycle, then sheds as your period. Endometrial Ablation removes that lining when clinically appropriate. No lining means NO PERIOD for most patients — or occasionally a few days of spotting a year.
We perform ablation in our licensed outpatient procedure suite under light sedation. Patients experience ZERO PAIN. Small instruments pass through the cervix — no incisions, no stitches. Most patients are back the next day. Your free televisit helps us determine if ablation is the right fit.
Patients are usually with us about 1.5 hours start to finish (arrival through recovery).
Good to know
- SettingLicensed outpatient procedure suite
- AnesthesiaLight sedation — ZERO PAIN
- InstrumentsThrough the cervix; no incisions/stitches
- Active treatment~90 seconds
- Visit length~1.5 hours start to finish
- RecoveryMost back next day
Cost — verify benefits before any procedure
Macon County Schools employees are typically on the North Carolina State Health Plan, administered by Aetna. For many members, a comprehensive peri solution may involve little to no Out-of-Pocket cost; exact cost depends on your plan. We verify benefits before Endometrial Ablation.
Understand Your Symptoms
The details behind each symptom
Why your period triggers headaches
Period headaches — also called menstrual migraines — are often tied to the drop in estrogen right before your period starts. Severity ranges from dull pressure to migraine symptoms: one-sided pain, light sensitivity, nausea, and trouble concentrating.
For many patients, addressing the cycle at its source — through ablation when appropriate, hormone optimization, or both — is part of the conversation after a careful history.
What we evaluate
- Timing of headaches relative to your cycle
- Full medical and headache history
- Lifestyle contributors — sleep, caffeine, stress
- Whether ablation or hormones may fit
Mood swings, PMS, and PMDD
Fluctuating estrogen and progesterone affect serotonin and dopamine — the neurotransmitters that regulate mood, sleep, and emotional stability. For many women, this shows up as irritability, anxiety, or sadness in the week before a period. For some, it's severe enough to be PMDD.
Evaluation starts with a detailed symptom history. For patients who've completed childbearing, procedural options and bioidentical hormone approaches may be part of the plan — alongside lifestyle strategies and referrals when appropriate.
PMS vs. PMDD
- PMS: irritability, bloating, fatigue, mild mood shifts
- PMDD: severe mood swings, panic, depression, withdrawal
- Both follow a predictable monthly pattern
- PMDD warrants a more targeted treatment plan
Bloating, diarrhea, and gut issues
Period-related gut issues often track with the monthly breakdown of the endometrium. For patients finished with childbearing, Endometrial Ablation — when clinically appropriate — can be a minimally invasive option so you're not planning your month around your gut.
Hormone optimization may also help some patients. We'll sort out what fits your history on the televisit.
Good candidates typically have
- Bloating or GI symptoms tied to their cycle
- Completed childbearing
- Symptoms unresponsive to lifestyle changes alone
- Interest in a lasting, individualized plan
Heavy bleeding and iron-deficiency anemia
Heavy periods (menorrhagia) don't just disrupt your day — over time, they can deplete iron stores, leading to fatigue, lightheadedness, shortness of breath, and difficulty concentrating.
Treatment may address both sides: replenishing iron when needed, and treating the bleeding source. For patients who've completed childbearing and want a definitive option, Endometrial Ablation is designed to stop or greatly reduce monthly bleeding at the root — when clinically appropriate.
Our evaluation includes
- Focused medical history
- Blood testing when indicated — CBC and ferritin
- Pelvic imaging when clinically indicated
- A plan that balances relief, recovery, and your goals
Your Specialists
Three physicians. One focus.
Dr. Ashford, Dr. Sholes, and Dr. Goggin practice as co-specialists in Endometrial Ablation and related perimenopause care!
Co-Specialist
Dr. Clinton Ashford
Board-certified OB-GYN and founder of The Ashford Center. Dr. Ashford has extensive experience across all six ablation techniques and has personally guided thousands of patients through evaluation and treatment — with an emphasis on identifying the true root cause of each patient's symptoms.
Co-Specialist
Dr. Sholes
Dr. Sholes brings the same procedural depth and patient-first approach, working alongside Dr. Ashford to ensure every patient's treatment plan — and choice of technique — is matched precisely to their anatomy, history, and goals.
Co-Specialist
Dr. Goggin
Dr. Goggin is a co-specialist in Endometrial Ablation and perimenopause care at The Ashford Center, working alongside Dr. Ashford and Dr. Sholes.
What to Expect
Your path, start to finish
Free Zoom Televisit with one of our doctors
30 minutes from home. For North Carolina patients, an NC-licensed physician in our group.
Benefits Check
We verify Aetna / NC State Health Plan benefits before any procedure. For many members, care may involve little to no Out-of-Pocket cost; exact cost depends on your plan.
In-Office Care
If ablation is needed: focused exam, testing as needed, then Endometrial Ablation under light sedation.
Recovery & Results
Most patients return the next day.
Insurance
Aetna & NC State Health Plan featured
For many Aetna / NC State Health Plan members, comprehensive perimenopause care may involve little to no Out-of-Pocket cost. We verify benefits before Endometrial Ablation.
Frequently Asked
Questions patients ask us most
Ablation is generally considered for patients who have completed childbearing and are experiencing heavy periods, cyclical headaches, bloating, mood swings, or PMS symptoms tied to their cycle. A consultation confirms whether it's right for you — not everyone is a candidate.
No — once the uterine lining is removed, pregnancy is unlikely to be safely carried to term. That's why ablation is reserved for patients who've completed childbearing.
Most patients return to normal activity the next day. Mild cramping, nausea, or watery/bloody discharge is common in the days after. Full results are typically clear within a few months as your uterus heals.
For many Aetna / NC State Health Plan members, a comprehensive solution to perimenopause symptomatology may involve little to no Out-of-Pocket cost; we verify benefits before Endometrial Ablation. Exact coverage depends on your plan.
Televisits for North Carolina patients are provided by a physician in our group who holds an active North Carolina medical license. The free televisit does not obligate you to schedule Endometrial Ablation.
Yes — book a free 30-minute Zoom (or phone) televisit below. We'll review your symptoms and what the best approach should be before you travel to Athens.
Book Now
Book your free 30-minute Zoom televisit
Pick a time below. Your Zoom link arrives by email. For NC patients, telehealth is provided by a provider in our group with an active NC medical license.
On the visit we'll review your symptoms and what the best approach should be. Have your insurance card handy.
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