It’s time for another coffee date so grab your favorite beverage, pull up a comfy chair, and let’s talk.
If we were having coffee I’d tell you all about this week’s long-awaited appointment with the new Endocrinologist.
I try not to whine too much about how craptastic I’ve felt over the past few years. I’ve expressed my frustration with fatigue, with running paces falling into an abyss, with doctors who tell me “everybody’s tired” and “everybody your age gains weight” and “you should feel lucky you haven’t gained more.”
Through the magic that is extensive blood and urine testing, I finally got some more comprehensive results.
Going into this, I feared I’d be told to stop running. I feared I’d have to make tough decisions about bioidentical hormones and weigh the risks for myself. I was unsure to say the least.
Turns out I like the doc. I like that he respects me as an athlete and didn’t tell me to stop running. Something I always fear.
The verdict? Blood lipid panel, to quote the doc “People would kill for numbers like these”. Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, all of it perfectly in range. Vitamin D, despite all the sunshine and supplementing I do, is still low. Frustrating.
One glaring issue: While my TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) number is normal, when one looks deeper and tests further (which no doc has ever done for me) there’s a problem. While my T4 is normal, my T3 is low. So rather than adjust my thyroid med up and down, as has been done in the past, we’re completely changing up the meds to something that will increase T3. I won’t retest for 10 weeks, but hopefully by that time, I will have some positive results. At last, I AM HOPEFUL!
If we were having coffee, I’d tell you I have no tomatoes to share. My garden is a freaking disaster. I’m actually one of only 3 people in the entire community who hasn’t completely abandoned their plot. This has been the most challenging year of gardening I’ve ever experienced. A cool June and July wreaked havoc on crops. I’ve gotten zero tomatoes. The horror! One measly pepper. Zero pumpkins on the vine but lots of blossoms. I do have a couple of acorn squash and the beginnings of butternut squash but overall, everything seems to be very behind. Snap peas have been my only success, because they dig cool, damp weather.
If we were having coffee, I’d tell you there’s less than a month until I run the Twin Cities Marathon. I feel a quiet sense of calm about it. I wish I had more endurance under my belt, but overall, it’s going to be ok. And it’ll be so great to see old running friends and have a girls’ weekend!
Your turn: What would you tell me?
I’m linking up with Coco, Deborah and Lynda for the Ultimate Coffee Date.
I’m so glad you have something new to try to feel better – and I hope it works! We’ve had an odd year for gardening. My mom’s garden was meh but my friend’s was on overdrive. We learned that we don’t get enough sun, but my herbs did ok.
I hope you are able to figure out why you are feeling bad and hopefully there is an easy cure. I really would like a garden of my own. What kind of vegetarian doesn’t have their own garden?? Thanks for linking up with us today for coffee!
I’m glad the Dr found something that may be an issue. Something that you can tweak to see if it’ll help your energy levels. Something is so much better than nothing.
I sure hope that the new med is the game changer for you! So frustrating!
We have only gotten a few tomatoes. Besides the weird weather, the squirrels eat ours.
Marcia you are going to have a blast at the Twin Cities Marathon, how fun a girls weekend. I am heading in for a physical next week and am hoping all is good with me. Just 48 but am at the stage of always keeping my fingers crossed that I can still keep running and stay healthy. My only problem lately {well the last 4 years} are the darn hot flashes and night sweats! God lord, they are driving me nuts. I am taking Yam root currently {as I don’t want to start any hormones} so I am seeing how this will work.
Thanks for the coffee date, have a great weekend 🙂
Great catching up!!! Vitamin D is SO darn tricky for women and where we live–I always struggle with that one!! 1 month to go till race day– YEAH 🙂 So exciting– Hope you are enjoying this blast of summer this weekend.
I have Vitamin D issues too and am taking a huge amount as a supplement. Not sure yet if it’s helping. I hope your med adjustment helps. YAY for a doctor that digs deeper. That’s awesome.
Glad to hear you’re able to try something new – I wish you the best of luck in it working very soon! Feeling drained all the time is the worst.
When you have cool weather, we had one of the hottest driest years ever. I have no tomatoes because I have no garden. No fence and deer- bad combo.
Glad to hear your medical stuff might be figured out! Thyroid problems are so tricky.
Have a great long weekend!
That doctors appointment sounded promising! I hope the new med makes a difference! My pineapples and avocados are the only thing I can brag about so far in the garden, I killed everything else! When we get back from Italy I will get out there and try it again! I would love to get a patch of different squash growing! Happy holiday weekend!
One of these days I absolutely must have my Vit D tested!
I hope the new meds work well for you.It wasn’t until my periods got more infrequent that I was able to lose the last 10 lbs. Now I’m working on the last 5. I’m afraid of what will happen when I’m post menopausal but I’ll cross that bridge when I meet it.
My grape tomatoes did great, but my plum tomatoes kept rotting at the bottoms. Patty pan squash did well, but would you believe my zucchini kept dying? I think I let them get too leggy. It grew out of the raised bed & all the way up Gizmo’s kennel (taller than me). We learn from our mistakes, right? I cut it back & we’ll see if I get any before the snow flies. I’ve got one tiny one growing at the moment.
I planted mini peppers and they did pretty well. And the strawberries did fantastic!
Enjoy the long weekend.
My garden sucked this year too! Right when all the tomatoes plants were growing a lot, we went on a 12 day vacation. My cat sitter watered the garden but she did not make sure the plants grew in the correct direction or up the little wire things I had. So some of the plants fell over and eventually died, while others grew on top of the pepper plants and prevented THEM from growing. Also, due to all the rain we had, the tomato plants all started dying. Ugh. My last hope was my butternut squash, but last week when I broke the first one off, I broke the freaking vine off too!!! What a horrible end to a horrible garden. Oh well there is always next year!
I am still amazed at the number of people with low Vitamin D. I was low in February. Have gotten plenty of sunshine since then and have been supplementing. Will be interesting to see my levels now. Sounds like you have a good doctor and hope you guys can find a path forward that leaves you feeling better.
I’m glad you like your new doctor. That helps so much. I hope the new medication will make a difference! I’m in that frustrating hormonal thing too. Go away already. At least you attempted to grow something. The squirrels in our yard would never allow any such thing!
Marcia I’m so glad you’re got some answers as to what’s behind how you’ve been feeling. Hopefully this new protocol will work for you. You have inspired me to call my doctor tomorrow – time to get to the bottom of why I’m feeling so off! I also got no tomatoes this year – so odd!
Ooo, I hope the new meds fix this once and for all! 🙂