NO No noooooooooo!

Got the test results back yesterday, but the nurse who I spoke to on the phone earlier yesterday actually thought she was speaking to someone else... so that was good because what she said to me over the phone did not make any sense to me.

Not that my test results made any sense to me.. well at least not all of them.
It showed low levels of TSH but normal levels of T4 - which points toward a syndrome that is called "Subclinical Hyperthyroidism" (I did my own online research when I got home).

My A1c was slightly high on the test, too high for my liking. This is a sign that verifies my suspicions that I do have some kind of insulin issue...

My cholesterol was a little skew, my good (HDL) was too low and my bad ones (LDL & TriG) were too high. But I have nothing to compare it with since it was the first time I took it. I am a little against measuring cholesterol because I don't think it really shows a good picture of your health anyway.. we need the lipoproteins in order to tell a better story. But it is a starting point.

So here are my thoughts
I have been thinking for a while that I was having thyroid issues because I have such a hard time loosing weight and have gained so much since coming off the birth control over a year ago now, and on top of that I am having a very low basal temperature in the morning, over one full degree of what is considered 'normal'... But all those issues point toward Hypothyroidism and not Hyperthyroidism! How can I be still FAT while I have a hyper thyroid?!

Second, doesn't the thyroid and insulin kind of go hand in hand? Can you have hypoT with high levels of TSH? I mean, off course you can, but does it really make sense?

I have so many questions that I think I need to speak to a Endocrinologist... I don't think my levels are alarming of any kind, they are very manageable but I still want to be able to understand it a little bit better. The doctor did not want to see me yesterday, it was just the mistake of the nurse. But then she said: "He wants you have to go on a strictly diet, and we will take your tests again in February"...

Now to someone that has no idea what low TSH, high LDL, Low B12, Normal T4, Low D3, High A1c means - what kind of a diet is that person suppose to go on. Because I am PRETTY darn sure different people call different thing a diet. Weight Watchers, Jenny Graig, Atkins, South beach, GI,  No Gluten, LCHF, Count Calories... just to name of few - which one is a diet in your mind? And which one would in your mind make the best impact on the above test results???

Well, I know which one I am going to pick - and I would have done so no matter what the doctor said, but what about other people. What does 'Going on a diet' mean?? Just as what does 'I eat healthy' mean???!!!

Off course I am struggling with the questions if this is by any chance related to Yasmin... In my mind it is.. I found this article where they say "...TSH may be unintentionally suppressed during hormone replacement therapy in about 20% of hypothyroid patients..." http://www.eje-online.org/cgi/content/full/152/1/1
I simply think that my 11 years on birth control has destroyed parts of my body's own functions and while I was on it, it was simply hiding those issues. But I might only be looking for something else to blame than myself...

And another journey begins...

Birth Control Side Effects

Birth control is a subject that has become a mission bigger than myself... I feel a need to spread the word to everyone I speak with and I wish someone could have shared with me ten years ago what I know today... But on the other hand if someone would have done that - I would not have been here today, trying to work so hard for it.

Birth control in the form of IUD, Pill, Implant, Shot, Ring or Patch are a hormonal form of birth control. They are accepted as the NORM by many; including our parents, friends and doctors and are not questioned enough. What we learn about them are the so called benefits and not side effects - and in many cases the side effect is looked upon as that X% chance of getting pregnant... Off course getting pregnant will change your life forever no matter what you decide to do when you find out that you are pregnant and I am not trying to hide that... but there is so much more than that. So much that not many speak about, or even acknowledge as being related.

More often than NOT are our symptoms ignored, laughed at, or treated with medications that most often fail. Why, I do not know - but I am sad that it has to be that way... there are so many young wonderful women out there that need the support that are left alone to think that it is all in their heads.

I am here to tell you that it is NOT in your head - your symptoms are very much real and are related to hormonal birth control, (or hormonal treatment during menopause if you are at that stage in your life):

• Hair loss
• Heart Palpitations
• Vision blurres
• Astigmatism
• High Blood pressure
• Allergy reactions
• Sinus problems
• Vaginal Dryness
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Insomia
• Symptom of Hypothyroidism
• Low tolerance to carbohydrates
• Poor nutrition absorbtion
• Diarrhea 
• Dizzyness
• Alcohol and/or Caffeine sensitiveness
• Feeling faint
• Weight Gain
• Weight Loss
• Low or no sex drive
• Spotting in-between periods
• Irregular Bleeding
• Cold sores
• Low immune system
• UTI
• Memory problems
• Bloating
• Mood swings
• Migraines
• Head aches
• Weepiness
• PCOS
• Sensitive to the sun
• Nervousness 
• Chronically tired
• Changes in skin 
• Muscle cramps or pain
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Blood clot

As you can see most symptoms have nothing to do with your reproductive tract (vagina, uterus, menstruation)... and they may be overlooked by yourself even, as a symptom of your birth control method. And if you suspect that it is linked you must prepare yourself that your suspicion might be dismissed by the doctor or gynecologist. You must listen to your body! Taking beta blockers, anti depressants, and/or use Rogain shampoo will NOT treat your real underlying issue, only hide it - if you are lucky - and then you should also hope for no side effects of this options. The only way you are truly going to get rid of this is to get off the hormonal birth control, and by that I mean GET OFF, not try another one, and restore your body's natural hormone balance; which could be a trip to hell and back but worth the ride in the end!

Your health comes first! It is really that simple. Without your health in tact you cannot care for your loved ones in the best possible way. Take care of YOU first! If you are taking hormonal birth control you should really sit down and ask yourself if it is worth the risks when there are so many other available options out there that does not include hormones when it comes to birth control (something I will be talking about in a later post). If you are a man reading this - I have only one thing to say - Please support your woman when she does not want to use hormonal methods of birth control, I beg you.

No Ovulation

Just as I thought everything was FINALLY over for all my symptoms I have now realized that my cycles are not as normal as they should. More then half of them happen without me getting ovulation! That basically means that the body will keep producing estrogen all the way through the cycle giving me a nice flashback of my years on the pill!

I get amazed by everything new that happens to me.. what if we could ALL learn these things when we are in high school instead?!?! So we don't have to play this guessing game with ourselves all the time! I am getting a little discourage...

So I have already figured out that my body does not make enough progesterone and my body was 'infected' with estrogen... well now on top of that it does not ovulate either every month. Which makes the progesterone deficiency a little bit worse. What happens is that I get all the nice symptoms of too much estrogen.. weight gain, tired, carb sensitive, and weepy! Lovely!!!

So now I am going to work out that part too.. Herbs - here I come!
Just ordered some herbs I have never tried before from iHerb.com and feel hopeful that they will work. Even though I am not looking to get pregnant, I want my body to FUNCTION like a normal woman's body and have ovulation every single cycle - is that really too much to ask??!

So I have now ordered the following herbal supplements:
False Unicorn Root - Sounded so mystical and wonderful.. :) and it will help getting my cycles back on track and heal my uterus.
Siberian Ginseng - for some energy and Adrenal function
Smilax / Sarasparilla - for hormone balance
Licorice Root - Adrenal health and hormone balance

Anyone tried it?

First time iHerb customers will get $5 off; use the promotion code HIS994 

Hormone treatment can mean more than one thing

As I was laying in bed this morning I had the Early Show on and I was only paying half attention to it until they started to talk about risks with hormone replacement for women going through menopause. Thankfully many women select to not receive any hormone treatment when they go through it, but others feel that they have no option, or don't really know what they are getting themselves into... 

This is a written piece on pretty much the same interview Please Click HERE to see the original post and recording:

 

(CBS)  Since 2002 when the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study showed an increase risk of breast cancer for women using estrogen and progestin, hormone use has dropped off. But the debate still rages on about just what the risk is.

Now, new findings in a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) further clarify that risk.

The study found that, compared with women who had never used hormone therapy, women who used estrogen therapy for more than 15 years had a 19 percent greater risk of developing breast cancer.

Women who used combined therapy with estrogen plus progestin for 15 or more years had an 83 percent greater risk. Breast cancer risk was highest among women who used the combination regimen.

Other important findings :

• Risk varied according to Body Mass Index (BMI), with greater risks for thinner women.

• Longer duration of hormone therapy increased breast cancer risk.

So what should women take away from this new study?

According to CBS News Medical Correspondent and OB-GYN, Dr. Jennifer Ashton, this study looked at women taking hormone replacement therapy, also known as HRT, over a certain period of time and then helped to stratify their risk of breast cancer.

While we already know HRT increases the risk of breast cancer, Ashton points out this study focuses on duration of use and combination of HRT, including estrogen and progesterone.

The findings that women who used combined therapy with estrogen plus progestin for 15 or more years had an 83 percent greater risk raises a lot of concern, "Early Show" co-anchor Erica Hill pointed out.

"If taken for more than 15 years," Ashton reiterates. "Remember, if it was 100 percent risk, that would be equivalent to doubling your risk. This 83 percent is actually very similar to what came out in 2002."

Therefore, length of time is important.

"Length of time, longer risk associated with higher risk. Women who took HRT for about two years really showed a minimal increase in their breast cancer risk, so that's important.

"Women who took both combination, as we just saw, estrogen and progesterone, had a higher risk. And women who took what we call continuously without a break also had a higher risk. So that further delineates what the risks are. So like anything, (it's about) risk versus benefits. You want to be able to stratify those risks as much as possible," she added.

Weight also plays a significant role, but the results are surprising.

"Usually we hear obesity can contribute to the risk of breast cancer. This study found thinner women had higher risk," Ashton explained. "It's important to remember, again, this needs to be individually discussed with your doctor, that WHI study from 2002 actually found hormone replacement therapy can lessen the risk of colon cancer. So, if that's a bigger risk for you versus breast cancer, you want to discuss that with your doctor. It's not a simple equation." 

What do I think about it...  Well, first I think we need to separate the term "hormone treatment" a little bit more. What they in this case are referring to is synthetic hormones, estrogen and progestin.. those found in regular birth control pills. They are dangerous! No question about it... and in combination they are a secured road to many complications now and later on in life. The hormones used is not natural even though many doctors will refer to it as natural hormone replacement.

What we need to focus on is NATURAL ways of reaching optimal health - something that in many cases will not be supported by your doctor because he or she can always refer to it as "there is no proof". But remember that just because it is not published in the big medical journals does not mean it has not been researched, only thing is that most of the natural methods does not have the big medical companies backing them up with a big fat pay check and getting them in publications can be a little hard. But that does not mean that they don't exist. 

This is were every woman needs to take an active decision in her life. Is she going to educate herself or is she going to let someone use her body as their personal guinea pig? But here is the second hurdle - how do you know you are learning what is right and most beneficial for you?? At first everything is going to look the same. But you want to look for words as holistic, natural, and reformed. Starting out by reading any of Dr John R Lee's books about hormones will give you a giant leap compared to others just like you... You will know so many things that your doctor may or may not even know, and if they know they may chose to not share it with you. 

I am even here willing to say that hormone treatment is beneficial for you, if you need it, but you need to know what hormones you need and where to get them. If you received them through a prescription from your doctor a RED light should go off... Natural Progesterone Cream is good, Natural Vitamin D3 is good, and Natural herbs to stimulate your adrenal gland and your cortisol levels are good!!! And that to me would also classify as hormone treatment - right?!

Love your Boobies

It is hard to ignore the fact that it is breast cancer awareness month - even during the football games every Sunday we see more pink than we do in our every day life. It is an important effort to reach a better solution for so many women that have suffered and for those who have lost a loved one to breast cancer.

I do however think that there is a lack of information to the public about the progress and what every woman can do for herself to try to stay away from it. They breast cancer industry live and feed off of our fear of getting it... and that is bad, really bad! It is a money machine in both a good way and a bad way...

I want to send this note out - and encourage every woman to read this book. It is all about taking charge of your destiny and not putting your life in someone else hands.. because you never know what they will do with that privilege.Read the book and start supplementing with Vitamin D3!!!

Love your boobies, love your life

do yourself a favor and take action today!

Link to book at Amazon.com

VMA and Progesterone Cream

As I am sitting and watching the VMA on MTV I am also now rubbing my boobies with my second batch of progesterone cream for today. I decided to go for 1/8 of a teaspoon twice a day instead of 1/4 once a day because you should use it in different places every time you use it for better absorption and 1/4 is too much to put in one small area. And on top of that only a few areas on the body are 'better' than others. This morning I used the inside of my right arm... now it is time for my boobies!

Also prepared my pill boxes for the week so I have that under control... Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, Kelp, B-vitamins, Magnesium, Fish Oil, Calcium... and a pray has been added to the mix too!

Only a few more days

This coming Sunday, September 12th - I will start my first progesterone cream treatment. I still have NO idea if it will help or not - but I am hopeful. It feels like this is one of the missing pieces of the puzzle.

Today I also called a Holistic GYN - that I feel I could trust with symptoms and recovery techniques far beyond the regular medicine world. But I have not decided if I should go for it now or not. It will most likely not be covered by my insurance and the first visit is $280... that is almost half a ticket to Sweden over Christmas.

I don't know what to do. Maybe I can go to my regular doctor and have them do some hormone testing on me and that will give me a starting point? But that will mean that I need to get in on Monday so that the progesterone cream does not give a too false starting point. And maybe after a month on the cream if things are still the same I might look for more answers. I don't know... I would love to have someone to talk to that I trust and that would understand...

This past month have been a little set back month for me. I have experienced minor anxiety, heart palpitations, gas, depression, insomnia. food cravings and my cycles have not been on the mark lately either... and I ask myself if it is because I am truly getting a little worse as far as hormone imbalance or if it is because I have been slacking with my supplements eating habits and exercise regimen?! Can it be a little bit of both??

Sunday will be a whole new start for me. I am not only going to attack my issues with the progesterone cream, but also start taking my Thyroid supplements, Vitamin D3, Fish Oil, Vitamin C, and Magnesium along with eating less carbs and sugar and jump back on my exercise schedule again... I have to make it work, I just have to!

Could it be?

Last post I wrote was about that book recommendation... today's post will have something to do with it. Many women are suffering from different things without having their symptoms confirmed by a test of some kind which throws these women in a bracket of "it is just in your head - you are doing fine". Making us think we are crazy.

Now, I do admit - we have our crazy moments just because we are women, we can go crazy over a pair of shoes and we feel complete with a fancy Coach bag on our shoulders... but that is not what I am talking about. I am talking about constant pain, physical or mental, that is just there without reason or explanation.

I don't believe that I am sitting on the answer but the book I recommended have a lot of information that might clear things up for you or someone you love. The book is a great investment! But if you are not sure yet if it will speak to you and your symptoms, why don't you first take this online test to make sure!?

Hormone Balance Test

New Book Recommendation

For all of you women out there I have to recommend ONE book and I want to say this with it:

If you or someone you know is suffering from ANY of the below listed symptoms - read the book!

Acceleration of the aging process
Allergy symptoms, including asthma, hives, rashes, sinus congestion
Autoimmune disorders such as lupus, erythematosis and thyroiditis, and possibly Sjögren’s disease
Breast Cancer
Brest Tenderness
Cervical dysplasia
Cold hands and feet as a symptom of thyroid dysfunction
Copper excess
Decreased sex drive
Depression with anxiety or agitation
Dry eyes
Early onset of menstruation
Endometrial (uterine) cancer
Fat gain, especially around the abdomen, hips, and thighs
Fatigue
Fibrocystic breasts
Foggy thinking
Gallbladder disease
Hair Loss
Headaches
Hypoglycemia
Increased blood clotting
Infertility
Irregular menstrual periods
Irritability
Insomnia
Magnesium deficiency
Memory loss
Mood swings
Osteoporosis
PMS
Polycystic ovaries
Premenopausal bone loss
Prostate Cancer
Sluggish metabolism
Thyroid dysfunction mimicking hypothyroidism
Uterine cancer
Uterine fibroids
Water retention, bloating
Zinc deficiency

The book is: What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause - written by Dr. John R. Lee M.D.
Dr John R Lee website