Archive for Health
Lab Testing
Posted by: | CommentsLab Testing: Another Opportunity For You To Change The View
In my 30′s when I was blindly going through my infertility fiasco, I didn’t think to ask about my test results or how they used them to determine my course of treatment. Why didn’t I do this? I don’t know except my brain along with the rest of my body was in a tsunami due to the prednisone and massive doses of hormones I was taking. It’s not like I hadn’t already experienced other health issues that had taught me to ask questions and be an active participant. I guess I still needed more training to earn the title, the Hormone Lady.
Heck, all I could think about was food 24/7. If you have been on prednisone (synthetic cortisone) or experienced extreme stress you know what I mean. I could have eaten the cardboard box along with all the Wheat Thins I ate everyday.
AFTER the effects of all this craziness, which resulted in hip surgery among many other complications, I decided to request my records and see if I could glean a few answers for myself on why all these treatments didn’t work. How brilliant? What a novel idea?
The receptionist hemmed and hawed when I asked to have all of my records mailed to me. This was not a good sign or maybe it was a good sign to get involved. After weeks of not receiving my records, I drove 2 hours to get them in person. It was time to be an active participant. Ha, Ha, Ha.
Much to my surprise, I discovered the artificial insemination treatments had been done when the tests clearly showed my antinuclear antibodies were back up to the higher levels. This was the proposed reason I couldn’t get pregnant and the reason for being on prednisone.
To make a long story short the prednisone wasn’t working except for testing my self-esteem with a moon shaped face, 45 pounds of excess fat and getting me primed for hip surgery. And the extreme amount of hormones being pumped through my body were no match for the high level of antibodies.
The bottom line-the artificial inseminations were useless treatments. With a name like that how could they work? The whole experience was artificial!
The Test Result: A Real lesson on being an active participant BEFORE and DURING your treatment. If you don’t take charge somebody else will!!!
Roz’s Lab Testing Tips:
Get involved. Participate in the testing decisions. If your practitioner doesn’t recommend testing -you recommend it. I have done this for years. If they didn’t put what I wanted on the script I added it myself (after I left the office of course).
Age Is Not The Issue. Many times physicians won’t test your hormones if you aren’t in the age category they think you should be (whatever that’s supposed to be). Insist you want it done no matter how old you are. In fact, the younger you are the better. Then you will have a baseline to go by throughout your lifetime.
Get a full panel of hormones tested. A basic panel should include Estradiol, Progesterone, Testosterone, DHEA and Cortisol. Ideally, a thyroid panel should also be included. For thyroid you would start out with TSH, Free T3, Free T4, TPO (thyroid peroxidase) and thyroid antibody. Check out the HORMONZ profiles.
Always get a copy of your test results. It is your information. How will you know what is going on if you don’t see it yourself?
Get Your Results BEFORE you see your healthcare practitioner or definitely before treatment.
Read Your Results. It isn’t rocket science. Look at your results. Look at the ranges. Where are you in the range?
Just because the results are “in the range” doesn’t mean it is normal for you.
If the range was 1-10 and your results are 1 or 10 this is a big difference.
If there isn’t an L for low or H for high next to a result many practitioners skim right over it. Your results are considered “normal”.
Ask Questions. If you don’t understand what the results mean ask.
If your results are considered “normal” and you have all the symptoms of hormone imbalance most likely you do have hormone imbalance.
Know your body. What is “normal” for you?
Learn to trust your gut. If you know something is wrong most likely it is. Be persistent.
It’s your body. It’s your life. Only you know how you feel.
Take Care of YOU,
Roz
The Hormone Lady on: Who Does She Think She Is?
Posted by: | CommentsThen the thoughts take over the mind, the body and the soul.
Who do I think I am?
I need to quit thinking about what I love to do and focus on my family and their needs.
I am just being selfish.
If I don’t do this I am going to die.
If I do this my marriage, my children, my family will suffer.
Now is not the time.
Wait until your children are grown.
How are you going to make money?
How are you going to survive ?
How am I going to survive if I don’t do what I love to do?
You repress the passion and it begins: Sadness, Anger, Depression, Anxiety, Weight Gain, Pain, PMS, Hair Loss, …
The suppression of passion- who you are and what you are on this earth to do is at the core of hormone imbalance. Prolonged suppression produces physical, mental, emotional pain and the death of the spirit.
My clients ask: Why do you want to know what my passion is? What my interests are? What would I do if I could do anything I wanted to do no matter what? What does that have to do with hormones?
My answer is: Everything.
I am not a mother but I know what it is like to struggle with doing what you love to do and what you think you need to do and I know this is the core of hormone imbalance. And I know their isn’t a pill or cream that can make it go away. They may relieve the physical symptoms which can certainly help
BUT
Real Hormone Therapy is doing what you love to do. This is the reason I do what I do. This is the reason for creating Club HORMONZ. It’s about Communication, Connection and Power. It’s about education, support, resources and services for you to live your life with PASSION and FUN!
Wherever you are in the world attend the documentary “Who Does She Think She Is?” www.whodoesshethinksheis.net.
Find Out Who You Are And Do It On Purpose! Dolly Parton
If you are in the Charleston area we will be attending Who Does She Think She Is? on Wednesday, February 18. The movie begins @ 7:45 @ the Terrace Theatre, 1956 Maybank Highway.
See YOU There!
With PASSION,
Roz
NO, YOU’RE NOT Going Crazy!
Posted by: | CommentsYou Say
I feel like I am going crazy.
Who is that person in my body?
I could kill somebody and not think twice about it.
Did those words come out of my mouth?
If he says that to me one more time I’m going to rip his head off.
Where are my keys?
Sex, Are you kidding me?
They Say
“Mommy you are so mean”.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“ You need to chill out, Mom.”
“You’re crazy.”
“You need to get some help.”
“Is it that time of the month?”
“Did you take your pills?”
You Do
Run yourself ragged taking care of everyone else
Scream at your kids then you feel guilty.
Cry for no reason
Wake up between 2-4 a.m. even though your children are sleeping
Have to drag yourself out of bed in the morning
Exercise and eat well and still can’t lose weight
Take antidepressants, but you are still depressed
You Are Not Alone !
These are some of the statements I hear everyday. If this sounds familiar it could be your hormones. “Hormones”? “Are you kidding me”? “I am not that old”. You’re right. And guess what? It’s not an “old” issue. It doesn’t matter if you are 14, 21, 28, 35, 42….hormones are a part of you from conception to death.
The Reality.
The problem is most people don’t have a clue what hormones really are and what they really do. When hormones are mentioned people think hot flashes and night sweats or a pill you take when you get old to keep those things under control. WRONG.
The REAL Definition of Hormones.
They are chemical messengers that tell ALL of your cells and organs what to do. Now that’s a big deal. This means they affect EVERYTHING from your head to your toes. So your neurological, respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive, gynecological, urological, musculoskeletal, skin, hair, eyes, teeth, nails, bones, joints,…. Now, you get the picture?
Hormones affect our Life AND Life Affects Our Hormones!
Thoughts, Feelings, Beliefs, Pregnancy, Birth, Puberty, Menstruation, Miscarriage
Relationships-Partners, Children, Parents, Siblings, Employers, Coworkers Unfulfilling Work, Food, Alcohol, Caffeine, Illness, Surgery, Trauma, Loss, Death, Divorce,
Separation, Moving, Building, Remodeling AND the most important- Neglected Passion or Creativity.
What Can You Do?
Testing
If you really want to prove to yourself and to everyone around you that you are not crazy, have your hormones tested. When you get a copy of your results, put them in a frame on your kitchen wall for everybody to see you really do have a reason for your behavior.
Time Out
30 minutes in a quiet space. Okay, 10 minutes. This may be in your car or maybe in your closet. No children, no animals, no men. Write on a piece of paper. Before I was married and/or before I had children I used to love to…. Then Do It!
Supplement
Your life with whatever it is you so love to do that when you do it you lose sense of time (That’s PASSION); good food; exercise you enjoy and hormones if you need them
Get Help
In putting the pieces together so you can enjoy your life again.
If you are too tired, too depressed, too anxious or just don’t care to figure it all out. Go to www.hormonz.com and get control of your life. You’ll be glad you did.
Rosalyn Adams, M.Ed.
The Hormone Lady
www.hormonz.com
