From Hawt to Hot Flash

I'm gonna get serious for just a minute.

Not scary serious, or anything like that, 

but still, just something that I wanted to share.

Life is great!

Not perfect, but I feel extremely blessed.

However, my health hasn't been all that great for quite some time now.

I've felt soooooo tired, unmotivated, grouchy, hot flashes, joint pain, 

fatigue, headaches, even mental confusion.

Some people call that hormonal.

Fact is, I practically don't even have any hormones,

and THAT'S been a problem.....

along with newly discovered hypothyroidism (low thyroid).

I just haven't felt like myself for a couple of years now

and this summer I hit MY WALL!

I finally realized that's why I haven't blogged all summer....I just couldn't do it.

I could only barely do the absolute necessities for my family.  That's it.

I've had a couple of blood tests done and here's what I've discovered:

Normal thyroid should be 11

Mine is TWO!

Normal estrogen should be between 50 - 150

Mine is ELEVEN!

Normal testosterone should be between 80-200

Mine is SIX!

Well no wonder I haven't felt all that great.

This is me.

Not in my 20's

Not even in my 30's

This was taken less than 6 years ago when I was well into my 40's!

I KNOW!!!  I can't believe it either!

*sigh*

(What's with the crazy eyes???)

This was Cowboy and me the day before we got married in the summer of 2007.

Here's us the next day....our WEDDING DAY!

What a wonderful day it was too!!

I sure love this guy!!

And here is my horrifying reality now...only five years later.

It makes me sick.

These are the pictures I usually try to hide

(but my stinkin friends keep tagging me in them on Facebook, so HERE IT IS!)

The doctor promised that much of my weight gain has had to do with my low thyroid.

I've now been on thyroid medication for several months and it hasn't made any difference.

That's super frustrating!

So I went to a DIFFERENT doctor, a hormone replacement doctor

and he now has me on a treatment that is MAKING ME FEEL SO MUCH BETTER!!!

I have a couple of friends who have been on this treatment for several years 

and they swore it would change my life.

If you're interested in more information about SOTTOPELLE, check it out.

This benefits me in no way, but I know there are so many women who are in the same boat, and everyone deserves to feel their best.

The doctor placed tiny pellets under a small incision in my hip, that only had to be taped shut.

The hormone therapy slowly releases into my system and I don't have to remember to take any pills! 

Yay!

The pellets will need to be replaced every three to six months, depending on how my body responds.

It's been about three weeks now, and I can't believe how much more normal I feel already.

I will get my levels checked again in about a week to see how my levels are doing.  

I can't wait to hear the results!

I'll keep you posted on my journey.

In the meantime, happy good health to all of you!!!