Health update!

After updating close friends and family from doctors appointments and blood tests a couple weeks ago, I'm now realizing - via your texts and emails - that many of you are wanting a health update too! Thank you for loving us well! Here's the cliff notes.

My naturopath, Brenda, and my internist, Dr. C, both agree that my adrenals are fatigued. This showed up on my saliva cortisol test and on my Asyra reading. I also have some vitamin deficiencies - thank you to five years of being pregnant or nursing! (By the way, if you're nursing and doubting whether you really need to take all three of your prenatals, you do. You're welcome.) 

My blood tests were really great! I was pretty much negative (in a good way) for everything I was tested for. And at this point I've been tested for pages and pages of tests, vials and vials of blood. No autoimmune diseases showed up - a huge praise!

So what does all this mean? Basically vitamins, adrenals, thyroid, and progesterone deficiency are all related. (For all of you non-biology people - ahem, me! - I'll explain. You need vitamins for your endocrine system to work properly. If your adrenals - think cortisol - are drained, this affects your thyroid, slowing down its activity. Since the thyroid controls hormones, a drop in progesterone is not surprising. Progesterone is useful for sleeping, getting pregnant, and staying pregnant.) Now then. Since they are all related, my symptoms make sense. My adrenals are also producing cortisol in the middle of the night during the two weeks when I desperately need progesterone to keep me sleeping soundly. And there you have insomnia. 

The vitamin deficiency, as odd as it seems, is actually an answered prayer! Ever since I read that vitamin deficiency could cause thyroid and progesterone issues, I've been praying that would be my issue. Why? Because it's so fixable!

Everything Dr C and Brenda have said make sense. The first doctor I saw was all about treating the thyroid, but my question I kept asking was, "WHY do I have a thyroid issue??" It didn't make sense in my mind. All of these new answers make sense. They don't negate the thyroid, but they do explain it.

So now that we have answers, what am I doing to help? I'm on several adrenal supplements and vitamins to get me back up to where I need to be. I'm trying to slow down in life as much as I can. I frequent the sauna - it's amazing for your body for so many reasons, and sleep is my favorite! After going to the sauna, I sleep like a rock. Brendon is the one getting up with the kids if there's an issue in the middle of the night. It's amazing. 

As for my thyroid, I plan to have it watched. Once my adrenals heal and my body has adequate vitamins, my thyroid should speed up a little too. That is the hope anyway!

Since starting my new routine, I have noticed a difference! I feel so much better, namely I haven't noticed my heart racing in a few weeks. And I'm sleeping better! I still have fatigue during the day. I also still have quite the sleep regime. Don't be fooled, sleeping better does not equal sleeping amazing unassisted. I have about ten things I must do in order to ensure a good night's sleep, but they are all things I feel comfortable using (read: natural). And the hope is that my body will heal and kick into gear so I'm producing progesterone again and sleeping soundly. 

Y'all there are huge praises here! Thank you for coming along side us and praying with us! We are so thankful for you and your support of me and our family! 

If you still want to pray, here's how you can join us in prayer --

Pray for complete healing and rest for my body.

For knowing what is overdoing it and what I need to say "no" to. In other words, what is my "best yes" in this season? 

Contentment in the healing and the waiting. We are blessed to have two kids, and yet honestly we thought we would have more by now. But being content where God has us currently is a beautiful thing! 

We are not promised more children, yet we pray God would allow us to have more some day. Selfishly, I'd prefer sooner than later. (We are waiting until I'm well to even consider trying. Patience can be such a hard thing.)

Also for continued answers and guidance as we need it.

Xoxo