I’m going to tell you the first steps I took in finding a solution to my fatigue and lack of energy, as well as the accompanying lack of clarity and fogginess. The first one is so important because it’ll let you know where you are in your current state of health.
- I called my doctor and told her what was happening. This is bottom line first thing to do because I needed to rule out any serious illness and I needed my doctor to lead me to what tests I would need to do that. When I told her how tired I was, how consistent my lack of energy and how freaking difficult it was to think clearly on any consistent basis, she ordered a battery of tests. It’s so important to have a heart to heart talk with your doctor. This gives her the ability to order the most important tests related to fatigue, lack of energy, and brain fog. If you don’t have a doctor, there are numerous clinics across this great nation that offer quality physical exams for free or at a very low cost. And you can also order blood tests without a doctor’s visit in various labs across the country. I recommend a doctor visit but if for whatever reason you can’t do that, at least order blood tests. You can do this easily, this link can assist you. http://www.healthonelabs.com/
- I had blood work done to rule out anemia or any blood disorder. Now for some of you this sounds inconvenient and maybe a little uncomfortable. After all, most us don’t like the idea of needles, but let’s keep the big picture in mind. Our goal is to rule out any serious illness and to find a way to get rid of fatigue and lack of energy, and to create a brain that is clear and focused. So a tiny prick of a needle is way easier to deal with than say, a blood disorder left untreated.
- With the blood collected my thyroid levels were checked. Chile chile chile, I can’t tell you enough about how important a thyroid test is. For many women, the culprit for fatigue and brain fog lies in low levels of thyroid hormones. So that tiny needle prick can not only rule out anemia but also low thyroid. This one test ended up saving my life, and I’m not exaggerating (more on that later). You can learn more about low thyroid hormones, also known as hypothyroidism here: http://hypothyroidmom.com/10-ways-to-overcome-fatigue-with-a-low-thyroid/
- I had all my important numbers checked. In other words my doctor ordered tests for my cholesterol, blood sugar, and of course my blood pressure. It’s so important to know these numbers because they’re indicators of inflammation in your body. Research shows that disease starts with inflammation, and if these numbers are high you can pretty much be guaranteed you’ve got some inflammation going on somewhere. Andrew Weil, Founder and Director of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona says that, “It is becoming increasingly clear that inflammation is the root cause of many serious illnesses – including heart disease, many cancers, and Alzheimer’s disease”. So, get your numbers checked! These numbers will help tell you and your doctor where that inflammation is. In addition, for women, fatigue can be an indicator for heart disease. To learn more about women and heart disease check out this link: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/heart-disease/art-20046167 To learn more about inflammation you can check out this link: http://secondopinion-tv.org/episode/inflammation
Calling my doctor was the best move I made because it brought to light some things I had no idea was happening in my body. For instance, turns out I had a huge tumor on my thyroid which had to be removed, immediately. Talk about throwing a wrench into my plans! This was definitely one of the culprits of my lack of energy, but it wasn’t the only one, and so my journeyed continued.
Your assignment is to do the four steps above. This will give you information you need to determine the health of your body so that you can begin to start your journey to regain the energy you deserve and the ability to think clearly once again.
To learn more about my journey and my quest to get rid of my fatigue and lack of energy, and to have more clarity and less brain fog, check out my next post at womenfightingfatigue.com.
