So just how bad is it?

I was going to shave my chin this afternoon so I could go out. 

I last did it before heading out the door Tuesday morning, heading for the food bank. 

So the pictures you see, is what happens after just over 2 days.

How much or how fast it grows seems to vary with both my cycle & the lunar cycle. 

As I mentioned before, if the only thing that changes is that this hair growth slows extremely or stops, I would be happy.

These are selfies with artificial light so they are not great or sharp. LOL But you get an idea of what I deal with. 

You can see why I am embarrassed to go out without shaving. Having a lazy eye that draws attention to my face is bad enough. I don’t need help from my chin. 

We have been known to run back home if I notice I forgot right after we leave the house. I now keep a razor in the glove box, just in case.

I share this one time & onetime only. 

I don’t like to let the world in this much. But maybe what I am going through can help someone else.

Other hairy areas are not as easy to share ... 

Medical update

So it has been almost 2 weeks now since I saw the doc. The results from my blood work were not as bad as I expected, but not perfect either. One big thing to cross off the list is Diabetes. I’m okay with my blood sugar levels right now. My thyroid is below the optimum level. And the progesterone part of my hormones? Yeah, it’s bottomed out! So there is indeed actual real reason behind many of my symptoms & issues. And, we are already on the road to re-balance.

I brought my hubby with me when we went back for my appointment on Friday (10/31). I wanted him to meet the doc. He’s glad he came. He went over the results & pointed out things for us. And right away he got me going with a natural thyroid medicine. It’s a little more than the synthetic versions but it also (he feels) addresses the problems better, faster & more accurately. I’m good with that. I have to take it every morning … and wait at least 45 minutes before eating or drinking anything (beside water)!! I started this on Nov 1.

The other thing is my lack of progesterone. This is being addressed with a hand mixed progesterone formula, just for me. This is what compounding pharmacies make. I now take this every night before bed. I started on Oct 31.

Now the funny part. Well, not funny really … Hubby had taken the day off on Friday so we could prepare for our vacation. We had a few errands to run; this doc appt, the dog to drop off at Club Pet, & bags to pack. Oh, & get to bed early so we could be at the airport by 5am on Saturday. Well, to get the progesterone, we could either wait until we got back from vacation & have it waiting in the mail … or drive just over an hour to go pick it up & start that night. We opted for the latter … so in the middle of everything, we took a side trip down to Moses Lake. It should take almost (maybe?) 80 minutes. We made it in just over 60 I think. LOL While down there we had a bite to eat so that was one less thing to do when we got back. It all worked out.

So its been over a week now with both in my system. How do I feel? Well, I wish effects were instant so I could say its great! I do seem to notice a small difference but not much. By the end of next week will be a better measure. Last week not only did I start taking 2 new medications, but we went on vacation. Not a fair evaluation really.

And of course on top of everything my cycle is early. Yeah. That sucks. Oh well. Like I said, next week should be a better measure. Meanwhile. I will keep notes of things I notice.

Hair everywhere

One of the things I deal with is excessive hair growth. I have dealt with it in some form since I was a teen. Over the years it has progressed to more areas & just gotten worse. I always figured it was some kind of hormone thing but in the last 10 years we haven’t really had insurance to try doing anything about it. Before that, even when I mentioned it to my doctor, we never did anything about it. He did not understand how much it bothered me. Well, that “bother” has only grown as time has gone along.

Caution: there could be TMI to follow ….

Some of the extra hair I have no issue with in general. Yeah, my legs are hairy & it’s all dark hair. Oh well. I shave. I have for about 36 years now.

The hair on my arms has gotten thicker & darker as I have aged. It got to the point where I just did not feel like a girl anymore. So, after talking several times with my hairdresser of all people, I shaved it! OMG I felt like a girl! I knew it would grow back but until it did, I felt so much more feminine. I did not feel the desire to cover my arms. Granted, my arms are still fatter than I like but that’s another story. So for now, I just shave them every so often. It seems the hair does not grow back as fast, or as thick. Too bad I didn't try this, years ago! LOL

Hair on my belly, happy trail & downward. Yeah. There is a lot. And it’s dark. Not exactly sexy. And yes, over the years I have shaved it many times. Or I have used the hair removal cream. Obviously at the pubic hair line I don’t use creams. And yes, there is a lot down there too. That, doesn't bother me. I can keep it trim, clean or bushy. And it been all those over the years. Like I said, TMI.

But here is one I don’t like … or find sexy. Hair around my areolas. Yup. And in between them. Sigh. Oh the hours I have spent plucking hair there. And the countless ingrown hairs that have required a little extra care there. Not sexy at all. And besides annoying, time consuming! And I’m not talking about thin blonde hairs. No. It’s thick, dark (& now gray!) hairs.

If I would never shave this could easily be me.
But mine extends up on my chin
& also my upper lip

Wait! There’s more … my face. My upper lip, my chin, my neck, my sideburns. And even some strays on my cheeks. We won’t even mention how thick my eyebrows are. My side-burn area I pick at with tweezers. Same goes for the sides of my upper lip. But my chin? Yeah … no. It gets shaved about every other day these days. Sometimes it’s daily, depending on life & sometimes I can go several days & give my face a break. My upper lip & sideburns get waxed every 3-5 weeks. You would think all that plucking would eventually cause the follicles to make smaller finer hairs or just stop. Not for me.

And to think … it could all be caused from an imbalance. Something I have lived with for way too many years. Something I will now work to correct. If any of this makes you look at yourself & wonder … go see your doc! Don’t wait like I did. Well, I still don’t have actual insurance but I am finding a way to do what needs done, for my well being. After all, I’ll be 50 in February. I do not want to live the second half of my life as lazily (& out of balance) as the first half. 

Tomorrow I go back to the doc & we talk results of the bloodwork. Not sure I'll get another entry in before we leave on vacation so I'll update when we get back. And the technical side of hair growth? Yeah I think i can blog about that too.

Feeling Validated

Thinking back to almost my entire adult life I think my hormones/thyroid must have been off (to some degree) the whole time. No doctor has ever taken the time to check. And me? Well, I mostly thought it was just me, and normal. I thought I was just a lazy person. I thought that the lack of desire/focus/motivation/drive was just me … a lazy me. And not really knowing better back then, I never pushed the issue.

I have tried to work with it, overcome it, hide it. I have been successful, but only in mostly small doses. “I don’t feel like doing anything” or "I'll do it later" has come from me way too many times. Way too many. Getting all excited about any number of my projects (loving the whole craft thing, but it's not limited to that) only to have them sit for sometimes years has left me with untold amounts of guilt.

And now, finally, I am getting solid answers? And it’s not all me? It’s not all just my fault & being lazy? What? No way! Yes way. The fact we can now work to fix this, has me both excited & nervous. Why nervous? Well, I have no idea what it will be like to want to do things all the time (or at least more often), for one. What it will be like to actually want to follow through on a project I start. What it will be like to want to go for a walk because I should, both for me & the dog (instead of wanting a nap). What it will feel like to just not feel so lazy all day long, day after day. Another small part of me worries that my blood work will come back normal. Then what? I really am lazy? I’m crazy with my symptoms? LOL Not likely, but it’s how my brain works. We’ll find out on Friday.

As these things begin to happen & answers come, I will try to keep up & share those feelings!

Road to Rebalance

For many years I have dealt with:

Excessive hair growth

Mood swings beyond a menstrual cycle

Fatigue

Lack of focus

Memory loss

No drive/motivation or just short bursts of it

Weight that wont come off

Elevated blood pressure & cholesterol levels

And a few other things

While I *know* the potential cause of much of this, having a doctor say so, makes it more real. What I did not realize is how connected all of this is. While we wait for the blood work to come back to confirm things, he has already told me most of not all of this can be due to hormone levels & thyroid. He predicts my thyroid is low & my hormones are upside down.

 I had my cholesterol checked in 2009 & brought that paper to show him. Only one of the levels actually concerned him. While my blood pressure is slightly elevated according to “standards” he is not concerned. We agree standards are just that, & not right for everyone. I am to eat more protein & salt. And of course, pay close attention to what I crave as that is what my body needs.

I have been learning a lot of things over the years. I talk a great game. I try to do what I say but often fall short. I have felt guilty when I fall short. When I explained the things I have done for my diet & our general food intake, he commended me for being that much ahead of the game.

I have felt guilty over many things that I learned today are not all my fault. Many of the things I have felt guilt over, were because my hormones & thyroid are so very out of whack & have been for a long time. My lack of motivation, lack of focus, lack of desire. Yup. Hormones. Low thyroid. I am anxious to begin a road to rebalance.

You know, I don’t know if I can even begin to tell you just how this has affected my life over the years.

A new journey begins

It has been a long time since I wrote in here. I think perhaps I need to rectify that. I think I have a good reason now.

After about 10 years of not seeing a doctor, I am now seeing one. A Naturopath at that. No, this is not thanks to Obamacare. We can’t afford that. The monthly cost might be okay but the rest is not. And while this alternative is not cheap either, it feels better. With Dr. Hoey being a Naturopath, there is not simply a test for everything & a pill to match.

My journey started yesterday when I enrolled in a direct patient care program. A small local clinic has evolved over the years & is now offering this groundbreaking awesome new care model. When you enroll, you pay a monthly fee. It is based on your age. This fee then allows you to choose your doctor (they currently have 3). You then have access to that doc via cell phone, email & office visits. You can go in as many times as you need in any given month. You get discounts on lab work & prescriptions. Now, this does not seem to be a substitution for serious care or surgeries but will most certainly work for the simple doctor visit stuff.

Today I went & had a meet & greet with my new doctor. He spent almost an hour with me. We went over my small laundry list of issues I would like to find answers to. After listening to me, asking more questions & listening some more, he already had answers & ideas. And thankfully, fairly simple answers as a whole. We drew blood & I will go see him next Friday morning to talk about the results & start my road to wellness.

Until I see him again the only thing I am to work on is getting more protein & salt in my diet. I think I can handle that. I think I will use this to document my journey. And yeah, I’ll go into my laundry list of concerns too. I welcome any reader’s comments & input if you care to follow along. 

New Granola Bar recipe

dry stuff mixed together

It’s been forever since I made a post in here. Well, maybe not quite forever, but a long time. I always have the best of intentions but something always gets in the way it seems. It’s been a long winter up here in the Northwest & Spring has finally sprung. You’d think with the cold, I’d be inside more & writing more. Apparently not. And with the nicer weather, I should be outside more. I’m getting there …

For now, I thought I would share a new recipe I found & adapted for granola bars. I had run out & stayed out for probably close to a month. Maybe longer. 

Since I have managed to spoil my man with these homemade lovelies, he was a bit bummed at not having any in his lunches for so long. I finally got my butt in gear just a few weekends ago & got a new batch made. I tried a whole new recipe this time too. He likes it! So, I made them again today. This time I remembered to take a few pictures too. After all, recipes & blog posts are always more fun with pictures right?

honey, sugar & molasses

Ingredients:

1/2 to 2/3 cup local raw honey

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp molasses

1/2 cup organic peanut butter

2 cups oats

2 cups puffed cereal*

1/4 cup ground flax

1 cup total, of desired mix-ins*

peanut butter added

Using a large bowl, add all dry ingredients & set aside.

In a small saucepan combine the honey, brown sugar & molasses. Over medium heat, stir until sugar dissolves.

Remove from heat, add peanut butter & stir quickly to combine.

Immediately pour over dry mixture & stir to combine.

Press into a lined 9x13 or so pan. Let cool to firm up.

adding choc. chips!

Now, this all sounds simple enough. Here’s what I learned. The recipe I first saw had you mixing/melting the sugar then mixing the dry stuff. Lesson learned to mix the dry first & set aside. The honey/sugar/peanut butter mix hardens FAST. 

First batch I used a big plastic Tupperware mixing bowl. Second batch, I just grabbed a glass bowl. I had more mix stick to the side of the glass than I did the plastic. I’ll use plastic again next time. I’m guessing the glass bowl was colder than the plastic & hence let the honey/sugar mix harden faster when it hit the side. 

And as you mix, it’s almost handy to have another set of hands … one to slowly pour the mix while another begins to stir. I ended up mixing with my hands to get the dry off the bottom of the bowl.

first batch cut. 

*The mix-ins we used were a rounded 1/4 cup each of: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, fig pieces & raisins. The puffed cereal we used was millet. No sugar added stuff. You could use rice crispies or whatever. Millet was what I had at home & it worked well.

Once pressed into the pan, we added some chocolate chips pressed in one by one. After they cooled completely & were cut, it makes 12 nice sized bars. You could easily make smaller bars & get 20 or so.