So I'm not Crazy...

Yesterday I got my test results back. I've started wondering if it was all in my head, perhaps a psychosomatic intestinal problem. I started thinking... maybe my hormones are fine, maybe I'm totally a hypochondriac who thinks something is wrong with her thyroid, her metabolism, but really I'm just not eating well enough.







Wrong.







It was actually really scary to see my test results. He started out saying how great this level was, how great that level was, but I could see his paper and he had circled several other levels he hadn't yet spoken to me about. Then we got to my liver panel. The blood work from a year ago had already shown elevated liver enzymes, but the newer panel was worse. Basically something is going on and my liver is having a hard time dealing with it and cleansing my body of toxins. It won't kill me, it isn't a huge deal, but if I don't figure out what it is, then eventually it will turn into an immediate problem, so the goal is to make sure we get my liver back in shape.







Then there was the issue of my thyroid. With most thyroid problems, if you have an elevated T3 hormone, you have a diminished TSH hormone count, or vice versa... but with my levels, both were low... meaning somehow my pituitary and my thyroid are not communicating. I also have low Progesterone levels, but a normal estrogen level. Meaning basically my endocrine system is not working properly. Awesome. Dr. Carsrud believes that this might be an adrenal issue, something we're going to try to take care of through a few supplements to my diet.







Next is the most fun part. According to my saliva test, my immune system is basically in the toilet. I don't really have one. Normal levels are 25-45 or something and low levels are 15-25. My levels are <5. That means that something is going really wrong in my body. On top of that, or really because of that, I have a strep infection of my lower intestine. Fun huh?







It gets better. Basically the current theory (and that's all it is at this point) is that my adrenals are off, my testosterone is probably higher than it should be, causing my progesterone levels to be low, and keeping my cycle from coming back. On top of it, I have a food allergy that has not been well enough addressed, causing chronic inflammation of the lower bowel, causing strain on my liver, which is slowly going to kill me, and basically completely annihilating my immune system so that I now have strep of the bowel. Awesome.







So what does the good doctor believe to be the culprit??? Milk. My favorite thing in the world is trying to kill me. Granted, I thought I had a lactose allergy, so I started drinking lactose-free milk, eating lactase with dairy products (not that it helped much), but I kept drinking whey protein shakes, never cared if it had casein in it. Now I have to avoid all milk anything. No more chocolate. No more cake. No more fun. :( I also have to avoid eggs, cranberries, and yeast. Luckily, I do not have to avoid gluten. I also am starting a pretty heavy regimen of probiotics to help my lower bowel fight off the strep, I'm taking enzymes to help my liver, a supplement that is supposed to help my endocrine system re-sync itself, and hope that all is well between now and June, otherwise we may have to go a little more aggressive on diagnostics and treatment options.







This sucks.