May 2010

Finally my hormone appointment rolled around and yesterday I flew to Brisbane. My original booked flight was cancelled so I ended up with the first flight out for the day. To say I had an early morning was an understatement. I forgot what 0330h looked like.

Lindy kindly took the day off from work and drove down to pick me up from the airport and take me to my appointment. She also spent the entire day with me. Friends like her are far and few between these days. Lindy’s a part of my immediate family now. She’s someone that’s there for me and that I can rely on now matter what. We’re kind of like yin and yang in that sense. We balance and compliment each other. It was great to see her shortly after such wonderful news too. Spending the day with her just reminded me of what it’s going to be like when I move up here. Only we won’t have to cram so much into so little time because we’ll have all the time in the world soon. Such bliss.

So I had my first consultation with Dr Kathy Gallagher. She was some what taken back when I told her I flew in for the day to see her from Melbourne. You can’t put a price on one’s health. I’m glad I made the effort to fly up and see her, it was a worth while investment. I’d been refereed to her so I knew I was in the very best of hands. Jade had also given me her opinion from a patients point of view about her and the treatment that she prescribed. I knew she was the right doctor for me but there’s always the “what if” factor when you start out with someone new. That’s been put to rest now. Now that I’m moving follow up appointments are going to be so much easier and cheaper.

The consult was thorough, very thorough. Lindy and I were both impressed. It lasted for about an hour and a half and it’s the beginning of a very long process. I took with me my Adrenocortex Stress Profile and I walked away with two more pathology slips for an extensive blood screening for IGF-1, s-B12, Red Cell Folate, s-Vitamin D, hs CRP, Iron Studies, T3, T4, TSH, ESR, HDL Cholesterol, E/LFT’s & FBC to name a phew and then there’s the Melatonin Saliva test I have to do at midnight. These two additional tests will give her a bigger picture of what’s going on with my hormones. The results will take approximately three weeks to get back to her and when they do I’ll call her office for a phone consult. I’ll only have to do that the one time because by the next stage of my treatment, I’ll be back living in Brisbane.

But in the meantime I’ve been prescribed some compound pharmaceuticals and supplements. The compound pharmaceuticals are DHEA & Progesterone. The supplements are Indolplex (DIM), Vitamin C & B Complex. The compound pharmaceuticals are made up in Sydney and then mailed out to me. As for the supplements, they’ll come from my trusted local supplement store, Evelyn Faye in South Melbourne.

I also had a Body Composition & Cellular Health Analysis done. Interesting stuff. It confirmed what we’d already expected, so we’re on the right path at least. She also noted that my adrenal function could be better. I’m obviously no where near as bad off as I was last year but I still have a way to go yet. I kind of guessed that but this obviously confirms it. So my journey with Adrenal Fatigue isn’t over just yet, but we’re getting there.

Now that we have a plan of action I feel so much more at ease. I just have to be patient and wait for my body to respond and look forward to a healthier happier future. My health is paramount and everything else comes second place in my life at the moment.

I think that’ll do for today. I’ll be back again soon to update how I’m progressing along with my treatment. Until then, take care.

☞ Hormones Part IV

We’re moving! Yep, it’s official now. Monday I got the phone call from my personnel manager informing me that the position that was offered to me is mine and I move in nine weeks.

After I yelled a woo hoo down the phone line upon receiving the wonderful news I burst into tears of joy. All good things do come to those who wait and I’ve certainly waited long enough for this one. Straight away I jumped in my car and drove down to where hubby works to share with him the news. When I was offered the position I told them I’d take it on the one condition, that I be collocated with my husband into location and that obviously was granted. I’m feeling truly blessed that we’ve been given this opportunity for a fresh start and a clean slate. There aren’t words to describe the elation and relief I feel right now.

I rang my in-laws next to fill them in and they’re both ecstatic to have us coming home to them. They live up on the beautiful Sunshine Coast. So you know where we’ll be spending a lot of our weekends.

Lindy on the other hand burst into tears as soon as I told her. She’s been just as anxious as I have about me moving back home since the passing of Mum & Dad. I mean, to live only a couple of hours away from my best friend is a dream come true for me after all these years of commuting between two different states. No more me flying up there, no more her flying down there. No more busy schedules, just two best friends hanging out whenever we want to. It’s still very surreal at this stage but it’ll be a reality soon enough.

Plus it comes at the perfect time due to something else you all weren’t aware of. The day I drive out of here I’ll be dropping hubby of at the airport. He’s heading overseas for the second half of this year with work. So thankfully, I’ll have a great family and friend support network during this time which won’t be so bad now. It’s obvious now that much has been going on in the background for us and many plans have had to change due to these reasons.

So we both have a lot to prepare between now and then. But it’s nothing we both haven’t done before. At least now the light at the end of our tunnel, instead of it being just a dim flicker it is a spot light shining brightly on both our faces.