Adrenal Test

Hormones and Adrenals
This last month has really been up and down, ive had some decent days and some not so hot. A couple nights ago I slept terrible, I woke up a bunch of times and dragged through the whole day.
Last night I fell asleep early around 11;30pm. I remember being awake listening something car related on youtube, and then I remember waking up at some point to close my laptop. Then I woke up for the day and today was a decent day!
I woke up without my alarm, even fell asleep before setting my alarm actually. Why I fell asleep at a decent hour? No idea. I felt worn out yesterday and dragged further down as the day went on.
Then today I felt decent.

The full moon was the day before yesterday, that had something to do with it im sure.

I got my saliva adrenal and hormone results back today! I think I mentioned in my last post that I was having those checked. My adrenals are only beginning of phase 1 fatigue, meaning only very mildly worn out. Morning, daytime, and afternoon cortisol is good, night time is a little bit low.
Low cortisol at night can disrupt sleep and blood sugar, which is why I sleep better when I eat at night, especially my protein shake before bed. This was pretty exciting news. Turns out my body is working and my exercise isn't wearing me out!
Not that I am exercising this deep into the school year, only my patience is being exercises really. But. I did a lot during the summer and I will be getting back to it! Just gotta pass chemistry.

My hormones were also normal, my estrogen was in the normal male rage, same with progesterone, and the ratio between the two was fine. Testosterone was mid normal range, a little higher may be beneficial for someone as young as me but its normal none the less. Plus I take a supplement to help with testosterone. I notice it really helps my mood over time.

I have some blood tests I need to get done, but I just havent had the time to get it drawn since Im in school 5 days a week. At some point soon I will have that checked too.

A few years ago I was at stage 3 adrenal fatigue, which is the worst it can be. I didn't have much room to work with because they were so severe, but progress has been made.

In Other News
One of the doctors I work with was bitten twice this summer by ticks.
The first time she thought it was a mole, so she put a bandaid on it and kept it for 10 days. (OUCH!)
She took supplements and saw her acupuncturist, and she said she thought she was fine. Towards the end of the summer when she was bitten again, she started to go down hill. She cut back her work schedule and had to call out of work a few times, went to the hospital once. To us with lyme and who get it, we see someone like this and say "been there done that".
The hospital did exactly what you would expect with someone with lyme, "you have what?" "we cant find anything wrong with you"
let me pretend to put on my shocked face.

Well on this last friday, she went to an ILADS LLMD,I went with her for the first 30 min of her appointment (but had to leave for school).
I loved the doctor, this lady for sure knows her stuff and sounds like she is the real deal. She works with pharmaceuticals and supplements, she even said that the gut must be made right first if you want the rest of the body to heal. Gut first brain second, I thought that was interesting but it made sense. A lot of our immune system comes from our stomach.
During the appointment my friend (the sick one) said "I didnt really actually believe that people really felt this sick when they complained about lyme, or that they actually had all of these symptoms"
and she looked at me when she said that.
I thought "woman youve known me since I was 10 years old and you question how ive felt the last almost decade????" but I was good and kept my mouth shut. I knew this woman was about to get antibiotics and discover what a real herx felt like, in which I would probably feel really bad when I see how terrible she feels. Shes been taking some herbs for lyme but shes continued down hill, so obviously its not enough. The LLMD, who works with dr. Horowitz in NY, prescribed her malarone, LDN, and hydroxychloroquin. Which is primarily for bartonella and babesia.
She picked up the meds today, Im waiting to see how she does on them. Or if she really even takes them, doctors usually make the worst patients.
I love the woman to death and she has good reason for her apprehension of the prescription medicines due to some of her past health issues, but sometimes you have to bite the bullet and hope for the best. Or as I like to put it, have some faith.
Im not a fan of prescriptions, but this is the doc that we in our area have access too and shes reasonably affordable and reasonably local to drive too. Most people cant say that. Plus this doctor has a decent education in the alternatives it seems and said herself that antibiotics without probiotics can be a death sentence. Which I would thank could be true if you end up with chronic gut issues from too many drugs. I didnt get to stay for all of the conversation, but she said the drugs arent a cure all.

Ive been really pushing her to do her research, and she really has started to get education on lyme and its co infections. Im impressed. I can see that shes having brain fog and memory issues, im not so sure she can see it. Ive noticed her mood has changed and shes been a bit more sassy and short tempered with people on occasion (nothing extreme. just not her normal). I just hope that she realises that lyme is complex and some people really do struggle a lifetime with it. Her sister in law also has it and has to change clothes 1-3 times a night due to sweating (SOAKING) them during her sleep. And my friend didnt realise the severity of that, even though ive been waiving the big red flag for her sister in law telling her about how terrible her sweating is at night. I swear one day someone will listen to me LOL. The same LLMD told her sister in law that she has a long journey ahead and its going to be a while before she gets better. Her sister in law and I are two peas in a pod when it comes to talking about fatigue and not sleeping and all the peculiar symptoms, I can tell she gets it (which I knew, that meant she had it!).
My friend was DX'd with lyme, babesia, and bartonella. The sister in law was DX'd with RMSF (per + on blood), lyme, and bartonella. Im very interested to see their futures unfold with treatment.

Its been unreal how many people I have met who have lyme this year, some just infected. It must have been a very very severe year for vector borne disease...