Fillmore Photography

I decided to try the bioidentical hormone treatment. After reading books, studies and general information, I feel that I made an educated decision. I went to a seminar and personally talked to the doctor who founded the clinic. I spent hours on the web looking through positive and negative feedback from research studies, personal stories and major medical journals. And I used my brain. (READ MORE)

My blood sugars seem to have a mind of their own (more than normal) these past few days. I'm bouncing all over the place, doubting my meter's accuracy, and questioning my own ability to manage this stupid disease. I can't seem to stabilize and insulin doesn't seem to be working the way it needs to. Worst of all, I think it's really wreaking havoc on my body as my fatigue has increased and I'm waking up with sore throats.

Last week I noticed a few bouncing numbers, but nothing out of the ordinary. I'd been running high trying to get my insulin stabilized and figure out my problem areas. I'd also been snacking too much before bedtime for fear of lows since I was going to sleep with numbers like 104 and 111. Those left my morning numbers high setting my days off on the wrong diabetes foot.

  (READ MORE)

It's been a little over three weeks since I started tapering off the medications I've been on for the past 18 months. If you're new to my health world, I was on bio-identical hormones for a multitude of health conditions (PCOS, hypothyroidism, adrenal fatigue). Quite a few of my major symptoms disappeared or eased while I was on them (joint pain, mood swings, more regular periods, fatigue, and so on), but a few in particular were only making my life worse. Much worse.

My acne (one of the main symptoms I'd originally gone in with) had not only persisted but gotten 100x worse going from moderate to severe. And even though my periods were much more regular, I was still experiencing terrible headaches and cramping several weeks out of the month.

  (READ MORE)

I'm staring at the last three weeks of blood sugars. I've calculated my averages and circled every blood sugar that isn't between 60 and 250. But now, I'm just staring. I'm wondering what to do next.

Some of the highs are fairly unexplained (marked with the traditional question mark in my logbook) and some are the result of inadequate boluses, late/skipped boluses for snacks, or overtreating lows. And most of the lows are from decreasing my carb ratio at breakfast (saw a bout of 50's after breakfast three days in a row). Sadly, quite a few of the lows are unexplained just like the highs...late hit from exercise, stress, or just diabetes in its confusion...I'll never really know.

  (READ MORE)

I'm a self-proclaimed adventurer. I love to try new things, go to all sorts of places, and I'm always up for a challenge. So college seemed like it'd be one huge adventure in life. But three years ago, I sat down to apply to colleges and had no idea as to what I wanted. Plus there was one major issue looming over me: my health.

I've always known that diabetes would keep me a little more cautious than most. But I've never let it stop me. I played sports, I took trips, I even went zip-lining through the jungle last year. Diabetes means that I plan much more than the average person, that I don't just pick up and leave without extreme consideration. I never thought it would hold me back.

  (READ MORE)

ThomasThomas

I met with my bio-identical hormone specialist on Tuesday. They drew blood, so we'll see what physical differences can be seen from my treatment. I've had a lot of success with relief of symptoms (regular periods, acne clearing, less fatigue, more energy, better moods).

I am still on cortisol, progesterone, and several kinds of supplements (one to help me sleep, one to lower my cholesterol/triglycerides, one to raise my vitamin levels). I started out on the thyroid, but had some side effects and went off of it. The plan was to get my other hormone levels stabilized then retry the thyroid.

  (READ MORE)