Questions and Answers....

Oh my goodness, fall is upon us!  This time of year is my favorite!  I realized the other day that it has been awhile since my last post and I feel like so much has happened since then.  Shaun and I took our engagement photos last weekend, SO FUN!  Once the pictures are processed by Vicki I'll link some in, along with the photos of zumba and Piper's bike basket because I noticed I didn't follow through on that after my last post. 

Late in August I visited Dr. Wally, the chiropractor at Adventure 212 fitness to discuss some concerns.  I apologize in advance if this topic gets too personal for anyone, but I've been posted my weight and promised full disclosure so here goes nothing.  I haven't been on birth control for 5+ years because it was making feel ill.  I was getting debilitating migraines so I discontinued a long time ago.  Since then I've struggled to keep my cycle regular.  Most recently I went about 9 weeks without it, and even though it's nice not to deal with it, that's not normal.  After numerous false pregnancy tests (even though I was confident I wasn't pregnant) and the liver cleanse I did in July I went to Dr.  Wally.  He suggested to send in a test of saliva samples to test my cortisol levels (the hormone that works with the adrenal gland to help our bodies manage stress) and hormone levels.  I received the test results this week and met with the Doc to go over it.  He said my adrenal glands are experiencing between stage 2 & 3 adrenal exhaustion.  He explained that there are 3 stages, 1 being the easiest to repair and 3 being complete exhaustion. 

He also notice some flucuation in my testosterone and estrogen levels.  He believes this is caused by Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.   I was diagnosed with PCOS in high school and suffered very painful cysts on my ovaries then but have not had cysts since I stopped birth control.  Dr. Wally explained that the cysts can be effective by insulin/sugar levels.  My treatment plan to fix the following concerns is a supplemental regimen and a gluten free diet.  The Doc said the gluten free diet will help balance my insulin levels and aid in weight loss.   He said this may be why I've found it difficult to lose weight over the past 6 months and would explain the changes in energy level and my cycle.  He also mentioned if these types of senarios go untreated it can cause troubles with trying to get pregnant, which is something Shaun and I do not want to struggle with after we're married.  All of these comments validated that fact that I felt like something wasn't quite right but overwhelmed me as well.  I've always wanted to be a mother and the fact that it may be a difficulty for me is worrysome.  With a good treatment plan in tact and a fantastic support system I think I can repair my body and continue towards my goals.