Good morning, and I hope it is at least half as beautiful weather wise where you are as it is here in NC! I've already been out for a fitness walk, and I think I am going to catch a little "laying in the sun" (20 minutes on each side) time after lunch.
I highly recommend a mini-vacation to reset your mind and your life. I took one last weekend, and it was an utter blast! Everything came together beautifully, I went to see Bruce Springsteen play in Raleigh, and the concert was fabulous! He played 3 hours, never left the stage for more than 30 seconds, and looked like he could do another 3 hours! Great music and a great time! I also got to go to a beautiful park to an arts and crafts festival, and a personalized tour of Durham and a great brunch with friends.
On the same topic of resetting your mind, this article from Dr. Karin popped up on my Facebook feed last week......it spoke to me and I wanted to share it with you. One of the manifestations of post traumatic stress disorder (I have it from a long ago car accident, I'm much better after a lot of therapy but it still crops up occasionally) is the tendency to ruminate and focus too much on a bad event. I know several years ago after a bullying incident from some really awful women, I kept running it through my mind because it was so upsetting. It took a while to get through it, although now I am ever grateful to not have those women in my life anymore. Hormonally speaking, getting them out of my life helped to reduce my cortisol level (cortisol is the stress hormone) to near normal levels. Right now I am struggling with elevated cortisol, but I know some of that is just the physical and emotional stress of all the arm issues and surgeries this spring.
This is an important update to those of you who take thyroid medication for T4 thyroid issues, particularly if you were taking Levoxyl (brand name) until it was pulled from the market last year. I have taken Levoxyl for over 7 years, very successfully, until it was pulled from the market last year because of manufacturing issues. It was not supposed to be available again until Summer 2014, but just for kicks I asked about it at the pharmacy about a month ago. I was surprised to find that it is back on the market, and as luck would have it, I was due for a refill on my T4 thyroid prescription. I asked Dr. Carr's office about it, and am now (or will be by Tuesday, I'm just now running out of my old prescription of Synthroid) back on Levoxyl. Dr. Carr prefers to use the brand name of Levoxyl rather than its generic "equivalent", which is often not consistent in the dose of thyroid ingested. Another benefit............Synthroid was costing me about $90 for a three month supply, and Levoxyl is only $24 for a three month supply. That's just a little extra money to put toward supplements!
Off to enjoy my Sunday!
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Please note: this blog is for informational purposes only, it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for any medical advice.
"Treat the disease, you win some, you lose some. Treat the patient, you always win."
~Patch Adams~
~Patch Adams~
Dr. John D. Carr
My Hormone Physician!
My personal hormone physician is Dr. John D. Carr, and he practices at Hormone Health and Aging, 35400 Bob Hope Drive Suite 108, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270. His office phone number is 760-548-0413. For more information, see his web site by clicking here. Be sure to check out his Facebook Page, and he has a series of short, informative video lectures on bioidentical hormones and related topics on You Tube. Dr. Carr is a member of the the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine and The Endocrine Society. Please note, that effective August 1, 2014, new patients will be placed on a waiting list and will be offered a spot in the practice on a first come, first served basis as slots in the practice become available.
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Check out the credentials of your hormone physician!
When you are doing research for a new doctor, here are two very important websites to check out:
The Federation of State Medical Boards
The link will take you to a listing each state's medical disciplinary board. It is important to make sure that the doctor you are considering has not had his/her license suspended or has otherwise been disciplined by the medical board in the state he/she practices.
American Board of Medical Specialties
This site has a page when you can plug in a doctor's name, state of residence and other information and you can find out if the doctor you are considering is board certified and in what medical specialty(ies).
The Federation of State Medical Boards
The link will take you to a listing each state's medical disciplinary board. It is important to make sure that the doctor you are considering has not had his/her license suspended or has otherwise been disciplined by the medical board in the state he/she practices.
American Board of Medical Specialties
This site has a page when you can plug in a doctor's name, state of residence and other information and you can find out if the doctor you are considering is board certified and in what medical specialty(ies).
Andrea's Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy Journey
I began taking bioidentical hormone therapy in September 2006. I started with progesterone cream 3 times a day, and a small amount of testosterone cream every other day. The results were nothing short of astonishing! Within three days, my restless leg syndrome disappeared. Within two weeks, I was off five medications: antihistamine (cured severe seasonal allergies), acid reflux medication, sleeping medication (now I use Melatonin), blood pressure medication, and most importantly, the Ritalin/Concerta I took for Attention Deficit Disorder. I took longer to wean off the antidepressant I was taking as those meds must be gradually tapered off to minimize side effects. Besides the obvious health benefits of not poisoning my body with all the medications listed above, I honestly have more energy now than I did when I was 30, and I turned 52 in June 2010. My mind is much clearer, my focus much sharper, and my anxiety level has decreased dramatically. I now work out at our local YMCA 5-6 days per week, which has tremendously benefited the back, hip and pelvis problems I have from a car crash in 1992. Oh, yeah, did I mention I am down over 120 pounds from my high weight (and still working on it)! I began taking Bi/Est cream in April 2011. Until October 2010, my FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and estradiol levels indicated that I did not need supplemental estrogen. Although I was not having any hot flashes, I began to notice over the winter of 2010-11 that I felt a little cognitively "off"---grasping for words occasionally, and not quite feeling on top of my game. The Bi/Est cream, like my other hormones, is compounded at the pharmacy and I take it transdermally, twice a day. July 2009 update: Three years ago when I had a DEXA (bone denisty test) the results showed that I had a mild case of osteopenia, which is the precursor to osteoporosis. I had a repeat scan done in June 2009---not only do I no longer have osteopenia, the bone density measurements in my hip, femur and spine show that I am COMFORTABLY in the normal range. I am very excited about that---and I attribute it to the bioidentical hormones, exercise, and supplements (including Vitamin D). I am also often asked why I take my hormones transdermally (using creams on my skin) rather than just pop a pill. By using creams, I am able to bypass the liver and the absorption rate for my hormones is faster. The creams are in no way an inconvenience, They come in a little dispenser jar and it took me less than a week to remember my three daily doses.
As a society, we overuse the phrase that something has "changed my life". In this case, it's not hype---I absolutely know that bioidentical hormone therapy has not only improved the quality of my life, but has literally saved my life. I am looking forward to living the second half of my life as a healthy, productive, hormonally balanced woman!
As a society, we overuse the phrase that something has "changed my life". In this case, it's not hype---I absolutely know that bioidentical hormone therapy has not only improved the quality of my life, but has literally saved my life. I am looking forward to living the second half of my life as a healthy, productive, hormonally balanced woman!
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