By Ah Ha! (A Happy Health Advocate)
Well, you don’t look sick.” As I diligently pantomimed how the air conditioning blowing toward me felt like razors on my skin, I tensed up my neck to look like a tree trunk, rolled my eyes back, clenched my teeth and made that ‘screeching fingernails on a chalk board’ facial expression. Laughing, my entire family bellowed, “Okay, okay… Now you look sick!” As funny as I looked, I didn’t think it was funny that I was lethargic, felt like my brain was in a cloud and my hair was as thin as a pencil. If I didn’t look sick, what was I supposed to do when it seems like there is nothing tangibly wrong?
Frustrated, I scheduled an appointment with my doctor. I tried to explain how everything around me was falling apart and I had no idea what’s wrong. She referred me to a psychologist and ordered lab work to quiet my pleas. As it turns out, I was experiencing symptoms of auto-immune thyroid disease. My doctor directed me to pop a pill every morning and promised this would all go away. So, for 10 years, that’s what I did.
Although, for some reason that no specialist could explain, some days felt like a remake of the movie, Groundhog Day. I still fell asleep at my desk. My friends still laughed at me for refusing to eat or drink anything chilled. I stayed upbeat, but underneath I was moody and exhausted and my pep talks turned in to “Really? We’re having this discussion again?!” I didn’t have time for this. How do I explain to my boss that I didn’t feel like coming in to work today because the 70-degree crisp autumn morning air on my skin puts me into such a hormonal rage that I want to punch something?
Although on the outside I didn’t look sick, everything on the inside continued to fall apart. My magic pill wasn’t working. My tests seemed normal, but my symptoms remained the same. Something was still wrong and I wasn’t resting until I found help.
After 10 years of leaving no stone unturned, I found Wellness Alternatives. They understood my confusing pleas. I learned how to alter my lifestyle through nutrition and other natural support, found the root of my concerns and no longer have to live on synthetic medication. Wellness Alternatives offered comprehensive testing and treatments tailored to my needs. They equipped me with tools to become independent. I was able to take control of my life. Everything finally made sense. Through a series of therapeutic interventions, I feel as healthy inside as I look from the outside.
If this sounds like you, contact the Functional Medicine specialists at Wellness Alternatives to find out how they can help you. Call 636-227-4949 or visit them online at www.stlwa.com.