A thyroid story. (If you feel dismissed by your doctor, please read this.)
In case you missed it, here's a common client story from my latest newsletter - one you may relate to if you've ever felt exhausted and desperate, but dismissed by your doctor. â¤ď¸ ====================== Sarahâs story is a powerful example of what happens when we stop settling for âyouâre fineâ and start looking towards optimal health instead. Sarah is 49, a high-powered executive at a financial firm with an insanely full life: A demanding career, husband, two kids and a dream of getting back to running races for fun like she used to. She had been dragging her butt through every day for years with severe fatigue, brain fog, mood swings and an extra 40 pounds that seemed to come out of nowhere. These symptoms were starting to threaten everything she cared about: her work, her family life, and the active lifestyle she missed dearly. Her GP kept telling her that her blood work was ânormal.â Every visit, she left feeling brushed off and discouraged. Deep down, she knew something was wrong. When Sarah and I began working together, I reviewed her labs through a functional medicine lens: Instead of asking âIs this in the normal range?â, I asked, âIs this truly optimal for a woman in midlife who wants energy, stable mood, a healthy metabolism and weight loss?â The answer is almost always no when I review labs⌠That difference means everything. Through midlife and beyond, it becomes especially important that markers like thyroid hormones, blood sugar, insulin, vitamin D and key nutrients fall into narrower, ideal ranges - not just anywhere inside the conventional ânormalâ range. These finer distinctions really matter when we care about energy, weight, sleep, longevity and disease preventionâŚwhen we want to feel GREAT in our bodies! Through that lens, it became clear that Sarah was functionally hypothyroid and had been for YEARS! This means her thyroid function was too low for her body to thrive (ie. make enough energy, lose weight, sleep well, feel good), even though it didnât trip the alarms on standard tests.