The year by body turned against me.

2013 -I turned 30,  I moved across the country and left my family and friends to live closer to my love, got married, started a new job, new church, new EVERYTHING.

the last 6 years in particular have been challenging for me health wise, I chalked it up to stress of getting married and moving far from home, living with an autoimmune disease and a million other little things. HOWEVER, turns out that 85% of the stuff I've struggled with are all linked together.

it was like a tiny little snowball, rolling down the hill, super slow at first but then picking up speed and by the time it gets to the bottom it's gigantic.
2017 is when the snowball got to the bottom of the hill.

First it was my memory, I started to forget things so often. I locked the keys in the house so many times that my husband bought and installed a code lock so he didn't have to come home and unlock the door for me every time. I also lost a job because I couldn't focus enough to follow a simple check list. then my mind entered what I can only explain as a fog, normal was slipping from my grasp quickly.

My sleep, or lack there of got worse, the all natural sleep aid I had been using stopped working, and I resorted to benadryl to get sleep and maintain what little energy I could.
I was exhausted from the moment I woke to the moment I got back into bed, and while I was going to the gym religiously and participating in at least 2 hour long group fitness classes each week, I was slowly gaining weight and hadn't seen a single change in the year or so of this new habit.
Then my body joined the party - hot flashes, irregular cycles, a rush or "hormonal" side effects.

Let me remind you that in 2018 I turned 35, NOT 53, I am YOUNG. So I didn't look at what seems obvious to me now. I simple felt like I was going crazy, I was not feeling like myself, and I couldn't explain to you why.

My doctor visits lent NO HELP to me. they pointed at symptoms and offered treatment without telling me or even trying to figure out what was causing them. When I finally put it all together I wrote out my list of symptoms on a timeline and I went to the dr again. She was in her 50's and going through hormonal changes herself so she understood every bit of what I was explaining - I left that aptm feeling like there was hope to finding my way back to who I am, who I used to be.

2018 was also the year that I found my way back (or started to) - through HRT and on going education and listening to my body. (over the counter creams and a prescription testosterone cream)

I have something called Premature Ovarian Failure- which has caused my body to go into peri menopause (which is the period of time before menopause when your body is stopping the regular production of the hormones that the body needs to preform as usual) Peri can last anywhere from 4-10 years. I have been experiencing side effects of peri for 6 years now, and was on my "self guided" HRT for about a year.

THEN 2 months ago I met an amazing DR. she believed me, listened to me, offered help. We ran some hormone panels and she place me on the Pellets for estrogen and testosterone (I'll continue use of my progesterone cream) - I am very hopeful that this new course of action will yeild some more "normal" coming back in my direction, but it's too early to tell, it's been just 5 days on the Pellets. I'll keep track of the progress along the way

Dry Itchy skin and how to survive it - Menopause

Did you know that the bodies largest Organ is the SKIN??? I think we forget sometimes that the skin does so much more than just create a pleasant looking shell for all the things inside, it has functions of it's own.

During the process of Peri-menopause and menopause itself there are numerous skin conditions we might experience but today we are only going to discuss ONE.

DRY ITCHY SKIN!!!

While there are 5 hormones that are associated with skin and the changes we may encounter, Dry and Itch are usually due to a drop in Estrogen. Estrogen helps to maintain moisture in the skin as well as aid in the production of collagen (which keeps skin firm and thick).

Because Dry skin is typical among women (and men) of all ages, many don't even realize it is a symptom of Menopause until it gets really bad, and then usually it's treated topically as a condition and not as a symptom of a larger issue (hormone imbalance) .

While topical treatment may offer temporary relief, if you really want to improve quality of life, it's best to treat it as something that is more than skin deep (lol, pun intended)

There are 3 ways to Treat DRY ITCHY skin.

1. - lifestyle changes
2.- alternative treatments/medicines
3.- typical medicine

⇢LIFESTYLE CHANGES 
most of these will sound really easy and like common sense but may actually help so don't skip this section.

Diet - Omega -3 fatty acids help to reduce inflammation, Vitamin E helps retain moisture - both can    be found in cold water fish, leafy greens and whole grains. (fish oil & Vitamin E in suppliment form)
         -Soy products are rich in protein & progesterone which can help to boost your bodies levels.
         - Vitamin C - has antioxidant properties and has a role in collagen synthesis making it a vital      molecule for skin health . can be found in, citrus fruits, bell peppers, kale, broccoli, Brussels                sprouts, kiwi, papaya, pineapple. (vitamin C in supplement form)
         - Vitamin B - B3 is one of the best forms of be vitamin, aslo known as Niacin, it can help to        treat a number of skin conditions, including aging and dy skin - can be found in pork, poultry,            fish, soy beans, eggs, vegetables. (Vitamin B3 in and B complex in suppliment form)
         -Water - it goes without saying that water helps to hydrate from the inside out (really there is      nothing that water can't help so drink as much as you can) what helps me is to have a cute water bottle, filled with water that goes everywhere I go

Exercise - physical activity helps to increase blood flow, helping nutrients to reach the skin for efficiently, exercise also helps to reduce stress and benefits the endocrine (hormonal) system altogether.

Remove harmful chemicals - switch to natural (non-toxic) lotions, body washes, laundry detergent, be careful to not let perfumes get on the skin. (I signed up for a shopping account with a company called Melaleuca for my household products - give me your email address in the comments and I can sign you up for a free shoppers account too) 

Stop smoking -  if you smoke, THIS is one more great reason to quit, as smoking is know to dry out the skin and constrict blood circulation.

Limit Alcohol - alcohol consumption can worsen symptoms of hormonal imbalance including itchy skin.

Sun protection - I know you've heard it all your life, UV rays are harmful to your skin but they can also play a big part in drying it out. if you are going to be out in the sun for more than 10-15 mins, you should be wearing a good mineral sunscreen. Mineral sunscreen


⇢ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS & MEDICINES
These range from spa treatments to masks and lotions to herbal supplements and if I wrote them ALL out, this would be a book and not a blog post so I'll try to be general but still offer a few real examples.

Phyto-estrogenic supplements - these supplements are rich in phytoestrogens, plant based compounds that can compensate for estrogen deficiency, these can be taken in pill form or via trans-dermal creams but either is considered to be a short term fix, as they can diminish the bodies normal hormone producing capabilities. if you decide to add one of these to your daily regiment it is best to consult a dr.
below I will list some products (on amazon, with high rating) I suggest that you read the description and the reviews to see if it would be an option for you.

Dong Quai , Soy Isoflavone , Red clover , Super wild yam extract , Evening Primrose ,

AND some non- estrogen suppliments that have been known to help hydrate and repair dry skin    Lac Hydrin , AHA acids , Rosehip oil , Castor Oil , Argan Oil , Tamanu Oil , Marula Oil , Avacado Oil , Probiotic , Coenzyme , Calcium , Vitamin D ,  Retinal , Aloe Vera , Collagen Powder

there are even some "super supplements" that are meant just to help skin - here are a few
Hum pre-probiotics   ,  Derma Genius  ,  Morning Liquid Vitamins


⇢MEDICINES
Perhaps you are past the point of trying to fix the problem on your own, maybe you've tried and failed or something worked at first but has lost it's effectiveness. Then it may be time to consult a Dr. because this particular issue is related to Hormones and not simply surface level, I would recommend seeing a Dr who specializes is Hormones and perhaps integrative medicine. HRT may be a fix for you, or a prescription cream of some sort.

I hope this article has helped you in some way , or given you some Ideas of what can be done to help to alleviate the itchy skin that might be driving you crazy.

I feel like I'm going CRAZY

It's a confusing time, coupled with the fact that everyone experiences this "shift" differently, there is NO "normal" here. but if there were one thing that almost every women going through peri (with symptoms) will say
"I FEEL LIKE I'M GOING CRAZY"
the mental issues + the emotional issues + the physical issues + the spikes and falls of the hormones... it can make a women feel that someone had come into the "control room" and moved everything around, turned all the knobs and flipped all the switches.
It can take years before someone identifies these symptoms as hormonal, especially when they are in their 20's or 30's (and not the typical 40's and 50's).

In a perfect world, we could check our hormone levels like you check a temperature, there would be a HARD "normal" and an easy way to track and follow any imbalance but this is FAR from a perfect world

Most of us will go see a Dr, trusting that they will listen, and guide us in the right direction BUT unfortunately, most of the time that is not the case.
If you are under the age of 40, you will most likely be put on a birth control pill to help "regulate any imbalance" and perhaps be sent to a gynecologist who will tell you that you're fine and that what you are experiencing is perfectly normal.
If you are lucky enough to get a dr who runs a hormone panel, you risk your levels coming back "within normal range" because that test is measuring you on ONE day, and your hormones will fluctuate constantly throughout the month, dropping and spiking like a fun little roller coaster.

My personal "journey" took a whole SIX YEARS of back and forth before I found a Dr who actually agreed with me that I was going through premature ovarian failure and experiencing symptoms and side effects of Peri-menopause (even though i'm only 36).

If I had it to do all over again, I would take a bit more control, I would test my hormones myself - over the course of the whole month and measure every single marker that might indicate an irregularity, and then I would go to the Dr. ARMED with info, and facts and PROOF, that I'm not going through "normal" imbalance issues.

It's too late for me, I've landed in a place where I am now on HRT, doing well and seeing a wonderful Dr. who listens and understands.
BUT it's NOT too late for you. If you feel like you're going crazy, and you don't know what to do to get back to feeling normal again. I will recommend that you take matters into your own hands and order a test that you can do in the comfort of your own home. I won't spend too much time explaining it, cause the website will do that.
I'll leave my referral link here - and you will save 20% if you order from my link. Everly well

This test will give you something to take with you as you navigate the world of Dr.'s and specialists and trying to find the right course of action.