Mother of Seven + 2: Smiling

When I have hardly blogged over the last year, it is hard to know where to start. I want to start by giving thanks though. I am thankful to my heavenly Father who has provided some answers for me with my health.

Over the past several years, I have struggled with fatigue. When I mentioned it to our doctor on a couple different occasions he just laughed and said, "You have how many children???" As if that explained it all.

Recently I visited a nurse practitioner who specializes in natural hormone replacement therapy. She did blood work and found my hormone levels to be extremely low. She started me on some natural hormones, and that seemed to help some. However, when I went back a month later, I told her I still felt like I was more tired then what was natural.

I had energy first thing in the morning. By lunch time, I needed a nap. Even after a nap, I would struggle to find energy to get supper and wrap up the day's activities. Sometimes I would just hit a wall, and I could not function. Most of the time, I made it through supper and was just thankful when I could sit down in a chair. I had no drive to do anything in the evening with the children or my husband. I simply wanted left alone.

The nurse practitioner told me to try the iodine test. It should take my body 24 hours to absorb iodine applied to the skin if I was getting sufficient iodine for my thyroid to function properly. My body absorbed the iodine in 3 hrs. It was completely gone. I am now taking iodine tablets, and after a week and a half I feel like a different person. Each day I feel better. I did not realize how bad I was.

I've also been free from migraines for a month and a half. The hormone replacement therapy along with a magnesium supplement were the prescription for those. God is so good! I'm thankful for his provision. My husband is thankful. He feels like he is getting his wife back. And as Alex said, "Mom, you are smiling." Yep! And that is a blessing....