A few weeks ago, a tired showed up that felt familiar. It felt like the tired I had when I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, and instead of panicking, I got curious.

The appointment that didn't sit right

I already had an appointment with my hormone specialist, so I got my labs done for her. It took me longer to drive to her office than it did to get through the appointment. She raised my testosterone, and it didn't sit right. Something felt missing, and I couldn't put my finger on it.

Over a week later, I still didn't feel like my energizer bunny self. I woke up feeling like I didn't get enough sleep, and I was having trouble sleeping through the night. Friends were asking me to collaborate, to show up, to be part of their events, and I couldn't muster the energy to respond yes to anything outside of staying home. My motivation tanked. It's also why I took this season off from our Wild Woman Wednesday gatherings.

The biggest clue

As a Generator and an Alchemist in Human Design, I get excited to respond. That's how my energy works, and I lost it. I talk about this all the time: we can't show up in the highest expression of who we are when our bodies aren't online.

I've built a deep awareness of my body, and when something is off, I know. Then, while supporting a client with Hashimoto's, it clicked. Nobody had asked about my thyroid.

What my thyroid history says

When I first found out I had Hashimoto's, my TSH was flagged high at 4.99 and my TPO antibodies were 44. TPO antibodies tell you whether your immune system is reacting to your thyroid, and the lab's limit is under 9. My antibodies have come down a long way, from 44 to 11 by March of this year.

Midlife thyroid symptoms are easy to mistake for perimenopause. About 1 in 8 women will develop a thyroid problem in her lifetime, according to the American Thyroid Association. If I were my hormone specialist, I would have asked more questions.

The labs I asked for

So I reached out to my primary doctor. We have a fantastic relationship. I asked for a full thyroid panel, plus my metabolism and inflammation markers, all the things I teach women to ask for so they get the full picture. My blood was drawn on October 26, and now I wait.

Here is what was on my list:

• A full thyroid panel: TSH, free T4, free T3, reverse T3

• Both thyroid antibodies: TPO and thyroglobulin

• Blood sugar and metabolism: A1c, fasting insulin, C-peptide

• Heart and inflammation: lipids, ApoB, hs-CRP

• Iron and more: iron and ferritin, B12 and folate, vitamin D, homocysteine, magnesium, leptin

Take this list to your provider and ask what makes sense for you.

You are not alone

Being human is complicated. I say it many times a day, and add being a woman, and it gets even more complex. If something feels off and you can't name it, get curious. And if you can't remember the last time your thyroid was checked, let this be your reminder.

Is this something you've been struggling with too? The tired that hangs on, the motivation that slipped away, the feeling that something is off and nobody is asking the right questions? You can be seen here, and this is a safe place to talk about it. Send me a message on Instagram, @uhkarebreathwork. I would love to chat with you.

Wildly yours,

Akary