It’s is finally summer. Time for pool parties, barbecues and sleeping in. Well, now that I am an adult with a real job, sleeping in is not so much of a luxury that I get to enjoy. Sleeping in is only enjoyable when it is allowed and I have not over slept. Over sleeping does not give nearly as much satisfaction as sleeping in. But unfortunately, I have spent most of the last two weeks over sleeping instead of sleeping in, much to the disappointment of my boss when I trudge in late to work. What’s going on? Is it summer fever, making it nearly impossible to hear my alarm in the morning. Well I am determined to figure it out.
After adjusting some of my life style changes, (pills I was taking, food I was eating and going to sleep earlier) I am still over sleeping. But the exhaustion did not stop when I pulled myself out of bed. Anytime I sat down, I could feel my eyes getting very heavy. When my self regulating did not eliminate the fatigue, I had to call in the big guns: my doctor.
Thankfully, I have great health insurance. Without insurance, I might just wait it out and see if my exhaustion mellows out (at much chagrin to my boss at work when I waltz in late almost every morning). Those who do not have long term insurance or even short term health insurance might avoid a visit to the doctor because of rising health care costs. Worst case scenario: avoiding the doctor would make a condition worse, or even deadly. But many people make that gamble to save a few bucks in the current economic recession. (Save yourself the trouble: enter in your ZIP code in the box at the top of the page. You will get personalized health insurance quotes in your area, so you can compare and contrast which plan would work best for you.)
After being unable to self diagnose my symptoms, (well, I really did try with a clever Google search, but I found that I was imagining some symptoms of random diseases) it felt necessary to whip out my health insurance card and pay my primary physician a visit.
So what kind of things will I ask him? First, I am going to ask for a thyroid check. Over active and under active thyroids are very common and genetic. Both of my parents have thyroid problems, so this is an obvious thing to check. Both thyroid disorders have symptoms of fatigue, but differ on other. An overactive thyroid might result in significant weight loss, muscle weakness (one of my symptoms) and increased thirst. An under active thyroid has symptoms of fatigue, weight gain and increased hunger. A simple blood test can rule out either disorder. While having the disorder can make you feel crummy, the treatment can make sufferers feel like a whole new person. Just one cheap pill a day is the cure to living with a thyroid disorder.