Last week I got some new lab results in, and my doctor informed me I have the testosterone levels of a severely testosterone-deficient (or possibly dead) 85-year-old woman.
So.
A few things.
1) There are so many joke potentials here I may actually explode. But apparently in a demure, non-manly, let's-talk-this-out-like-sensible-adults sort of way? I'm a little fuzzy on the details.
2) Speaking of fuzzy, it turns out severely testosterone-deficient (or possibly dead) 85-year-old women still get chin hairs.
3) Which just goes to show there is no justice in the world. I mean, if I have near-zero manliness juju, then why's I still gots to pluck so much, universe? WHY?
(Sorry, guess I have some deep-seated, chin-hair related issues lurking beneath the surface. Really, I'm as surprised as you are. I guess these things just work their way out sometimes. Like chin hairs. Like DAMN FILTHY CHIN HAIRS.)
Ahem.
So now I have to start taking prescription testosterone supplements, which I can only imagine will help SOOO MUCH with my chin-hair-anger issues, not to mention with my sarcasm issues.
On the plus side, I'm told eventually the drugs will make it so I'm not drooling-on-the-couch exhausted for 3 days after every con, and that I'll recover faster and last longer in my meager attempts at exercise. Plus there's some sexy-time benefits, so kids, be sure to ask your folks about those next time there's a lull at the grocery store.
All in all I'm feeling pretty positive, since the labs also revealed some slightly less entertaining - but potentially more beneficial - things we'll be working on, too. It's all part of the plodding, tedious, rarely-rewarding journey toward better health, but every tiny improvement does make it a little easier to take the next step. Which is why you - yes, you right there! - should go see your doctor about that test for that thing this week. Go. Do it. Make the appointment. Take a step.
After all, look at me: I did it, and now in another 6 months or so I could TOTALLY arm-wrestle your 85-year-old grandma. I think. Maybe. That's how this works, right?
Tell you what, let's put a pin in that, while I go pluck this chin hair.
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Sorry about your ailment. But how much testosterone do women need? Why are our bodies constantly trying to kill us?
ReplyDeleteLove your attitude! I didn't realize low testosterone could be a problem for women. Is there a part of the human body that can't go wrong?! But seriously, I hope you're up to arm-wrestling grannies soon!
ReplyDeleteJen, I want to ask a personal (and potentially political) question. As always, don't feel compelled to respond.
ReplyDeleteAs a self-employed person, what kind of insurance coverage do you have? If any? Does it work well for you or do you wish some things were different?
I was discussing this with someone and didn't have a perspective because I went from self employed to corporate employment right as the universal health care was put into place.
Anyway, yes, I hear your grandmotherly advice and am getting myself to the doctor to deal with a year-long foot issue. Sigh.
John & I have been self-employed for the last 16 yrs, so we're used to paying for all of our own insurance. That said, the new healthcare system actually tripled our rates, so... that hurts. (We just got the bill yesterday, and I naively asked John if the amount was for 6 months. He laughed. "Babe, that's for TWO months." 0.O)
DeleteOur coverage is pretty great, though - it even covers my chiropractic visits - plus we're fortunate enough to be able to afford it in the first place, so I can't complain. Our whole health care system is broken, and I wish a lot of things were different, but I have no answers - and I certainly don't envy the politicians tasked with fixing it.
I thought I just had chin hairs as a legacy from my Italian side. One more pleasure of getting old.
ReplyDeleteOh the pleasures of being Italian and over 40 I can relate- let me count the chin hairs... So. Many. To. Pluck!! Seriously, getting old sucks, but it is better than the alternative, right?
DeleteThe chin hairs...I have followed both your blogs for forever and I have never laughed harder. Thank you for your complete honesty, it's refreshing and hysterically (as long as we're talking about your chin hairs and not mine!).
ReplyDeleteI have been supplementing testosterone for 7-8 years now (Andriol). Without it, I wouldn't have the energy to leave my apartment.
ReplyDeleteGood tweezers are a must, I don't think the testosterone made any difference in the chinny chin hairs for me, menopause gave me those.
I am glad to be Canadian where medical care is taken care of. I think when my job stops and I have to pay my own it will be $73 a month and that will lower as my income does. And prescription costs are SO much lower here.
Honey, I'm so sorry it's hard. I went on testosterone (Danazol? Taken so many drugs for endo that I no longer remember them all) and one side-benefit is I got all this angry energy and used it to successfully scare customer service into properly fixing my electric bill. Just be aware - hormone treatment can make you weird until your body adjusts ;-)
ReplyDeleteJen - Curious how the testosterone interacts (if any) with Hashimoto's? I have had severe Hashimotos for 20+ years and experiencing adrenal fatigue + Vitamin D levels near zero, despite supplementing massive amounts.
ReplyDeleteJust tried essential oils (Endoflex/Young Living + nutmeg) for the past 3 months and my thyroid meds went DOWN for the first time in 20 years.
All of these hormonal interactions are so confusing to me!!! Coming into pre-menopause and now I'm REALLY confused!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE you and your gracious, talented, vulnerable, awesome, brave self. Thanks for making my life so much better on a regular basis!
I have Hashimoto's and taking testosterone hasn't changed my synthroid dose etc. Taking testosterone has been a huge benefit. My synthroid dose has bounced all over the place with menopause, I get tested every three months right now and wish it would settle down.
DeleteI hear ya on the chin hairs. My fiance is also dealing with low testosterone; I can't remember the exact numbers, but his testosterone was low enough and his estrogen was high enough for me to do a double take. He's been on testosterone for a couple of months now and it's still low, but better.
ReplyDeleteI feel ya on the chin hairs! And they're so sneaky. You take your eyes off your chin for one minute and bam! A chin hair a mile long.
ReplyDeleteCurse those chin hairs!! Mine are always so thick and black you can see them from across the room! You are not the only one with chin hair anger. ;)
ReplyDeleteIt gets worse! Add the insult of when they start turning gray, and you really start to think getting old is annoying! LOL!
Delete"...next time there's a lull at the grocery store." *brb laughing uncontrollably*
ReplyDeleteWhile I wish your health wasn't such a fight (and cost 0.0)I am very glad your Doc is listening to you and really working with you.
My lab tests a couple months back popped up a testosterone level THREE times what it should be...maybe I could share and balance us both out! XD Best of luck on your health journey.
ReplyDeleteOh, the chin hair thing is killing me! My 8 yr old son asked me the other day why I'm growing a beard. I told him that he should NEVER discuss, point out, or ask about any female's facial hair. And then I made an appointment for a facial wax the next day, after which my son proceeded to compliment me on getting rid of both my beard and my mustache. Oy.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the testosterone! May it have a longer lasting impact than my speech to my son about women's facial hair.
One of my mother's favorite stories to tell about me is the time that I told my cousin Caroline that she had "a very nice mustache." I was about 4.
DeleteMy friend is a teacher for the visually impaired. She had a legally blind student come within inches of her face, pause for a minute and then ask "Are women supposed to have mustaches?"
DeleteYes to getting to the doctor to ask about the thing! I did that a few months back and it turns out that I was B12 deficient, and that's why I felt like a weepy narcoleptic sloth. Good vitamins are way more expensive than I was expecting, but they help a lot. (Also, who knew that there were "good" vitamins and "less good" vitamins? Not me.)
ReplyDeleteHere's to continued health improvements, and all the good side effects you can handle :)
I LOVE your description "weepy narcoleptic sloth." I may use that when I see my endocrinologist and GYN next month. Maybe that will get their attention. Which vitamins did you find to be "good"?
DeleteSo, I went to the doc and got the result. Blah. Hoping they are mistaken, at least that it isn't as bad as the intimated. Why do labs always take sooooo long?
ReplyDeleteYeah, why do your labs take so long? I can check my labs online, usually the evening of the same day the blood work is done.
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ReplyDeleteI so hear you on the chin hair thing. I remember my surprise the first time another woman mentioned her chin hair, I was shocked- I thought it was just me! Can I ask, why did you get your testosterone levels checked? Was it the doctor's suggestion, and if so, what was the instigating cause? I'm curious, wondering if it's something I should ask my doctor about getting checked. I seem to have a lot of the symptoms (fatigue, poor sleep, weight gain, mood swings, etc.).
ReplyDeleteWe got the tests to check both my cortisol and sex hormones, since my cycle wrecks almost 2 weeks out of every month for me. I only feel right the week after my period, so we knew it was hormonal, & in the past my testosterone has been unusually *high*, which I'm guessing is why they checked it again this round. (I'm still kind of astounded it's this low!)
DeleteChin hairs are evil! TMI to follow, don't read if you are squeamish, LOL! A couple of years ago, I got one very course chin hair that ended up ingrowing and forming the most painful cyst/zit. In my desperation to make the pain go away, I messed with, squeezed, and generally attacked that cyst until I finally got it to drain. I was able to pluck the hair, and the damage healed over, but left a scar. Which sprouted 3 NEW HAIRS!!!!!, each one prone to ingrowth, in a very vicious cycle. I finally did get a good pair of tweezers, which help get hold of the hairs even if they are mostly ingrown, but not before I got up to a scarring about the size of a dime and a dozen of the evil, evil things. One of these days I'll see what a dermatologist can do with electrolysis and possibly scar removal. Until then, every morning, pluck, pluck, pluck...
ReplyDeleteOh I hear you, I "won" the genetic lottery in that I get chin hairs and have a bit of a 'stache. As I can't handle waxing, it's bleach it then hope it is at least faint enough to not notice on brief looks. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteOh, the chin hairs... I didn't realize I'd grown my first until one day I looked in the mirror, couldn't figure out how that weird hair got stuck to my neck, then saw, to my utter horror, that I had a two inch long hair HANGING there. My first thought was, how many people saw this BEFORE I DID??? And WHY is the hair on my scalp thinning, but I CAN GROW HAIR ON MY NECK??? What possible evolutionary reason is there for me to have HAIR ON MY CHIN AND NECK??? And WHY do they have to look like they escaped from my nether regions????? ::: AHEM ::: Anyway, I think you've had way more than your fair share of health setbacks, and the universe needs to back off now. :-(
ReplyDeleteIt's like you KNOW I've been avoiding going to the doctors for a couple of months because my old one left and I can't face explaining all my issues to someone new.
ReplyDeleteEven though I kinda need physio and maybe some more CBT and possibly something for the anxiety attacks. I'll go soon. I promise!
Jen - I am with you on the chin hairs. They are evil, malicious deviants. Mine have recently invaded my cheeks and upper lip :( As for your advice, I kind of wish I had not seen mine this week. I am allergic to all sorts of soaps, shampoos, hair spray, gel, makeup and fruits. So I am used to having random rashes appear at the worst of times, especially when my anxiety is bad. But I have had a rash recurring since January. Been to the Dr twice before and he just gave me over-the-counter stuff. I finally went back to him a third time and he kind of freaked out when he saw how bad it had become. I am now on 3 different types of antihistimines and I fall asleep every time I sit down. Also had a full panel of allergy testing because he thinks I have developed food allergies. Can't wait to get the results (not!). I doubt I am allergic to radishes and asparagus. It's probably going to be stuff like chocolate and red wine. The next time you hear from me, I will be groggily typing while forcing down gruel.
ReplyDeleteChin, upper lip, cheeks, neck, jawline... Thick, black hair. You can see them before the damned things are out enough to pluck. I have very fair skin so it makes it even more noticeable that I have constant 5 0'clock shadow.
ReplyDeleteIf you really want to ensure you have 'em all, get a magnifier mirror with a daylight lamp in it. You see the hair best in daylight, to pluck it. I used to sit in my car and use the rearview mirror before I got an in-house one.
I shave sometimes if I am going out and don't want the entire lower half of my face to be red from plucking. laser removal only makes them grow back thicker. Waxing hurts like hell and leaves me red for days. Sometimes I wish I could wave a wand and have it all go away, it is socially debilitating and hard to feel feminine and pretty when I have what accounts to a beard and mustache a teenage boy would be envious of. You have no idea the amount of horrible remarks I have heard in public when people think my headphones are on and I can't hear them. :(
No answer from doctors other than its genetic or potential PCOS (I'm done having kids, never had fertility issues). *sigh* blergh.
I'm sorry to hear about your struggles, and can relate... I also have excessive problems in that area, coupled with hair loss on my scalp.
DeleteI was diagnosed with late onset congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH),and from the description you gave, it sounds like it could be worth looking into with an endocrinologist. PCOS could also be the cause, and I think an gynecologist should be able to help with that diagnosis.
I hope you'll find the cause, and a treatment plan that would help you with the symptoms bothering you :)
Oh the joys of being able to grow hair where it doesn't belong....... I already have my bi-monthly lab work scheduled for Tuesday. Yippee!
ReplyDeleteI'm going tomorrow to see that doctor about that thing! My initial sleep medicine consultation.
ReplyDeleteMy son is often found of introducing me to his friend as "and this is my mom, she is 15 yrs dead this year." sometimes he even goes so far as to explain to them WHY he says that, either way my point is I was told when I was 16 that I would be in a wheel chair at 25 and dead at 30. And I am proud to say I am now 15 yrs dead (or in English the non-morbid can understand I am 15 yrs past the date they gave me to live).
ReplyDeleteI owe it to a couple of very important things. One I know as much if not more then my doctors about my medical issues. I see my doctors regularly and am forever playing the health balance game. You know the one where you take this medication to make that issue ok but then need to take that medication to fight the side affects of the previous medication.
I also have this desire to prove them all wrong, I will go out on my own terms thank you very much. To that end I keep a positive attitude (no I am not one of those happy all the time roses and sunshine girls, not that there is anything wrong with folks like that) when it comes to my health I try to work WITH my health care team and not against them. I come to each appointment prepared with a list so we know what needs to be taken care of and I have the best advocates (my husband and son) a woman could hope for. They know everything they need to be able to step in when I am not able to do it for myself.
I love following your medical progress, while we do not share the same issues the way you have stepped up over the years makes me proud to be at part of a community which can offer so much support for people we've never even met.
You keep doing you, and always remember especially when you are having a hard day that sharing your experiences are helping so many out in the world and that we are all sending those same vibes back at ya.
This is why I love this blog. Here we are in the comments, bonding over chin hairs! I have them too, and some on the upper lip as well. I even keep some tweezers in my bag in case I notice a hair while at work :P (it's really not that bad, I just hate not being able to remove it straight after I find it).
ReplyDeleteHope you have a wonderful day! :)
I think gravity wins over time. Men lose hair on their heads which then grows out of their eyebrows, ears, noses and backs. Women lose less hair from their heads, but lose their eyebrows and eyelashes which eventually show up as chin/neck hairs. Even as I type this, I feel more a-sproutin'!
ReplyDelete-Zippy
A lengthy conversation and no one's mentioned PCOS yet, so I will. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome has one particular symptom (not all get this flavor of it) that grows thick, wirey hairs in all the wrong places while losing hair in the right places. I spent about two hours a day plucking because I also can't handle waxes and the home bleaching things don't work on this kind of hair. I'm lucky to have a doctor who understands PCOS though and we got it mostly sorted out with one particular medication. I won't mention the name because this isn't intended as a pro-med post, but I'm happy with the results. I wasted a lot of time blaming facial and body hair on my ethnicity. Turns out it was wanky hormones and completely manageable with help from the right medical professional.
ReplyDeleteUgh. Chin hairs.
ReplyDeleteThe struggle is real.
So, I have an appt with the doc this week (fellow Hashi's/hypo sufferer); from this blog, I've got a few questions I want to ask, like if I need to have my antibodies level checked, if there's anything I need to be doing to "protect" my thyroid (rather than just taking NatureThroid), if I should have my testosterone looked at, and what can I do about my thin hair?
ReplyDeleteGot any other tips for me? I clearly do not know enough about this; I've just been taking my meds for 10 years without thinking much of it. Ugh.
That's awesome, Emily! If you're feeling ambitious, check out "Hashimoto's Root Cause" by Izabella Wentz; it'll be an information overload, but she looks at so many things you can do to repair your thyroid, and will have you better understanding your body and the interplay of hormones and whatnot. Doctors are often (sadly) behind the times on the newest testing & treatments, so the more you know, the better!
DeleteAwesome; I will check it out from the library. Thanks, Jen!
DeleteOh my god, I am with you on the chin hair. I swear. I can spend half an hour plucking the damn things ... and the next morning, there's a new one half a centimeter long and WHERE DID IT COME FROM? I think I'm a mutant and my super power is exponential chin hair growth.
ReplyDeleteOK, Jen, just for you, I finally called to go see my doctor...doctors. I'll get to see them both on my birthday. Thank you for caring. <3
ReplyDeleteJen, my doctor put me on testosterone (the spray) after hearing me complain about lack of energy and major brain fog -- he did a test of a large dose and honest to god, I could feel the fog lifting. But I didn't tell him then or my husband (wanted to make sure it was real). The next day I was so active and alert that my husband could not believe it (it was a Saturday and I could run errands that I had not had the energy to do in months). The next day I was my usual lethargic foggy self and I called the doctor first thing Monday morning. Interesting in that he told me not to worry if I missed a couple of days -- but if I missed three, my husband would be delicately inquiring if everything was okay and all.
ReplyDeleteI ran out of the stuff (that he had provided) after about 9 months and he was trying to get me another freebie because insurance was being obnoxious about it. In the meantime, I did a Whole30 and realized that the brain fog never came back. Tests that fall showed that my levels were normal.
Personally I think it was the combo of getting the testosterone for some time AND giving up diet soda (that hurt). But it felt like a miracle to me. I hope you have as good of results.
you're awesome and we love you! I love your sense of humor through it all! sarcastic jokes and gufaws are one of the best medicines (aside from testosterone).
ReplyDeleteI think Pokemon Go will help with your exercise attempts! :D But it's hot there in Florida, so... I dunno about walking around outside.
ReplyDeleteYou have my admiration, Jen, for your ability to be proactive about your medical problems as well to talk about them here. :) I'm another person with some serious chronic medical problems (I have a congenital - as yet unidentified - hormonally-linked blood clotting disorder and a pretty huge deep vein thrombosis in my inferior vena cava because of that disorder. In real language, that means I have a big honking blood clot in the biggest vein in my body, blocking proper blood flow below my waist.) I 100% agree that it's really important to be an informed patient - and that means more than just going on WebMD! (Which I don't recommend in any case - the last time I did that when I felt sick I "found out" that I probably have a brain tumor, lung cancer, lupus, the Zika virus, and testicular cancer, despite the fact that I'm an XX woman.) It means stuff like being willing to ask your doctors a LOT of questions, getting a second opinion when you think one of your primary care doctors might not be totally on the ball, and listening to nurses and medical assistants, who often know as much as the doctors who employ them, if not more.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of fatigue and feeling just kind of sick in general - my mom just found out that apparently vitamin D deficiency is epidemic amongst people right now. When she got her bloodwork done, her vitamin D levels were nearly non-existent. She's started taking supplements under doctor's orders and is starting to feel a lot better (she was starting to worry about stuff like cancer and early-onset dementia). Apparently we're all doing a GREAT job of wearing sunblock, but that cuts down on vitamin D aborption from sunlight. Also, because of the trend towards vegetarianism and veganism, we're avoid a lot of foods that contain high levels of vitamin D, like dairy products and fatty fish such as salmon. I personally am going to ask my doctor to check my vitamin D levels during my next physical, because I pretty much COAT myself in 100+ SPF sunblock every time I leave my house - including facial lotion with a high SPF. And, while I'm not vegan or vegetarian, I almost never drink milk and only eat fish once or twice a month, if that. I mostly live on pasta, beans, and fruits and veggies. (Not to mention potato chips and chocolate.) :P
Just want to say thanks for the gentle prod. While I don't have pressing medical issues, I have been avoiding scheduling a procedure people "of a certain age" should get, not for any particular reason. I finally scheduled it after reading this.
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ReplyDeleteBut could you arm wrestle *this* 80 year old grandma? :-o ;-)
ReplyDeleteNo kidding on the chin hairs! I have black ones AND white ones! ARGH! Momma never told me I'd have wrinkles, zits AND chin hairs!
ReplyDeleteMy best friend plays a game where, while I'm driving the car, she leans over and plucks my random chin hairs. So far I've always managed to not crash the car and she just giggles hysterically.
ReplyDeleteWhat did you have to do to get someone to check these kinds of things? I have an appointment with an endocrinologist in freaking OCTOBER, and I believe I am having pretty significant metabolic issues... I need someone to take a look at the whole picture and start figuring out what is overall wrong with me, and I cannot seem to interest my GP in doing so...
ReplyDeleteIt's tough with traditional doctors - really, really tough. I go to a naturopath MD, whose whole practice specializes in alternative/holistic treatments & hormone replacement therapy, in addition to the "normal" prescription stuff. Check your area for Naturopaths and/or "Integrative Medicine" - those places will look at the whole picture, and tend to listen more.
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