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Part 5...Settling for the new normal

 March 31, 2023

TESTOSTERONE, FASTING: 123.8 (123-814)

WHAT!!!! Well this makes no sense. To be honest I had finished my Clomid prescription a few weeks prior to this blood work. None the less I was surprised, disappointed and concerned. Unfortunately I had not experienced any symptom relief while taking the higher dose but to have my Testosterone levels decrease in that amount time was very frustrating. Was I going to have to settle for this new normal? This opened the conversation back up regarding Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) and of course the associated risks that it had. I wasn't satisfied with these options and started my quest to learn more about chronic low T.  I soon realized that maybe I needed to branch out from my PCP and get established with an endocrinologist. Endocrinologists are doctors who focus on hormones which control such things as metabolism, blood pressure, cholesterol, hunger, thirst, body temperature and more. 

Welcome to the world of endocrinology...Here it was the beginning of April and being told that the first available new patient visit was July 12! I now had some serious things to consider. Do I play the game, wait it out and pretend like nothing was wrong? I certainly hadn't let this issue control my day to day functioning but you start to think differently when there is a clear problem that has been discovered and can be/should be addressed.  

Facebook, oh Facebook...If you truly do not think that our phones keep track of our searches and/or conversations, you are wrong. Shockingly I was now being bombarded with daily advertisement for TRT options. For the most part I paid no attention to the attempts however, one company struck a nerve with me. The company was Core Medical Group and one of their advertisements was focusing on military members and the increase of chronic low Testosterone being found. "After years of operating in fight-or-flight mode due to stress in their careers, veterans may experience chronic low testosterone". Now for those wanting to remind me that I am part of the Air Force Reserves, commonly known as the "Chair Force", my career as a pre-hospital flight nurse certainly would be considered a profession with increased stress. 

On a whim I took that next step, filled out the online application and waited for response from Core Medical. Within 24hrs the phone calls started. Fortunately it didn't take long to recognize the legitimacy of the practice and I was immersed in the culture of TRT. 

"Have faith in your intuition and listen to your gut feeling" ~ Ann Cotton

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