Where following the yellow brick road gets you... pre-teen angst anyone?

You know when you stumble upon a song (or album/soundtrack) that immediatly takes you back to a specific age or event in your life?  I had one of those moments today.  I was grooving to my Boy Band goodness playlist on Spotify (don't judge) and while adding a song by 3T (anyone else remember them?) I saw that one of their songs was from the "Free Willy" soundtrack.  I, naturally, had to follow the yellow brick road and ended up on the "Free Willy" soundtrack page.  Yes, I realize how ridiculous this sounds.

It turns out I must have had the soundtrack because upon clicking on the first song my eyes immediately welled up and it was once again 1993 and I was an angsty pre-teen.  

Will You Be There (Theme from Free Willy) - Michael Jackson

Keep On Smilin - NKOTB (yes, that stands for New Kids on The Block)  ;)

Right Here (Human Nature Re-Mix feat. Michael Jackson)  - SWV (Sisters With Voices)

And because I couldn't find a video of the 3T song that lead me on this wild goose chase (called Didn't Mean to Hurt You) that wasn't unbelievably cheesy with crappy heart graphics and creepy obsessive photo montages of the 3T guys, I have included the video for 3T's biggest hit circa 1995 called Anything which is the reason why I stumbled across the Free Willy song in the first place.  

May your early 90's inner child rejoice.

Rest in Peace Keiko (1976 - 2003)

High Fidelity - Florence + The Machine

While I loved the British indie rock group Florence + The Machine's first album Lungs, it is their most recent album Ceremonials that really speaks to me.  Florence Welch has an amazing voice and I love how their sound ranges from the somewhat 60's style retro "Dog Days Are Over" to mysterious and haunting in "Seven Devils."   It always seems to tap into some emotion I am feeling at the moment and is awesome music to blare when on a random weekend drive with the windows down and the wind in your hair...

And we can't forget about the new Calvin Harris collaboration "Spectrum (Say My Name)" that totally speaks to my recent obsession with house/dance music (that's another post!).

"Dog Days Are Over"

"Shake It Off"

"Seven Devils"

"No Light, No Light"

Original version of "Spectrum"

Calvin Harris remix of "Spectrum (Say My Name)"

Florence Welch

Answers! :)

It's not just all in my head!  Such a relief to finally have found a doctor who listened to me and cared enough to keep on looking beyond just the surface.  


Living in the Pacific Northwest means it is common for almost all of us to lack somewhat in Vitamin D but for some of us levels can get extremely low... like "dirt low" as my doctor referred to my levels.  

Turns out Vitamin D deficiency can lead to numerous health problems like osteoporosis, heart disease, increased risk of cancers, arthritis, autoimmune diseases, PMS and infertility issues, etc.  

Frequent symptoms that effect those of us with very low levels include: obesity (and subsequent difficulty in loosing weight), depression and other mood/anxiety disorders, excessive fatigue, muscle, bone and joint pain, restless sleep, poor concentration and headaches.

Wow. Seriously.  I'm relieved that there is a reason for so many of the symptoms I've had over the years.  The obesity, clinical depression, headaches, fatigue and daily pain - it's not all in my head. 

 

For more information about Vitamin D deficiency, please visit the 501(c)(3) non-profit Vitamin D Council website here.



An official diagnosis of PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, also known as Stein-Leventhal Syndrome) was also in the cards.  About time.

 

PCOS is one of the most common hormonal endocrine disorders in women but because there are no specific tests that can resolutely end in diagnosis, physicians have to rely on a combination of tests and symptoms to diagnose women effected with the condition.

PCOS is a hormonal disorder which can result in irregular menstrual cycles, cysts on the ovaries, infertility, acne, hair growth issues (excessive growth and thinning), pelvic pain, anxiety and depression, sleep issues, obesity (excessive weight gain and difficulty loosing it) and increased risk of diabetes.  Yikes.

There is no cure for PCOS however there are some things that can be done to help with the symptoms. 

• Lifestyle modification - weight loss specifically in order to keep insulin and glucose levels under control which have been found to directly correlate with PCOS symptoms.
• Birth control pills - the steady hormone levels can help control menstrual cycle issues, lessen acne issues and reduce male hormone levels (androgens) which are a key factor in the development of PCOS issues.
• Diabetes medication - if patient is suffering from insulin related issues in correlation with PCOS.
• Fertility medications
• Topical medicines for acne, hair growth issues. 

For additional information about PCOS, please visit the womenshealth.gov page about the disorder here and the 501(c)(3) non profit called the PCOS Foundation here.



I am sharing my health concerns here as I know I am not alone - there are many other women who are suffering from issues like I am, many probably thinking that the symptoms they are experiencing are "all in their head" and may not feel like they are being heard by their doctors.  

All I can say to you is keep searching, there is a doctor out there who will listen and help and you are most definitely not alone.