Are You Tired?

I've had a whirlwind year filled with a lot of hard work and, thankfully, a lot of rewards. I also had a couple of accidents last year that kept me from working for quite a while.

Tired? No. Exhausted

When January rolled around, I had my physical and was complaining about how tired I was. Actually, I thought I was just over-worked since I'm like a lot of women--trying to balance family, home, and work. Often, I feel as if I'm juggling chainsaws and bowling balls.

Throw in planning the wedding of our youngest child--only 17 more days! (Truthfully, I wish I had just gone with a package deal from a wedding broker because taking care of every little detail--and all the "things" that crop up--has been exhausting for my daughter and me. But she's an artist and wanted something "different.")

Diagnosis

Yesterday, I met with my doctor to discuss the blood work that was done. Surprise! I have 3 conditions that each result in tiredness and lack of energy: low thyroid, low B12 levels, and low Vitamin D.

I've been plagued with low Vitamin D before and have had to take the prescription supplements in the past--a 40,000 unit capsule once a week for 8 weeks. After the first one, I was sick for 2 days! I'm not looking forward to massive supplements again.

However, I'm happy to do anything to regain my energy and stop feeling so tired all the time. With me, exhaustion leaves me open to the invasion of pessimism. The only way I've managed to accomplish anything in the last six months is through sheer will power.

Relief

After talking to my doctor, I don't feel so bad that I've not blogged every day, finished the 2 books I'd planned to publish by this month, stay active with my Tweet peeps, and all the other activities that make up a writer's life.

Yesterday afternoon, I picked up my prescription, the B12 sublingual, and the Vitamin D3. I'm looking forward to feeling like my old self--in 4-6 weeks. Can't come too soon for me.

Takeaway Truth

If you're feeling unusually tired, don't wait for your annual exam to get some blood work done. There may be an easily corrected medical issue underlying your exhaustion.