After almost 10 years of being moody and always tired, I finally went to the doctor to help get some answers. I am a stubborn person that does NOT like to visit any doctor unless I absolutely have to. In this case, I did some of my own research online about fatigue and how I could fight it. I tried exercising more. I tried drinking less caffeine. I changed my diet. I did my best to stick to a consistent sleep schedule. Nothing worked.
I was convinced that if I went to the doctor they were going to tell me I was suffering from depression although I never felt sad or hopeless. Depression is an illness that is difficult for a lot of people to understand and when I finally worked up the confidence to go and see a doctor, I remember saying to my doctor, “You are probably going to tell me I’m depressed, and I don’t want to be that”. Whether or not I wanted to be that, I was sure that is what I was about to hear. I was ready to feel better, no matter what.
After having some blood work done, I got some news that I was extremely vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D deficient? That is a thing? That would be what was causing my fatigue and moodiness all these years? There was no way! Being in denial I immediately went to the internet to figure out what this vitamin D deficiency was all about. I couldn’t believe after years and years trying to figure out why I was so tired all the time, I had never come across anything about vitamin D!
How vitamin D deficiency can interfere with your health and well-being:
- More likely to be depressed.
- You are less likely to survive cancer.
- Increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
- 32% increased risk of heart disease.
- The risk of developing pneumonia is 2.5 times greater.
- Unexplained fatigue.
- Muscle Weakness.
- Difficulty thinking clearly.
- Bone pain.
- Frequent bone fractures.
The hard lesson I learned after wasting 10 years feeling like a bump on a log is, when you feel like something is off….go to the doctor! I think about all the years I could have felt better, been more productive, and more motivated had I just gone to see a doctor sooner.
More than 3 million people every year are diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency and according to Harvard University, an estimated 1 billion people are low in vitamin D. There are many over-the-counter vitamin D supplements available, but for those (like me) that have an extreme deficiency may be prescribed a high dose of vitamin D. To find out if you are vitamin D deficient, ask you doctor for a blood test. Be well!