$120 is worth paying if you have to, if only for peace of mind. It sounds like you aren't a "doctor person". (Neither am I) ....You're due!

After reading what you wrote two things crossed my mind: anemia and too little food. Have you tried calorie cycling or upping your calories a bit for at least a week? Some people have good results doing that. If you want you can try to eat food that has more iron and see if you feel better. Dark green leafs and beans have a lot of iron, so you could introduce those on your daily meals.

It would be ideal to get a physical and i'm shocked at the idea that preventive care is not covered by your insurance. Serenity 100 may be up to something.

YES!! start with the gyn, and make sure to get a full hormone and anemia workup [including iron parameters].

And just in case you continue to feel guilty about the money - please remember that some things DO NOT GET BETTER all by themselves. How would your family manage if you were - oh, i don't know - in the hospital? or not able to work, or so exhausted that you couldn't get out of bed?

YOU ARE WORTH IT!!!!!!

FWIW [for some who might not know - not for you, Claysgirl] - Tricare is federal insurance plan for military and dependents. the ACA has NOTHING to do with it.

I've tried upping my calories for a week, and unfortunately there has been no change in my energy level or my weight later. I do think anemia is a possibility. I'm waiting to hear back from the gyno's office to schedule an appointment, since my symptoms right now include irregular and very heavy periods. I have made a list of things I'm concerned about to talk with her about (because she is one of the few doctors that spends more than 30 seconds with me and I always forget important things to ask) right now the list is as follows:

-multiple sinus infections with painful swelling, snoring often
-Neck pain
-frequent headaches, migraines
-eyes are dry, sensitive, twitching, double vision at times
-irritability, depression
-high cholesterol as a kid (haven't had it checked in years)
-Periods are heavy with very painful cramps
-Hair is more brittle and dry, scalp dry and itchy
-constipation
-trouble focusing, exhausted with plenty of sleep, foggy
-very shaky if I don't eat frequently
-weight loss very difficult, gain sometimes at a deficit.

I feel like something isn't right, hopefully she will be able to help me figure it out what it is. Anyone else have some of those symptoms and figure it out?

Well that's dumb. A federal program for federal employees (military) and yet a federal law does not apply to them? Dumb, but does not surprise me! Thanks for explaining, though!

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Claygirl, making a list was smart! Soooo helpful so you don't forget something important at the appointment. I personally have some of those symptoms, but a lot of them are so common and have so many different causes, that it is unlikely anyone could really know by looking at your list, unfortunately. Plus, it could be a combo of multiple issues.

Anemia could definitely explain some of your symptoms, but there's different kinds of anemia (B12, iron) which is where the blood test will be helpful. Maybe PCOS? Diet? It would make sense to make a list of possible causes to research in advance and then mention to her, but don't spend too much time Googling symptoms because Google will probably give you the worst case scenario

I hope you get an appointment soon so you don't have to wait too long!

Let us know how you make out. I am not a Dr. person either, you know someone who calls the Dr. for every little thing. . .But, I do go for my annual screenings because I would rather them catch some big thing while it is still small and they can fix it.

i have alot of those symptoms on your list and i know when the fatigue doesn't go away, i take an iron pill and that at least helps with the fatigue....i've been tested as anemic before but sometimes i forget about that

I was able to get an an appt with my gyno on the 20th, it's just so far away. I've been doing a lot of research, and right now my symptoms seem to line up the most with hypothyroid. I'm also discovering other things that I didn't even think about as symptoms that line up with it. My tongue is swollen and scalloped (has been for a long time) I have a feeling of something in my throat a lot, bronchitis symptoms a lot this year, lower body temp, along with everything else. Right now, I just want an answer so I can feel better. I take a multivitamin every day that has iron, all b vitamins, and d3 so I would be surprised if that was the problem, but that would definitely be better than a thyroid problem. I'm just tired and want to feel better.

Clay, looks like you are lined up for a doc visit. Glad to see that.

I hope you can get better soon.

Good luck!!

I hope u feel better, sometime I have issues like dizzy spells, feeling tired etc. I think that you may have hormonal issues, it is best to get blood work done as well. You could make sure u take all the right vitamins, and drink lots of water, & get lots of rest when possible.

Thanks all for the great input and support! I do seem to need someone to push me a little to go to the doctor... its just my nature. I'm still waiting for my appointment on the 20th. I've asked for my cholesterol to be checked and a thyroid panel. the nurse said we can do a full blood panel which will include all of that (she wasn't able to give me many specifics though, so I'm not sure what all they will check!) I'm assuming that on the blood panel they will only check Thyroid stimulating hormone levels, and she didn't mention checking vitamins and minerals to rule out vitamin d, iron, or b deficiencies. Ive also been doing research obsessively, and it seems like some labs still use the old tsh levels instead of the new and then the doc just tells you you're fine, and people get passed over when they have a problem! That is just awful! Especially since from what I've read it can have pretty damaging effects on your health, and cause miscarriage and still birth which I am very scared of since my husband and I are thinking about trying to conceive soon. I just want to make sure I ask for anything important to check. Any blood tests or thyroid tests that aren't typically done unless you ask?

To me, the following symptoms you are having sound like thyroid.

-Periods are heavy with very painful cramps
-Hair is more brittle and dry, scalp dry and itchy
-constipation
-trouble focusing, exhausted with plenty of sleep, foggy
-very shaky if I don't eat frequently
-weight loss very difficult, gain sometimes at a deficit.

A full range of labs is a good idea. Why check just one thing when they can check the full spectrum all at once. If they find what's wrong and can correct it with meds, the money will be well worth it.

Thanks wannabehealthy, that's where I'm at as well. I don't want to miss my chance and have to wait months to get in with someone else. From my research it sounds like these are what I need tested for my thyroid function:
TSH
T3
T4
Free t3, free t4 reverse t3?
Thyroid antibodies
I think the blood panel will check if I have any deficiencies, and they will check my triglycerides which is good. I just don't want to miss anything major, and based on what I have read and am currently experiencing, if this is a problem with my thyroid and the doctor misses it, I don't want to continue to be this miserable. At this point it is a struggle to get through everyday without napping and staying pretty much inactive. I'm so tired, not to mention joint pains, headaches, dizziness and nausea I've been experiencing. I just don't feel like me, at all. I'm scared to drive now too because I've been so foggy and my attention has been so awful. I'm spacing out in the car despite trying so hard to concentrate. I got in a fender bender last week because I blipped out for a second and lost my focus. I'm rambling now, but something needs to change, I can't keep feeling like this.

Although it will be good to find out if you have any deficiencies and get your cholesterol and triglycerides checked, I don't think any of those things would be causing that group of symptoms. I don't think cholesterol and triglycerides cause any actual symptoms that you would notice, just cause problems long term. I don't know your age, but if you are still having TOM you are not old. You can't live with this foggy condition.

I agree. I'm 26 and I don't feel at all like myself right now.

I'm getting my cholesterol checked because my mom recently told me that a pediatrician was concerned that it was high when I was a child and wanted my mom to have it monitored (she didnt). Mom just now thought to tell me that so I can get it checked out. I'm glad she told me, but I feel like that would've been good to know a long time ago. Especially after I did research and found that thyroid issues can cause high cholesterol that's resistant to meds. Better late than never I guess.