A Motivated Mo'vember. PG-13, long post.
Seems like I've been handed a reason to be a more motivated participant in the forthcoming Movember:
Low Testosterone.
(For inquiring minds: my results said 229.0, referenced against lean males up to 40 years of age with a normal of 348-1197.)
It seems the rocket scientists down in my genetic JPL have been replaced with whomever has been crunching the numbers over at the N. Korean rocket program :shrug:. (Upon proofreading, note: this wasn't a racial joke, it was a poor math joke!)
I knew that my inability to grow a beard was one of the symptoms of Low T. I wonder if my T levels have always been below average for me at every given stage in life? Being a "late bloomer" is common among my family, so hitting growth spurts & other puberty changes happening later than school peers isn't a cause for concern. But in general, until recently, everything else seemed to be within tolerance, so to speak.
A bit of personal history.
When my wife and I first got together a decade ago, we basically spent the whole weekend locked in a room together. She lived about two hours north of me; and I would basically recover during the week :rofl2:. I moved in with her about a year later, after a policy change at the headquarters level meant I was out of a job despite good performance in the face of a stacked deck... (But that is a discussion better suited for another day :soapbox:. ) We didn't "get busy" with the same frequency after cohabitation began, for reasons such as working three part-time jobs & temporary living with her parents, life happens.
But my interest, and being the initiator has become less and less over the past few years. This in turn caused some frustration for SWMBO, and understandably so. I just chalked it up to "not being young & in my teens anymore". I can look back on a time in my life when the surplus of fluctuating hormones nearly drove me insane! Strong mental fortitude got me through adolescence. Anyway...
The warning signs.
(Additional details in the spoiler.)
I've always had A.D.D., but my lower self started having trouble with focus. If we took too long to segue, "he" would get bored and not want to keep doing his part, and I'd have to try & wake him back up. Well, a month or two ago, he was catatonic. So I requested an appointment with my doctor to discuss getting a blood test. That appointment was fairly brief.
Doc' said I had to get the blood drawn at 8am. My bedtime is about 5 or 6am.
Me: "In the morning? You know I work nights, right..."
Doc': "It's an insurance thing. They insist it be done around 8am, because that is when T levels are highest & the best measurements. Circadian rhythms, etc."
Me: "That's not my morning, but whatever Doc'. I guess I'll just stay up later one night, and come in when the lab opens in the morning."
A few days later, his nurse left a voicemail while I was sleeping. I returned the favor, getting a messaging service when I called back. After a week of no return call, I called one afternoon. First test confirmed low testosterone, so a second test is needed to ensure accuracy & check for other possible causes like the thyroid. A day and a half after the second test, I was awake when the nurse called. Double confirmation of Low T, and I should contact my insurance provider to get a list of covered treatments/products, then report back to the Doctor with said list.
Me: "Sooo... I don't need to schedule a followup appointment to discuss this, or anything??"
Nurse: "Nope. Just talk to your insurance company so we know what hormone replacement therapy to put you on."
Me: "Uhhh, 'kay. Thanks...?"
That can't be the end of it...
Here's the thing... I've been on this same schedule for around two years. And I've always been a night owl. I don't really buy this whole "...our bodies release chemicals at certain times of the day, regardless of our lives..." business. I'm sure there is a guy halfway around the world that works the same hours as me, but is on a day shift.
More importantly, we are not all the same! Virtually every single study doesn't even consider participants that are on anything other than a typical "9 to 5" schedule. I found a study that raised the concern of "office hours" as a restricting factor. I found one study that actually dug into the role sleep plays on our biological cycles. This study was somewhat limited in participants & duration, but was otherwise well documented & detailed. It showed sleep to be the primary reason testosterone levels peak, with the circadian timing causing a marginal increase during morning hours, even for day sleepers.
Also, I'm a little surprised my Doc' didn't refer me to an endocrinologist. I think I will ask for a referral to one, just in case. I have been doing more and more reading on Low T, over the past month. Which only adds to my hesitation about going on Hormone Replacement Therapy. Regardless, I will stop by the doctor's office this week to request a copy of my lab results. I have thus far had no reason to complain about the service my doctor provides. This on its own isn't necessarily a cause for a soured relationship. I would feel better having a deeper understanding of my personal situation.
It might be primary hypogonadism, but it might be secondary. My brief phone discussion with the nurse didn't provide any insight as to an exact cause or diagnosis.
It may not apply to my situation, but many men have been able to increase their testosterone levels through diet, exercise, and getting enough sleep. I'm fairly fit, due to a physically challenging job. I don't eat ultra healthy, but I also don't eat any junk food. I also take a multivitamin (Centrum) every day. My sleeping habits could be better, and is something I was already trying to improve.
I felt the following details might be considered "T.M.I." for some people, so it is behind the spoiler tag.
For years, I had noticed problems with the... "product" that left my reproductive factory. It looked as if the texture was more closely resembling tapioca. Gross... but because I wasn't trying to have any children yet, it was only ranked as a curiosity rather than a concern. Oh, and the only reason I really got a good look at the stuff was because of those mornings where I'd have to put on a fresh change of boxer briefs, because the clean pair I put on the night before were a mess:gth.
I guess one thing is for sure: certainly more reason than ever to get out there and bang the drum this Movember!!!
What say you?
