7 Jun
Okay so I've been putting this off for months but I'm actually sitting down and writing out everything I want to bring to my next appointment. Partly because I keep walking in there and blanking, and partly because I've been doing this one-thing-at-a-time experiment with supplements and I want to be honest about it instead of just not mentioning it. Here's what I'm putting on the list so far. First, the symptoms I've been tracking. Hot flashes, mostly at night but sometimes mid-afternoon at my desk which is a whole thing. Brain fog that makes me feel like I'm reading the same sentence four times. Sleep that is technically happening but not doing anything. Anxiety that shows up for no reason around 3am. Second, the supplement stuff. I started vitamin D a few weeks ago because my levels came back low at a routine check, so that one felt more grounded than random. I want to ask whether anything I'm taking could interact with anything she might want to discuss. I genuinely don't know and I feel a little embarrassed that I started without asking first but here we are. Third, the questions I keep forgetting to ask. Like, is what I'm experiencing consistent with perimenopause or is it something else entirely. I'm 44 and my OBGYN has been pretty non-committal so far and I want to actually push on that this time instead of leaving with nothing. I'm also going to bring a note about what I've noticed changing and when, because I've been keeping a rough symptom log on my phone for about six weeks and I think it might actually be useful. Or at least it'll stop me from saying "I don't know, it's been a while" when she asks. Anyone else do this? Does it actually help or does the appointment still go sideways?