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No, It's Not 'Tired Mommy Syndrome'

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I remember sitting in the doctor’s office wearing a crinkly paper gown as the nurse asked me a few questions. I described the fog that resided in my head, like my head was stuck in a cloud. I couldn’t complete simple tasks like record-keeping at work or remembering appointments. I had gained weight even though I was eating better than before. I continued to explain seemingly unrelated symptoms and lamenting how I would like my life back.

After taking notes, the nurse’s comment was, “You sound like a tired mommy” as she made her way out the door.

This scene would repeat itself as I went to various Western and Eastern medicine practitioners. I was either a busy mom or a tired mom; there seemed to be no other explanation. I repeatedly asked if it could be my thyroid or chronic fatigue or other syndromes my Internet searches indicated. Nope, I was assured I just needed to rest. I was too busy, too stressed or struggling to find balance in my life.

I followed my instinct, pressing for answers, and finally a new doctor ran full panel that revealed an autoimmune disorder. A month on the right medication and the fog in my head had lifted. It was like an engine was turned on inside of me and I had newfound energy. I lost the weight I had gained, and soon I was pregnant, something I had struggled to accomplish for three years. I felt vindicated at first, but that soon turned into anger. All those months I tried to convince the medical community that I wasn’t too busy, too out of shape or too lazy.

And then it occurred to me: how many others have resigned to believe that they are just a tired mommy because too many doctors have told them so? How many are living with debilitating fatigue or an autoimmune disorder that robs them of quality of life? How many could find answers if they just went to one more doctor who actually believed them?

Don’t stop searching for answers. Don’t silence your inner voice when it tells you to keep searching.

Lead photo source: Thinkstock Images

Originally published: January 5, 2016
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