Normal Bloods, Abnormal Symptoms - The gap between lived experience and test results

Practitioners themselves are not immune to having this experience themselves - either through their own bias, or seeking support. I was one of them. With tears in my eyes, called argumentative by doctors when asking questions, when I knew 'something is off, I don't feel like myself, I can't explain it'. Told I was 'too young, too healthy, too fit' to do the tests I asked for - which turned out to show exactly what I was suspecting, and I got no apology and no acknowledgment from the GP. I am very proud of myself for advocating for my own health. Maybe it's nobody's fault we've not been taught. Not been taught how to listen to and understand our bodily sensations, the warning signs, the language being used, the cry for help, and we can take self-responsibility to learn. Learning is not where it stops, learning is where it begins. From learning, we move to living.

Imagine you had a 'gut feeling' something is off.

You don't feel like your usual self. You're tired, unable to do the things you love, maybe sleeping more, canceling on friends, watching a little more tv than usual, walking a little less. Your intuition tells you to seek support. It's not painful or loud. On the contrary, it is a subtle hum because there is no problem, yet.

So, you go to the GP.

Investigative blood test results are 'Within Normal Range', you are told 'everything is normal, you're fine, healthy' without exploration of your lifestyle and accumulating stressors. No further investigations are warranted because you are "too young", "too fit" or "too something".

So, you silence your intuition.

You tell it - it was wrong.

You no longer listen to it when it whispers to 'slow down', 'stop pushing', 'rest now', 'go get a second opinion', 'do new tests now, please'. Instead, you push through because you were told 'everything is normal, you're fine, you're healthy, you're too young'.

About 2 to 6 years later, you have a new diagnosis.

Perhaps it could have been prevented had you listened to your intuition years ago. How were you to know that was your intuition speaking? Maybe if more GPs were trained to read between the lines, and notice the gap between lived experience and investigative results, but they're not.

Women are roughly twice as likely to develop PTSD as men, and account for approximately 65% - 80% of all autoimmune disease cases, experiencing these issues far more frequently than men. Hypothyroidism is autoimmune, Endometriosis involves immune system dysfunction, PCOS is commonly associated with hypothyroidism, Crohn's disease is more prevalent in women.

Perhaps contributing to these trends is the suppression of our intuition when we feel 'off', and are told 'everything is normal' because yes - in that moment it seems so, on paper. We've all been on that date, or had that job interview where it looked perfect 'on paper'.

What if you were in the early stages of Endometriosis or PCOS when the results are not yet skewed? It is so hard to put these women's experiences into short punchy sentences, I feel for them so much.

I was one of them. With tears in my eyes, called argumentative by doctors when asking for support, when I knew 'something is off, I don't feel like myself, I can't explain it'.

Through my own experience and working with clients, I’ve noticed health practitioners rely on results that do not always accurately portray the story I hear, and symptoms I see from clients.

Often the GP relies on ‘red zones’.

It’s rare they have the time, or understanding to look at patterns or markers that are at higher/lower ends of the ‘Within Normal Range’. This results in misdiagnosis or more testing and frustrations as the client feels unheard, unseen, confused, hopeless.

Crohn’s Disease, Endometriosis, PCOS all take on average more than 2 years to diagnose, up to 6.5 years for Endometriosis. We are missing the bigger picture by focusing on population averages known as the 'Normal Range'.

What is optimal for one person, may not be for another. Some individuals with magnesium levels ‘Within Normal Range’ exhibit magnesium deficiency symptoms that subside with supplementation. We need to look beyond the results, and at the person as a whole.

'Within Normal Range' does not account for transitional periods of life.

An underactive thyroid is something I see too much. Before the thyroid is underactive (hypothyroidism), it is under-performing. Results come back 'Within Normal Range', yet the client describes symptoms that sound like an underactive thyroid.

Often there is an underlying Iron and Vitamin D deficiency that has not been explored, or is considered, you guessed it: ‘Within Normal Range’.

Within Normal Range does not mean optimal. Read that again.

There are times life puts more pressure on our bodily systems. What was once maintaining our metabolism is no longer sufficient for energy production, rest and repair.

Like athletes, when stressed we work through our storages of vitamins and minerals more rapidly, and our immune system and gut health may be compromised, decreasing absorption. I see this particularly during times of change, and I'm seeing it amongst all age groups. Moving house, graduation, changing jobs, becoming an adult, returning home after a break-up, refinancing, becoming a parent, separation, divorce, co-parenting arrangements changing, death of a loved one.

Add onto this a layer of complexity for women with a cycle and hormonal changes, we begin to see the gap between test results and lived experience is real.

It is during these transitional periods we are most susceptible to burnout.

With a 50-50 chance of experiencing burnout once we enter the workforce, it's not a question of if, but when. In Australia, up to 70% of young adults in the workforce are already burntout. It takes 1 - 3 years to heal, if you are truly healing. Some will stay stuck in the pattern, managing burnout rather than healing. Normalising abnormal symptoms until it gets worse. Where will you turn when? Where will you send your teen when? Where will you seek to be heard when?

Women with an under-performing thyroid are advised to ‘watch and wait’ until the thyroid becomes underactive when they can be given medication. This helps boost their energy levels until the dosage needs to be increased. The underlying deficiencies, and causes of deficiencies have not been addressed, we end up masking the root cause of the fatigue more. They come to me burntout from the emotional, physical, mental weight that accumulates from feeling invisible.

And if you are a health practitioner that missed the gap like mine did so many times - I'm not calling you out, I'm calling you up. You can improve your practice by understanding yourself better because guess what?

Remission is achievable, it starts with each one of us individually which moves us collectively.

Book a Clarity Call or text 'support' via WhatsApp +448 840 632 to explore how we can support you.

At NuFit Wellness we show people how to live well through The 7 Pillars To Wellness: Nutrition, Movement, Sleep, Optimising The Stress Response, Light Therapy, Mindset, and Spirituality. All Pillars are intertwined and impact health outcomes. Through practicing the principles that govern desirable outcomes, striving for continuous improvement rather than perfection, and recalibrating as necessary, we are able to heal and maintain health in any given circumstance.

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KEYWORDS: Breath, Breathwork, Breathe, Frequency, Sound, Healing, Vibrations, Vibration, Journey, Spiritual, Spirit, Trauma, Movement, Emotion, Emotions, Nervous System Regulation, Nervous System, Regulate, Integrate, Integration, Bloods, Normal, Within Normal Range, Symptoms, General Practitioners, Diagnosis, Prognosis, Embodiment Coaching.