Hi there! I know this post is old but I wanted to follow up; I am the person who submitted this question. Since submitting and seeing Satya's answer, a lot has changed in my life! I did get hormone levels checked and all appeared normal. changes include - being diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis) and starting treatment for that, starting to take iron and a daily vitamin; switching from coffee to green tea, and eating breakfast before or with my tea (breakfast with ideally a bit of veggies and/or a good amount of protein), eating less red meat. moving to a new city (!!!!), taking a pottery class and being awful at it but still having fun, exercising with weights, walking in the woods a lot and trying to get at least a little fresh air in morning and at night, etc. I'm not a brand new person by any means, and a lot of things haven't changed that much, but I'm also no longer crying a majority of the days, I'm feeling that awful pit in my stomach a lot less frequently, and generally feeling less bad overall. I'm also better at sitting with some uncomfortable feelings without spiraling. Life-changing stuff even if it didn't like...change my whole life and get rid of my anxiety, etc.
Wanted to share this here instead of just emailing Satya in case this is helpful for anyone else. It's clishe, but a lot of the basics that everyone is always on about (breakfast, walking) really made a huge difference for me : )
Hillary, thank you, thank you, for sharing a follow-up and for choosing to share it publicly. I have wondered how you're doing! I'm genuinely impressed with everything that you've tackled and comforted to hear that you found an important physical diagnosis that has no doubt been draining you, that you're adjusting your food habits to serve you best, and that you're taking walks in the woods AND a pottery class. And more! I'm inspired. You're inspiring. Well done. These are all small changes in the sense that they're not, on their face, the answer to the questions of the universe, but they're also some of the most courageous changes. They're real adjustments to life and will continue to add up and serve you. Brava, brava. I'm delighted and sending you love and hope for many more small/large breakthroughs. xo
I’ve been struggling with hypothyroid which has led to a host of symptoms, including mental health issues, and I recently was told exactly what you pointed out in this letter- breakfast before coffee. And I was also AMAZED by how it regulated my day and night. My metabolism feels faster, I’m waking up in the morning hungry for the first time in decades! I have a newfound desire to do hard things… it’s crazy how something so simple could have such cascading effects. It made me so happy to read that this was where you hoped to start with H. Not enough practitioners start at the basics like that and it just gave me a huge dose of hope to see you taking it there.
Oof, I can relate to a lot of what the letter writer shared here. Even one of my favorite jobs I held in my early 20s was marked by months worth of "not rightness" at the beginning of it! Looking back, there were a number of factors going on - including imposter syndrome, waay too much caffeine, and not having developed a good groundwork for rest and the emotional space for outside of work interests. This is something I am generally still trying to figure out (the work part)...so I'm afraid I don't have much to contribute here about that piece. I would be curious to hear from others who have made their own path in various ways if they are here! I find it relieving to hear those specific thoughts and feelings related to not having a good fit with certain environments and what environments people have found more fitting (like Satya sharing her own experiences). I can say that pursuing strong interests with the overall goal of learning more and enjoying them has been something that has greatly enriched my life - especially when I can enjoy them in some form of community.
I did find myself relating to a lot of Satya's advice about the importance of the physical health and nutrition side of feeling well. I have been feeling crappy most of my life and it's been a long process of figuring out some of the pieces. One example: I didnt realize until my late 20s that stopping at one cup of coffee drastically reduced my anxiety levels throughout the day. I used to chug god knows how much and feel no hunger until lunch, eat a late lunch, and then want to sleep for a year straight. Eating before coffee does seem to help me feel more level energy as well.
Finally addressing some unresolved health issues has also helped so much in the last few years! I so so second the advice of getting lab testing done. I found out I often have low hemoglobin that seems to dovetail with fatigue, and I have to keep an eye on my vitamin D for the same reason (mostly in the winter). Some of this stuff can fairly easy to alter with dietary modifications and/or supplements. I also know of people who didn't find out they had a thyroid issue for a long time because they thought everyone else was bone-dead tired all the time...so they didn't "complain." We get so used to certain things sometimes we don't realize that we can maybe feel better.
If you have access, I would add that finding a provider/doctor who has good ratings and reviews for specifically being a *good listener* and *takes time to answer questions* makes getting testing for specific symptoms so much easier - I was prompted to do this after a misdiagnosis in my late 20s that missed a serious infection. I found it useful to make a list of symptoms as they occured over time (and their relative frequency/duration) and brought them in to discuss with my new provider.
Unfortunately I've found in the past that sometimes certain symptoms get dismissed as psychological due to a history of mental health concerns like anxiety or depression. One example that comes to mind is someone I knew years ago who initially got diagnosed with anxiety. Later testing revealed their symptoms were likely due to a non-lethal but funky structural heart issue causing feelings of chest flutters and lowered oxygen (not to say that's letter writers issue - but that sometimes the physical side of symptoms is overlooked in favor of emotional causes). I think a good enough doctor will often want to work with people to rule out more physical possibilities if they haven't been already ruled out.
And I agree with Satya's advice to look into hormonal stuff if it's relevant for you. Since I got my period (about 2 decades ago) I've had heavy periods and cramps that can leave me bed bound at times. It was until last year when I started getting the bad cramps and pain outside of my period that I found out I had endometriosis. I'm very used to it at this point pain-wise so when I had to go to the ER for near passing out levels of pain last year I knew something was really wrong. I was actually concerned my appendix had burst and the ER doctor initially thought that might be the cause as well. The testing showed it was cysts causing the pain! That finally led to seeing a specialist, testing, and then a diagnosis. It seems some of my lifelong GI issues may be have been interacting with the endo too...some different various health pieces definitely came together. PCOS was also something we tested for and ruled out as well.
In any case, I am so rooting for the letter-writer to get to feel some relief, both existentially and emotionally/physically! And curious to hear from anyone else that related to the letter or Satya's response :)
Hi there! I know this post is old but I wanted to follow up; I am the person who submitted this question. Since submitting and seeing Satya's answer, a lot has changed in my life! I did get hormone levels checked and all appeared normal. changes include - being diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis) and starting treatment for that, starting to take iron and a daily vitamin; switching from coffee to green tea, and eating breakfast before or with my tea (breakfast with ideally a bit of veggies and/or a good amount of protein), eating less red meat. moving to a new city (!!!!), taking a pottery class and being awful at it but still having fun, exercising with weights, walking in the woods a lot and trying to get at least a little fresh air in morning and at night, etc. I'm not a brand new person by any means, and a lot of things haven't changed that much, but I'm also no longer crying a majority of the days, I'm feeling that awful pit in my stomach a lot less frequently, and generally feeling less bad overall. I'm also better at sitting with some uncomfortable feelings without spiraling. Life-changing stuff even if it didn't like...change my whole life and get rid of my anxiety, etc.
Wanted to share this here instead of just emailing Satya in case this is helpful for anyone else. It's clishe, but a lot of the basics that everyone is always on about (breakfast, walking) really made a huge difference for me : )
Hillary, thank you, thank you, for sharing a follow-up and for choosing to share it publicly. I have wondered how you're doing! I'm genuinely impressed with everything that you've tackled and comforted to hear that you found an important physical diagnosis that has no doubt been draining you, that you're adjusting your food habits to serve you best, and that you're taking walks in the woods AND a pottery class. And more! I'm inspired. You're inspiring. Well done. These are all small changes in the sense that they're not, on their face, the answer to the questions of the universe, but they're also some of the most courageous changes. They're real adjustments to life and will continue to add up and serve you. Brava, brava. I'm delighted and sending you love and hope for many more small/large breakthroughs. xo
I’ve been struggling with hypothyroid which has led to a host of symptoms, including mental health issues, and I recently was told exactly what you pointed out in this letter- breakfast before coffee. And I was also AMAZED by how it regulated my day and night. My metabolism feels faster, I’m waking up in the morning hungry for the first time in decades! I have a newfound desire to do hard things… it’s crazy how something so simple could have such cascading effects. It made me so happy to read that this was where you hoped to start with H. Not enough practitioners start at the basics like that and it just gave me a huge dose of hope to see you taking it there.
Oof, I can relate to a lot of what the letter writer shared here. Even one of my favorite jobs I held in my early 20s was marked by months worth of "not rightness" at the beginning of it! Looking back, there were a number of factors going on - including imposter syndrome, waay too much caffeine, and not having developed a good groundwork for rest and the emotional space for outside of work interests. This is something I am generally still trying to figure out (the work part)...so I'm afraid I don't have much to contribute here about that piece. I would be curious to hear from others who have made their own path in various ways if they are here! I find it relieving to hear those specific thoughts and feelings related to not having a good fit with certain environments and what environments people have found more fitting (like Satya sharing her own experiences). I can say that pursuing strong interests with the overall goal of learning more and enjoying them has been something that has greatly enriched my life - especially when I can enjoy them in some form of community.
I did find myself relating to a lot of Satya's advice about the importance of the physical health and nutrition side of feeling well. I have been feeling crappy most of my life and it's been a long process of figuring out some of the pieces. One example: I didnt realize until my late 20s that stopping at one cup of coffee drastically reduced my anxiety levels throughout the day. I used to chug god knows how much and feel no hunger until lunch, eat a late lunch, and then want to sleep for a year straight. Eating before coffee does seem to help me feel more level energy as well.
Finally addressing some unresolved health issues has also helped so much in the last few years! I so so second the advice of getting lab testing done. I found out I often have low hemoglobin that seems to dovetail with fatigue, and I have to keep an eye on my vitamin D for the same reason (mostly in the winter). Some of this stuff can fairly easy to alter with dietary modifications and/or supplements. I also know of people who didn't find out they had a thyroid issue for a long time because they thought everyone else was bone-dead tired all the time...so they didn't "complain." We get so used to certain things sometimes we don't realize that we can maybe feel better.
If you have access, I would add that finding a provider/doctor who has good ratings and reviews for specifically being a *good listener* and *takes time to answer questions* makes getting testing for specific symptoms so much easier - I was prompted to do this after a misdiagnosis in my late 20s that missed a serious infection. I found it useful to make a list of symptoms as they occured over time (and their relative frequency/duration) and brought them in to discuss with my new provider.
Unfortunately I've found in the past that sometimes certain symptoms get dismissed as psychological due to a history of mental health concerns like anxiety or depression. One example that comes to mind is someone I knew years ago who initially got diagnosed with anxiety. Later testing revealed their symptoms were likely due to a non-lethal but funky structural heart issue causing feelings of chest flutters and lowered oxygen (not to say that's letter writers issue - but that sometimes the physical side of symptoms is overlooked in favor of emotional causes). I think a good enough doctor will often want to work with people to rule out more physical possibilities if they haven't been already ruled out.
And I agree with Satya's advice to look into hormonal stuff if it's relevant for you. Since I got my period (about 2 decades ago) I've had heavy periods and cramps that can leave me bed bound at times. It was until last year when I started getting the bad cramps and pain outside of my period that I found out I had endometriosis. I'm very used to it at this point pain-wise so when I had to go to the ER for near passing out levels of pain last year I knew something was really wrong. I was actually concerned my appendix had burst and the ER doctor initially thought that might be the cause as well. The testing showed it was cysts causing the pain! That finally led to seeing a specialist, testing, and then a diagnosis. It seems some of my lifelong GI issues may be have been interacting with the endo too...some different various health pieces definitely came together. PCOS was also something we tested for and ruled out as well.
In any case, I am so rooting for the letter-writer to get to feel some relief, both existentially and emotionally/physically! And curious to hear from anyone else that related to the letter or Satya's response :)