With a title like that, you might expect this to be some slick internet marketing pitch for you to buy some expensive formulation.
But it’s not.
It’s just my story, and — as it turns out — the vitamin that has made all of the difference is cheap and accessible. No marketing pitch necessary.
Let’s start at the beginning.
Two-and-a-half years ago, I gave birth to our fourth tiny bundle of joy. Only this time, that tiny bundle wasn’t as much joyful as she was unhappy. We dealt with her colic for months and months and months, eliminating foods from my diet to see if they would make a difference, having her allergy tested and more.
During this time, she’s also had horrible sleep habits. Sean and I were getting up with her 3 or 4 (or more!) times a night even up to her 2nd birthday. We were obviously exhausted!
Right around then, I started experiencing what we now refer to as “episodes,” where I truly felt as if I’d been hit by a truck. I would wake up like normal and within a few hours be so exhausted that I could hardly see straight. My arms felt like lead and my head was foggy. And I wasn’t getting anything done because I just couldn’t get motivated to move, let alone cook or work.
The first time it happened, I remember posting on my Facebook wall that two years of sleep deprivation had finally caught up with me. Thinking that’s all it was, Sean started taking more and more of the night shifts, but I would still have days when I could barely function.
Finally, realizing this was more than just exhaustion, I made an appointment with the doctor, who scheduled me for blood work to check my vitamin levels as well as to rule out thyroid issues, Lyme disease and more.
With the holidays and other commitments, it took me a few weeks to get in for blood work, and then we waited for weeks for the results.
And when they came, the answer was simple: I was severely vitamin D deficient.
A little skeptical that one tiny little vitamin could make such a big difference, I nonetheless picked up a bottle of vitamin D from the store and began taking 5,000 IU daily.
Three or four days later, our family got hit with a bronchitis-like virus, and I ended up in bed for two days straight.
But a funny thing happened…despite being sick, I realized that I still felt better than I had in a long time. I had upped my dosage of Vitamin D while sick and was on the mend within a couple days, but even with coughing fits that kept me up at night and being up with sick kiddos, I didn’t experience a single episode.
Suddenly, I feel like myself again! I wake up looking forward to the day and ready to tackle my to-do list. The girls and I are enjoying getting back into the swing of school. And I no longer find myself splayed out on the couch just counting the minutes until bedtime!
If you’re struggling with unexplained fatigue, I highly, highly recommend that you see your doctor to have blood work done. Vitamin D deficiency is a very real issue, and it could make all of the difference in the world!
Have you ever had your vitamin D levels checked? Do you take vitamin D supplements?
