I finally went in for the lab work I had been avoiding. For two and a half years, I have been taking real action for my metabolic health. But over the last five months, I slipped into patterns that did not support me, and facing that felt uncomfortable. I kept postponing the labs, convinced I needed more time to “fix” things first. That was not truth. That was avoidance. Self-advocacy meant walking into the lab anyway and choosing information over the fantasy of getting everything back in place before I looked.
The results were not surprising. My A1C went from 5.0% to 5.3%. Not ideal, not disastrous, and definitely not the 13.3% it once was in 2020. Still, I could see the imprint of the last several months. I had been eating too often, too much, and not consistently eating the foods that keep me stable. I knew exactly why some of the numbers changed.
My lipid panel was mixed. Some markers were excellent. Some moved in the wrong direction. None of it was mysterious. It reflected the choices I had been making: more dairy, more ultra-processed food, more late eating, more chaos than consistency.
And according to my hormone levels, I am now post-menopausal. I had no noticeable symptoms when I was perimenopausal. Apparently stress can hide a lot!
What caught me most off guard was not the lab work itself, but my primary care provider’s first response. She sent me a message offering to call in a statin prescription for “high cholesterol” without any conversation. No questions. No curiosity. No acknowledgment of why my numbers shifted. No mention that my A1C had gone up. Just a prescription.
I wrote back and asked for a virtual appointment. I wanted a real discussion. Not a battle. Just a chance to explain what had been happening.
The appointment went well. When she heard the context, she understood why the numbers changed. We talked about the progress I made over the last two years and the months when I lost my footing. I told her I wanted to repeat the labs in three months. She agreed.
We even talked about the high-intensity statin my cardiologist prescribed last spring. She told me she did not think it was necessary based on the work I had already done. She said, joking but not joking, that cardiologists often want statins in the drinking water. Awkward LOL, indeed!
What stayed with me was not her comment. It was the reminder that no one will ever care about my metabolic health as consistently as I do. Not because they are careless, but because my body is not their daily lived experience. Their job is to treat. My job is to understand, to question, to clarify, and to participate.
I have mediocre insurance. I cannot afford a functional medicine provider out of pocket. I use what I have, and I show up prepared. That is part of my self-advocacy. When I walk into a medical appointment, I know my labs, I know my patterns, and I know what questions to ask. It turns a fifteen minute visit into a real conversation.
I am not anti-medicine. I am anti-autopilot. If a doctor tells me I need a prescription in the future, I want to know what needs to change in my body and in my daily life, not just what needs to be added to my pharmacy list.
And honestly, I am proud of myself for going in. For not waiting until everything was perfect. For choosing clarity over delay. I am back on track now. Not because the numbers scared me, but because they reminded me that ignoring myself is not an option.
Here is what I know: I cannot undo the years when I did not have the information or self-advocacy and self-respect I needed. I cannot guarantee that I will never face the consequences of those years. But I can change my trajectory. I can create space between stimulus and response. I can make choices that support the future I want.
I am not aiming for perfection. I am aiming for presence. My labs were a reflection of a messy chapter, not a final outcome. Choosing to face them, speak up for myself, and course-correct without shame is what self-advocacy looks like for me. I am still learning, still adjusting, and still committed. And this time, I am not waiting for the perfect moment to begin again. I already have.
From my bookshelf: The Great Cholesterol Myth, Revised and Expanded
Rethinking high cholesterol, statins, and the root cause conversation missing from most care: inflammation and insulin resistance.
What I Learned About Agency the Hard Way
The story of how a misdiagnosis reshaped my understanding of self-advocacy and self-respect.Healing in the Middle of the Mess
A reflection on choosing vigilance, presence, and self-care even when life feels overwhelming.
If this is your first time reading “It’s All Happening” or you’d like to browse the archive, here’s a recap and links to each of my articles in chronological order.
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