If you’ve ever gone to the doctor, explained your symptoms, and left with nothing but a vague “everything looks normal” — this story is for you.

I’ve been there. Feeling off. Knowing something wasn’t right. But being told my labs were fine, my hormones were “within range,” and basically, that it was all in my head.

Today, I want to walk you through my personal lab results — the markers that were technically “normal” but definitely not optimal. The ones that got overlooked, and the subtle patterns that finally made sense of why I was so tired, puffy, and just not myself.

I’m sharing this not just because it’s my story, but because I know it might be yours too. And I want you to see what’s possible when you stop settling for surface-level answers.

The Backstory

After having my daughter, my cycles went back to being like clockwork — 28 days, every time. But then earlier this year, I got the sickest I’ve ever been. I completely skipped a cycle, and ever since, my periods stretched out to six weeks apart.

On top of that, I started to feel different. Not in an obvious way, but in ways only you notice when you know your own body:

• My muscles felt soft, like I was retaining water.
  
• I was exhausted, even on nights when I slept 7+ hours.
  
• My energy never felt steady, and my workouts weren’t clicking the way they used to.
  

So, for the first time in my life, I asked my doctor to run bloodwork.

That’s where things got… complicated.

My doctor was supportive at first, but when I asked for a full thyroid panel, she only ordered TSH. When that came back less than ideal, she still hesitated to run more. She brushed off my request for nutrient labs, told me we could “just wait and see,” and suggested short-term estrogen replacement.

In other words: a band-aid.

I knew there was more going on. So I dug deeper, reviewed the labs through a functional lens (like I do for clients), and here’s what I found.

What My Labs Really Showed

Kidney + Detox Markers

• BUN was elevated at 23 (optimal is ≤17), suggesting sluggish detox and filtration.
  
• Creatinine was “fine,” but together with a borderline eGFR, it painted the picture of kidneys filtering at a low-normal rate — like a Brita filter that’s starting to clog.
  
• This matters because when waste doesn’t clear, toxins, hormone metabolites, and inflammation all linger longer in the body.
  

Minerals & Energy

• Potassium: Technically “in range” at 3.9, but suboptimal (ideal is 4.2–4.5). Low potassium means sluggish energy production, fluid retention, and even low progesterone.
  
• Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP): Very low at 42 (optimal is 70–100). This often reflects zinc and B6 deficiency — nutrients critical for digestion, hormone clearance, and repair.
  

Cholesterol & Lipids

• Total cholesterol: 199 — technically normal.
  
• LDL: 120, flagged as “high.”
  
• Triglycerides: Very low at 38 (bottom of the range).
  This combo isn’t about heart disease — it’s a metabolic signal. Low estrogen, sluggish bile flow, and poor fat absorption were all likely driving this pattern.
  

Iron Status

• Serum Iron: 71 (low).
  
• Iron Saturation: 20% (low).
  
• Ferritin: 57 (low-normal, but not optimal).
  Even though I eat red meat, poor absorption and sluggish digestion meant my body wasn’t storing or using iron efficiently — leaving me fatigued and hormonally depleted.
  

Thyroid Panel

• TSH: 1.2 (looked “fine”).
  
• Free T4 & Free T3: Both low.
  This explained my fatigue, sluggish metabolism, puffiness, and stubborn weight. It wasn’t “all in my head” — my thyroid literally wasn’t producing or activating enough hormone.
  

Hormones

• Estrogen: 25.9 (should’ve been 70–80+ mid-cycle).
  
• Progesterone: 2.6 (should’ve been 5+ post-ovulation).
  
• Cortisol: 12 (half of what it should be).
  

Put together: my hormones weren’t just “a little off.” They were flatlined. No wonder my cycles were irregular, my mood was unstable, and my energy felt non-existent.

The Bigger Picture

When I zoomed out, a clear pattern emerged:

• Under-absorbed nutrients → zinc, iron, B vitamins, potassium all low.
  
• Sluggish detox → kidney + liver markers signaling back-up.
  
• Flatlined hormones → estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol all depleted.
  
• Burned-out nervous system → running on fumes instead of fuel.
  

It wasn’t just one thing. It was my whole body quietly waving a white flag: “We’re not in crisis, but we don’t have the capacity to thrive.”

Why This Matters

Here’s the frustrating part: when I expressed my concern, my doctor said:
“So your periods are normal length, not heavy, no real PMS… what are you complaining about?”

That’s the danger of conventional ranges. Because “normal” doesn’t mean optimal. And when you know your body, you know when something is off — even if the labs say otherwise.

What’s Next

I switched doctors. My new provider is re-running a fuller panel (including antibodies and reverse T3) and adding more nutrient testing. Once I’m done nursing completely, I’ll also retest my gut with a GI MAP to see what’s really happening with absorption and inflammation.

This is just part one of my story. Part two will be about rebuilding: how I’m supporting my gut, restoring nutrients, balancing hormones, and climbing out of burnout — without band-aids.

Because healing isn’t about grinding harder. It’s about giving your body the capacity it needs to thrive.

Coach Brooke Davis Links: 

Website: elysianwomen.org 

LinkedIn: Brooke Davis – Owner – Davis Fitness

Facebook: Brooke Davis, CPT 

Instagram: Brooke Davis  (@brooke_elysian)

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Take Our Free Hormone Analysis: https://brookedavis.typeform.com/to/quKUjmTI 

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