I am so thankful for Fort Wayne Endocrinology, Dr. Kadambi and his entire team of brilliant NPs, specifically Crystal Webb. My husband has been a patient with the practice since 2019 and after seeing the positive benefits for him I became one too October 2020 after dealing with chronic fatigue requiring 11+ hours of sleep at night and still needing a nap mid-day, inability to lose weight despite a strict diet and exercise regimen, brain fog so bad I could not remember how to get to my own house sometimes, increasing levels of anxiety, decreasing motivation etc etc. I had previously had blood work run by my family doctor who said my thyroid was 'within range' and told me to exercise more. (I was already restricting calories to 1200 per day and burning on average 600 calories at the gym 4-5 times a week). Mathematically, I should have been losing 7-8lbs a month and I would maybe lose 1 or 2.
October 2020 labs were done with Dr. Kadambi and my testosterone levels were so low they did not register on the test. My thyroid, though technically 'within range' according to national averages, I was still experiencing symptoms of hypothyroid. Crystal (NP) educated me that just because the number shows within range does not mean it is within range FOR ME. Because thyroid and hormone levels are not part of yearly blood work with family docs unless a patient asks, we typically are unaware what our baseline levels for thyroid, free & total testosterone as well as estrogen/progesterone. Therefore, it's the philosophy of Fort Wayne Endocrinology to not prescribe medication based only on numbers and instead listen to the patient about symptoms.
I was surprised to know that this practice is the only one in our area and surrounding cities that are certified in Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy! I am beyond thankful that Crystal has allowed me to advocate for myself, that she will listen to my concerns or ideas, that she takes the time to talk with me during an appointment instead of pushing me out the door after 10 minutes.
In May of 2021 after being on HRT and thyroid meds since October, I was still not seeing the results I should have been. I kept a lot of data tracking every single calorie I consumed and burned plus my macronutrient profile. I was frustrated that all the effort was having minimal effect. Crystal added an additional medication to specifically help with the weight loss and from there everything clicked into place. Though my energy levels had increased and the other emotional/physical symptoms had been improving since October, the weight management was the big struggle (I am generally not a heavy person which made the gain particularly frustrating), and the weight not coming off was then re-causing declining motivation.
Since May 2021 I have lost 40lbs. It takes a lot of work not just medication. However, the support I have received from Fort Wayne Endocrinology has allowed me to become my happiest and healthiest self.
So often we attribute achy joints, weight gain, declining motivation, low libido to 'getting older' and that is simply not the case. I encourage you before going on anti-depressants or accepting the symptoms as part of life, schedule an appointment with Fort Wayne Endocrinology. They WILL take the time to help find the root cause. They have literally saved my life and more than that they have helped to give me the best QUALITY of life that's made me a better person, a better wife and a better mom.
