Why Have I Been to Three Different Doctors… and No One Has Told Me This Before?
☕ Grab your coffee (or your protein shake), friend. Let's talk.
If I had a dollar for every time I heard this in my office... I'd probably be writing this from a beach somewhere instead of my desk.
A patient sits down and says, "I KNOW something is wrong." "I've seen my primary care provider." "They said my labs were normal." "So I went to my OB/GYN." "I can't sleep." "I'm gaining weight." "My libido has packed its bags and left." "I want to eat everything in sight."
Maybe they checked a few hormones. Maybe they didn't. Maybe they said, "You're getting older." Maybe they offered an antidepressant or a sleep medication. Maybe they genuinely wanted to help—but weren't sure what else to investigate.
It's also important to remember that not every provider practices the same type of medicine.
Some providers are very comfortable managing hormones, while others may recommend seeing someone with additional training in hormone health, perimenopause, menopause, or functional medicine. Every healthcare provider practices within their education, experience, specialty, and comfort level—and that's exactly how it should be.
Hormones are a rapidly evolving area of medicine, and not every primary care provider or OB/GYN has received extensive training beyond their formal education. Many pursue additional certifications and continuing education, while others focus their expertise on different areas of patient care.
Neither approach is "right" or "wrong"—they're simply different.
The key is finding the provider whose approach aligns with your goals and the type of care you're looking for.
So... you do what every one of us does. You Google. You ask ChatGPT. You disappear down the TikTok rabbit hole.
Suddenly you're convinced it's cortisol. Or parasites. Or mold. Or adrenal fatigue. Or your gut.
Before you know it, you've spent $400 on supplements because someone with six million followers told you your "cortisol belly" would disappear in two weeks.
Spoiler alert... it usually doesn't.
So you keep searching.
Then somehow your aunt's neighbor's second cousin twice removed tells you about Embody Wellness.
(That's basically how referrals work in Kansas, right? 😉)
You come in. We spend time talking. Real time. Not just about your labs—but about you.
How you sleep. How you eat. How you poop. How much stress you're carrying. Your menstrual cycles. Your medications. Your exercise. Your goals. Your family history. Your life.
And suddenly... instead of finding one possible explanation... we uncover five, six, sometimes seven different reasons why you haven't felt like yourself.
So... why didn't someone catch this sooner?
Here's the answer.
It isn't because your doctor doesn't care.
It's because our healthcare system wasn't designed this way.
Primary care providers are responsible for an incredible amount. They're looking for heart attacks. Strokes. Cancer. Diabetes. High blood pressure. Preventive screenings. Medication management. Hospital follow-ups. Acute illnesses.
And they're expected to do all of that within a very limited amount of time.
That's not a doctor problem. That's a system problem.
I truly believe most healthcare providers want to help their patients feel better. Many are simply working within a system that rewards efficiency, documentation, and checking required boxes—not spending an hour digging into why someone doesn't feel well despite "normal" labs.
Here's where my approach is different.
I don't just ask, "What's your thyroid level?"
I ask... How are you sleeping? How's your digestion? What does your stress look like? What are you eating? Are you moving your body? What supplements are you taking? How are your relationships? How are your hormones? How's your recovery?
Because your body isn't a collection of separate organs. Everything talks to everything.
I like to joke that I'm basically the nosy neighbor of your health. I want to know everything.
Not because I'm being nosey... but because patterns tell stories. And those stories often explain symptoms that isolated lab values never could.
Why I Don't Bill Insurance
This surprises people.
But one of the biggest reasons I chose not to bill insurance for my visits is because I wanted the freedom to practice medicine the way I believe patients deserve.
Insurance companies determine what they'll pay for—not necessarily what I think would be the most valuable conversation or evaluation for you.
They aren't sitting across from you. They don't know your story. They don't know your goals. They certainly don't know that you've been waking up every night at 2:30 AM wondering why you can't remember where you left your coffee.
That doesn't mean insurance is "bad." It means our priorities are different.
My priority is having enough time to ask questions that often don't fit into a traditional office visit.
Even my education didn't teach me this.
Here's something people are often surprised to hear.
I wasn't taught hormone optimization. I wasn't taught functional medicine. I wasn't taught nutrition in the depth that I now use every single day with patients. I certainly wasn't taught how to optimize thyroid function beyond identifying obvious disease.
Everything I use today... I learned after graduation.
Hundreds of hours of continuing education. Conferences. Mentorships. Research. Clinical experience.
Because I wanted to understand why people weren't getting answers.
I hope healthcare education continues to evolve. I truly do.
The Bottom Line
If you've seen multiple providers and still don't feel like yourself... please don't assume you're "crazy." And please don't assume your doctor doesn't care.
Sometimes you're simply asking a different question than the healthcare system was designed to answer.
That doesn't mean your symptoms aren't real. It means they deserve another conversation.
I'm glad you're here.
XOXO,
Brittany
Let's Live Embodied.
Brittany's Bottom Line
Feeling dismissed can be incredibly frustrating—but "normal" lab results don't always tell the whole story. Your symptoms, lifestyle, nutrition, sleep, stress, hormones, and overall health deserve to be evaluated together. Sometimes the missing piece isn't another medication—it's asking better questions.
The information in this blog is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your own healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen. Embody Wellness Clinic accepts patients who are residents of Kansas.
