I Got A Full Body MRI Scan
The Prenuvo MRI scan is pricy but worth it for peace of mind. If you use my coupon code (<- that link) you’ll get $300 off your first scan. (Available in Canada, the USA, and a few other countries) and I get a credit toward my next scan. Win-win!
Yes, this is a shameless plug.
No, I can’t upload my scan because it’s in a non-downloadable database.
Quick summary (the report is far more detailed): I have a few cysts, several fibroids, a small hernia, and some bone loss. (Also, I was told I’m really good at holding my breath on command.)
So, nothing major. Yay!
But, I also had an ultrasound and one of my carotid arteries is 50% blocked and I have Lp(a) (a genetic marker of sticky lipids). Boo.
My dad and all his brothers died of heart disease around my age. Fack. But they were fat, so there is that.
Finally, I got a genetic test done and have a few rebellious genetic markers like the MTFHR gene that doesn’t play nice with some synthetic nutrients. Why? Hello, because, it’s a mofo, Mofo!
There’s a lot of conflicting information in the medical world, and I have gone down many rabbit holes, however, the most common areas medicine seem to agree on are the basics: sleep well, eat well, exercise, manage stress.
So, I’m further reducing or eliminating seed oils, refined sugars and processed foods, and adding more omega-3-rich fish. Plus, I’m trying to increase cardio and strength training. (Trying is lying. Doh! Ok, fine, I am increasing cardio. Whyyyy is adulting so difficult?)
It’s a catch-22 because I’m still dealing with chronic fatigue (though, it has improved significantly).
Sleep Apnea
I have also been able to almost completely eliminate sleep apnea without using a C-pap or other medical devices.
I went from “waking up” every three minutes on average to maybe three times a night, unnoticed! I know, right?!
Oura ring has helped with tracking, but the more significant changes came from: getting morning sunlight outside, daytime bladder training, reducing sleep and bladder irritating foods and bevies (acidic foods and caffeine–whyyyyy??), wearing blue light blocking glasses after dinner, turning off all screens and my phone (!) an hour before bed, jaw and tongue exercises (mind out of gutter, please), reading “quiet, no stress” print fiction, going to bed at the same time (9:30pm), journalling (general and gratitude), tapping the ‘third eye’ after lights out while saying “I am safe in my body. I am safe in my bed. I am safe in my home. I am safe in my life.”, and finally, five rounds of 4-4-6 breathing. Easy-peasy.
I’m now trying testosterone to see if it helps with energy. If I start to sound like James Earl Jones, please inform me. And please know I wasn’t really being aggressive when I called you a Mofo. That was simply a rhyme-y, silly, alliteration, not testosterone, and I truly do wuv you.
That’s all for now. Hopefully, back soon with something more interesting or entertaining.
xo AJ
p.s. Just so I don’t leave you totally empty-handed (I could go somewhere with that, but I won’t), here’s a photo of me on route to an 80s birthday party at a curling rink. The expression is meant to say, “What the hell have I gotten myself into? I’m an introvert, don’t know anyone at this party except the non-b-day-girl-friend-who-invited-me, and it’s almost past my bedtime.” Oh well, I had fun.
p.p.s. If I ever hear you say, “Wuv you” I will bitch-slap you, testosterone or not. (See photo for revised meaning of expression.)
p.p.p.s. (Update, August 2026): The code no longer works (sad face). And, a timeline note. When I wrote this, my sleep had genuinely improved and I had more OK-ish days than the bed-bound years, so “improved significantly” was true, relative to rock bottom. It did not mean recovered. I was still napping most days, still rationing energy, and my work capacity kept shrinking. In 2026, an actual mainstream medical professional finally diagnosed me with ME/CFS, a condition that famously ebbs and flows while the overall ceiling drops. So this post captures one of the better stretches, not the finish line. Also, the testosterone experiment mentioned above: tried it, no James Earl Jones voice or penis-clit, and no energy miracle either. Worth the test.
