Men's Health Issue - Especially for Veterans

My digital marketing and Marine Corp veteran friend, Jeremy, shared an article that discusses the connection between a host of health issues in male vets that are likely caused by hormone imbalances. The chief among these causes was low testosterone (Low-T). According to the article, Low-T could be caused by the overload of stress that many veterans experience while serving. That stress can come in many forms and doesn't necessarily come from direct combat situations.

This is one of those things that men may be hesitant to talk about, even with their doctors. I'm sharing my story in hopes of helping those of you who may be suffering the effects of Low-T.

About 5 years ago, I started having symptoms that led me to believe I might be suffering from Low-T. I did a lot of reading and felt strong enough to check with my doctor during my annual physical. She dismissed the ideas and attributed my symptoms to simple aging. I took her advice and carried on. To be fair, this was an excellent doctor and I certainly benefited tremendously during the time she was my primary care physician.

As time went on, I started to have some very serious issue, among them:

• Bouts of severe depression
• Sleeplessness - at one point I was unable to sleep more than an hour at a time
• Mood swings
• Inability to concentrate

Other, less severe, symptoms were lack of energy, weight gain and others. 

My wife, who certainly noticed what was going with me, changed doctors. The person she started seeing was a provider of BioTe, a bioidentical testosterone therapy. She picked up some brochures that had excellent information. As I read the possible symptoms of Low-T, I found myself checking off most of the items on the list. That was enough to get me to make an appointment.

After some tests, the doctor confirmed that I would benefit from hormone therapy. The procedure is rather simple: An area on the upper part of your backside is numbed, a small incision made and the hormone pellets are inserted. The area is a bit sore and you have to take it a little easy for 7 days, but it's worth it.

A week after I was first "pelleted," I could feel the difference. I was sleeping better, I wasn't experiencing mood swings and the depression evaporated. I really felt like myself again. 

There are some things to consider before undergoing this type of therapy. The most important is to have regular PSA checks, especially if prostate cancer runs in your family. Of course, you'll want to consult with a physician to see if this type of thing is right for you.

As a 14-year veteran of the Army, I served under some incredibly stressful situations. Even though I never experienced direct combat during Desert Storm, I was certainly involved in things that caused a great deal of stress. Still, I never considered that my Low-T issues were possibly service-connected until I read the story Jeremy shared. I'm telling my story, hoping that vets will get themselves checked out if they are having symptoms.