Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Hello?

It's been almost a year since my last post here.  Not sure why I stopped.  I have found myself with so much to say for a while now & realized I need to come back here & share.

If you have been following me you know this isn't just about fitness & health related things.

Today is though :)

Over 10 years ago I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism.   I found out during a check up when I mentioned I wanted to try to get pregnant again & could they just run blood work, etc to make sure all things were fine.

When the labs came back I was in TOTAL denial!  I had them run it again because I just thought there is just NO way.  Haha.  Silly me.  They gave me meds (Synthroid) and I cursed that little pill EVERY.SINGLE.MORNING.

Life went on.  I hated taking that pill but I did it.   Eventually we got pregnant again and had our final child - our daughter.  Then I heard about some other "natural" med I could be taking for my thyroid & spoke to the N.P (Nurse Practitioner) about it.  She had said she would monitor my blood work & do the ultrasounds but if something changed I had to go back to a specialist ( I had stopped because I just plain old didn't like the guy I was seeing).  So she switched me to a compound and things stayed normal for a while.

Then I started declining.  The fatigue has been almost debilitating.  Everyone just thinks it's laziness.  I have been sure of that (in my head - no one actually came out & said it to me).  I had my adrenals checked & I was borderline with that too.  Double whammy.

My NP kept checking my bloodwork & adjusting my compound as needed but nothing helped.  Then we did my yearly ultrasound & realized the nodules had been growing.  She switched me to Amour (still never got a set answer WHY she changed it - just saying it's the same as the compound).  Because the nodules showed growth she told me I had to go back to a specialist.

Ugh.  I found one that she suggested (after nixing the 2 I didn't care for) and started "googling" this doctor.  Many patients opinions were "He has a god complex".   I realized I needed to see SOMEONE.  My symptoms weren't getting any better.

Since the appt I made was still 3 months out as he couldn't get me in any sooner, I started reading more about the thyroid.  I had since been diagnosed as "Hashimotos".   Confusion set in.  What the heck??

I began reading "Hashimoto's Thyroiditis" by Izabella Wentz AND  "The Hormone Cure" by Sara Gottfried, MD.  The latter because I am also in peri-menopause.

Who knew?  Thyroid issues are growing it seems & people just don't know what to do about it! h & those starting menopause seem to be having thyroid problems!!

If you have the time & energy (ha!) you can seemingly reverse the disease & have a healthy thyroid.  Not the case I am learning if you have already started taking meds. :(

So here I am.  A new doctor & he is telling me I need to go back on different meds as the "natural" ones weren't working for me.  Also said with the size of the nodules I needed to have them biopsied.

I came home very upset.  I hated those meds.  I didn't want to be on them.  Nothing I can do now about that.  No more denial.  I have a thyroid issue & it's wreaking havoc on my life.  I started taking Selenium & some Adrenal Fatigue supplements and making sure I took the new meds every morning & not eating for about an hour afterward.  I was going to be a good girl & follow the instructions.

I have noticed only that my hair isn't falling out in crazy amounts after being on the meds for about 2 months.  When I went in for the biopsy they did another ultrasound & the doc came in to inform me that the nodule was no longer big enough to biopsy (can you say HAPPY DANCE???).

So, that's what I have so far.  I am taking this all day by day.  I am thankful for the doctor I have & the meds I can take to HOPEFULLY help me to start feeling better.  I go again for more bloodwork soon & I look forward to seeing what that shows.

The doc said I am the "nightmare" patient with both Hypothyroid AND starting menopause.  Turns out the symptoms can overlap.

So that's my story so far.  It's not over.  I still continue to choose health over anything else.   I, once again, need to get the sugar intake under control as I did let that go a little nuts.  My workouts have changed slightly.  I can't overdo anymore.  It's too taxing on my body right now.  My adrenals will come around & I can start picking things up a bit again.   Right now I am doing the workout "21 Day Fix" and making sure I do the 1/2 hour & then stretch & be done for the day.  I'm finishing up a round (3 weeks) of it & will take a week of just Piyo (Pilates & Yoga) then start another round of 21DF.  I LOVE fitness & movement but need to make sure I listen to my body.

I would LOVE to hear from you if you find yourself struggling with the same or similar things.  We need to lean on each other!

Be Blessed,
Pamela