Here are today's symptoms and their status:
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Day One - So It Begins...
Here are today's symptoms and their status:
Saturday, March 17, 2018
History and Diet Change
Fast forward almost six years and 25 pounds. There are a million changes that have happened since my previous post. New house, new husband, new baby, new zeal for the Lord. I'm not going to get into much of that, but I'm sure it will come up at some point throughout this entire process.
Rewind almost 20 years. When I was 14 or 15 I was diagnosed with an overactive thyroid. This caused many symptoms that were problematic not only outwardly but internally as well. I started seeing an endocrinologist who put me on medication to slow down my thyroid production. The taste of the daily pill was such that it made me not eat regularly and I lost more weight than I should have and I (in all of my 15 years of wisdom) decided to stop taking the meds. I didn't tell my parents and I didn't tell my doctor, but at my next checkup, the levels were all back to normal. I fessed up that I hadn't been taking the prescribed medication and the doctor determined my thyroid had regulated itself and there was no need to continue in treatment. I was cured!
Skip ahead ten years. I had gone from my 5'9" 125 pound self to the 5'9" 180 pound self. I had had a baby in the time that had passed and grown up a bit, but started having symptoms of an under-active thyroid. I talked to my family doctor about it, had blood panels checked, and it was determined that my thyroid was, indeed, under-active. This same physician also did a preliminary evaluation of my thyroid gland and found a nodule on it. I didn't mention this before, but when I was seeing that endocrinologist as a teenager, it was also determined that I had a goiter, or an enlarged thyroid gland. When my current doctor saw that, he scheduled me to see a surgeon to have it removed.
I kept the appointment with this surgeon who didn't seem to care much about anything other than getting a procedure scheduled and relying on my GP's decision to have my thyroid removed because it had a "growth" on it. No biopsy and no further testing. Straight to going under the knife to remove a gland that regulates so much of my body. Honestly, I was disgusted. I bailed. Didn't go back. Neither doctor asked what I thought about this or gave me any options. I know my body and regardless of their preliminary findings, I refuse to have and -ectomy without first determining whether it is actually necessary.
I didn't receive any more treatment for my thyroid and honestly didn't want to bring any of it up to my GP again, given his reaction the first time. My symptoms had seasons of ebb and seasons of flow but they never really went away completely.
June of 2016, I had my second child. I was surprised at how quickly I lost all the baby weight and then some. I felt good. And then, I didn't. In October of that year, I quickly put on 30+ pounds with no changes to my diet or level of activity. I was at the heaviest I had ever been (I'm counting even at 9 months pregnant) at 235 pounds. I realize that I was embarking on my mid-30s and a little change of how my body functions is normal. Thirty pounds in one month is not normal. I went with it for a few months chocking it up to holiday weight gain, but it didn't subside.
In addition to the weight gain, other things were plaguing me. I was cold all the time. I didn't sweat anymore. I was losing gobs of hair (#gratefulformynaturallythickhair). I had dry skin (like sandpaper for my face, arms and legs) and unmanageable dandruff. I only pooped maybe twice a week. Had constant digestion problems (go figure, with the constipation). I had no energy.
For whatever reason, one day I suspected something was off with my thyroid again so I started researching common symptoms of hypothyroidism. If I recall, all but one of the listed symptoms, I had. Promptly, I scheduled an appointment with my family doctor to have blood work done and get it checked out. When the results came back, my T4 levels were almost non-existent and my TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) levels were off the charts. Normal levels of the TSH are between .4-4.0 milli-international units per liter, but mine were at over 100. The doctor started me on 75mcg of levothyroxine, a hormone replacement drug. After 6 weeks of taking that, levels were checked again and found to still not be under control, so was bumped up to 100mcg of the same medication. My levels were checked after another 6 weeks on that dosage and found be back in the normal range, so he left it at that.
My symptoms didn't let up though. I continued on thinking maybe if I went a little longer on this medication then finally I'd start to see some change.
I didn't.
In fact, every one of the symptoms I had before got worse and I added a few more to the list: dry mouth and tooth decay. I lost a little bit of weight over that year, but it came only after major fasting over multiple weeks at a time.
I scheduled another appointment with my doctor to have blood work done. He gave me his usual 90 seconds of attention to hear why I was there. I tried in those few seconds to tell him that the symptoms hadn't subsided or improved and I'd like to have the extended thyroid panel done to see if there's something more than the general T3, T4, and TSH levels are off. He agreed as he was walking out the door as I was telling him he needs to make sure this panel will be checking more than the basics.
My results came back, I didn't get a call, but I could look at them through this app they offer at his office. I look through, anxious to see what it will tell me, but all that was there was the basic panel and a note from the nurse saying everything is normal and there's no need to change anything with the current treatment.
Because I've not yet reached perfection through Jesus, I can get impatient and bossy. Quickly, I typed out a response to the lab results stating that it wasn't complete and I asked for more than the basic levels to be tested, that there is an expanded panel that digs deeper and that is what I had requested. The response I received was that this was expanded as it gets but I can schedule another appointment (another $35 co-pay) to talk to the doctor about it the following week.
I. Was. Not. Happy.
Already I had scheduled an appointment to talk about it and already I had been blown off and not heard. Here's the issue. I live with my body every day and I know when things aren't right. I know my doctor has many, many patients and I would never expect him to remember every little thing about my medical history, but when I do the research for him, tell him of my history with thyroid issues, let him know that the symptoms are there and worse than before this treatment began, I do expect him hear me out and try to reconcile the issue. Or at least refer me to someone who will.
Okay, I've been stubborn and pissed about the entire situation so I haven't scheduled that appointment to talk to him about it (yet). What I have done is have a fire lit under me to do what I can on my end to relieve the symptoms and possibly help regulate my thyroid myself.
That was my history, now here is my plan:
I'll be honest, searching the internet isn't the most awesome thing to do when trying to find solutions or insight into my thyroid issues. There are so many opinions, expert opinions, and studies that ALL CONTRADICT ONE ANOTHER.
In doing what I can to weed out the nonsense, I found some consistencies in almost all of the articles, opinions, blogs, papers that I read and it all has to do with diet.
Apparently gluten can really jack with your thyroid production. The way it's treated in your system triggers this and that (I don't want to go get quotes and/or misrepresent the truth here) that triggers issues with thyroid production and how the hormones it produces can be processed. Let's be honest here, I've always been of the opinion that the latest gluten-free craze is bananas and just another diet bandwagon to jump on (i.e. low-fat, low-carb, etc). Yes, I realize there really are people with celiac disease and that's different and very real, but this intolerance to gluten that has just popped up and now plaguing 90% of the population? I wasn't buying it.
Then I started reading more and more about how it truly does affect the efficiency of the thyroid and even if you're on medication it could be making it so the treatment isn't working. That struck a chord with me since the medication alone hasn't done anything but make my doctor think there's no issue anymore.
That being said, I've decided to give it a shot and see if it helps. It's tough because I love things made with wheat - pasta, bread, crackers, desserts, flour tortillas. They're staples in my diet. Give me all the crap you want to about the carbs and the weight gain, but this wasn't a change for me. I had always eaten those things. I'm from Kansas, the breadbasket of America. It's a thing here. A very prominent thing.
Two days ago I cut out gluten. Last night after more research and contemplation, I decided to cut out added sugars and dairy as well. That started today. Let me also say this: God has led me to fast from these things numerous times in the past. Within the past year, I've realized that He has a tendency to gently ask us to give up things for him that may not be good for us, personally. Alright, alright, I know this isn't some deep revelation, but it means a lot to me to know and have it confirmed that He truly does know me inside and out and will try to help me be the best me, the one He created me to be.
I want to track my progress as this goes along. Not just numbers on the scale, but all my symptoms that are associated with this thyroid problem. This is going to be real and transparent and honestly, I hope no one reads one word of this so as to not have to be too vulnerable and open to criticism.
This is the beginning of my journey. Welcome aboard.
Rewind almost 20 years. When I was 14 or 15 I was diagnosed with an overactive thyroid. This caused many symptoms that were problematic not only outwardly but internally as well. I started seeing an endocrinologist who put me on medication to slow down my thyroid production. The taste of the daily pill was such that it made me not eat regularly and I lost more weight than I should have and I (in all of my 15 years of wisdom) decided to stop taking the meds. I didn't tell my parents and I didn't tell my doctor, but at my next checkup, the levels were all back to normal. I fessed up that I hadn't been taking the prescribed medication and the doctor determined my thyroid had regulated itself and there was no need to continue in treatment. I was cured!
Skip ahead ten years. I had gone from my 5'9" 125 pound self to the 5'9" 180 pound self. I had had a baby in the time that had passed and grown up a bit, but started having symptoms of an under-active thyroid. I talked to my family doctor about it, had blood panels checked, and it was determined that my thyroid was, indeed, under-active. This same physician also did a preliminary evaluation of my thyroid gland and found a nodule on it. I didn't mention this before, but when I was seeing that endocrinologist as a teenager, it was also determined that I had a goiter, or an enlarged thyroid gland. When my current doctor saw that, he scheduled me to see a surgeon to have it removed.
I kept the appointment with this surgeon who didn't seem to care much about anything other than getting a procedure scheduled and relying on my GP's decision to have my thyroid removed because it had a "growth" on it. No biopsy and no further testing. Straight to going under the knife to remove a gland that regulates so much of my body. Honestly, I was disgusted. I bailed. Didn't go back. Neither doctor asked what I thought about this or gave me any options. I know my body and regardless of their preliminary findings, I refuse to have and -ectomy without first determining whether it is actually necessary.
I didn't receive any more treatment for my thyroid and honestly didn't want to bring any of it up to my GP again, given his reaction the first time. My symptoms had seasons of ebb and seasons of flow but they never really went away completely.
June of 2016, I had my second child. I was surprised at how quickly I lost all the baby weight and then some. I felt good. And then, I didn't. In October of that year, I quickly put on 30+ pounds with no changes to my diet or level of activity. I was at the heaviest I had ever been (I'm counting even at 9 months pregnant) at 235 pounds. I realize that I was embarking on my mid-30s and a little change of how my body functions is normal. Thirty pounds in one month is not normal. I went with it for a few months chocking it up to holiday weight gain, but it didn't subside.
In addition to the weight gain, other things were plaguing me. I was cold all the time. I didn't sweat anymore. I was losing gobs of hair (#gratefulformynaturallythickhair). I had dry skin (like sandpaper for my face, arms and legs) and unmanageable dandruff. I only pooped maybe twice a week. Had constant digestion problems (go figure, with the constipation). I had no energy.
For whatever reason, one day I suspected something was off with my thyroid again so I started researching common symptoms of hypothyroidism. If I recall, all but one of the listed symptoms, I had. Promptly, I scheduled an appointment with my family doctor to have blood work done and get it checked out. When the results came back, my T4 levels were almost non-existent and my TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) levels were off the charts. Normal levels of the TSH are between .4-4.0 milli-international units per liter, but mine were at over 100. The doctor started me on 75mcg of levothyroxine, a hormone replacement drug. After 6 weeks of taking that, levels were checked again and found to still not be under control, so was bumped up to 100mcg of the same medication. My levels were checked after another 6 weeks on that dosage and found be back in the normal range, so he left it at that.
My symptoms didn't let up though. I continued on thinking maybe if I went a little longer on this medication then finally I'd start to see some change.
I didn't.
In fact, every one of the symptoms I had before got worse and I added a few more to the list: dry mouth and tooth decay. I lost a little bit of weight over that year, but it came only after major fasting over multiple weeks at a time.
I scheduled another appointment with my doctor to have blood work done. He gave me his usual 90 seconds of attention to hear why I was there. I tried in those few seconds to tell him that the symptoms hadn't subsided or improved and I'd like to have the extended thyroid panel done to see if there's something more than the general T3, T4, and TSH levels are off. He agreed as he was walking out the door as I was telling him he needs to make sure this panel will be checking more than the basics.
My results came back, I didn't get a call, but I could look at them through this app they offer at his office. I look through, anxious to see what it will tell me, but all that was there was the basic panel and a note from the nurse saying everything is normal and there's no need to change anything with the current treatment.
Because I've not yet reached perfection through Jesus, I can get impatient and bossy. Quickly, I typed out a response to the lab results stating that it wasn't complete and I asked for more than the basic levels to be tested, that there is an expanded panel that digs deeper and that is what I had requested. The response I received was that this was expanded as it gets but I can schedule another appointment (another $35 co-pay) to talk to the doctor about it the following week.
I. Was. Not. Happy.
Already I had scheduled an appointment to talk about it and already I had been blown off and not heard. Here's the issue. I live with my body every day and I know when things aren't right. I know my doctor has many, many patients and I would never expect him to remember every little thing about my medical history, but when I do the research for him, tell him of my history with thyroid issues, let him know that the symptoms are there and worse than before this treatment began, I do expect him hear me out and try to reconcile the issue. Or at least refer me to someone who will.
Okay, I've been stubborn and pissed about the entire situation so I haven't scheduled that appointment to talk to him about it (yet). What I have done is have a fire lit under me to do what I can on my end to relieve the symptoms and possibly help regulate my thyroid myself.
That was my history, now here is my plan:
I'll be honest, searching the internet isn't the most awesome thing to do when trying to find solutions or insight into my thyroid issues. There are so many opinions, expert opinions, and studies that ALL CONTRADICT ONE ANOTHER.
In doing what I can to weed out the nonsense, I found some consistencies in almost all of the articles, opinions, blogs, papers that I read and it all has to do with diet.
Apparently gluten can really jack with your thyroid production. The way it's treated in your system triggers this and that (I don't want to go get quotes and/or misrepresent the truth here) that triggers issues with thyroid production and how the hormones it produces can be processed. Let's be honest here, I've always been of the opinion that the latest gluten-free craze is bananas and just another diet bandwagon to jump on (i.e. low-fat, low-carb, etc). Yes, I realize there really are people with celiac disease and that's different and very real, but this intolerance to gluten that has just popped up and now plaguing 90% of the population? I wasn't buying it.
Then I started reading more and more about how it truly does affect the efficiency of the thyroid and even if you're on medication it could be making it so the treatment isn't working. That struck a chord with me since the medication alone hasn't done anything but make my doctor think there's no issue anymore.
That being said, I've decided to give it a shot and see if it helps. It's tough because I love things made with wheat - pasta, bread, crackers, desserts, flour tortillas. They're staples in my diet. Give me all the crap you want to about the carbs and the weight gain, but this wasn't a change for me. I had always eaten those things. I'm from Kansas, the breadbasket of America. It's a thing here. A very prominent thing.
Two days ago I cut out gluten. Last night after more research and contemplation, I decided to cut out added sugars and dairy as well. That started today. Let me also say this: God has led me to fast from these things numerous times in the past. Within the past year, I've realized that He has a tendency to gently ask us to give up things for him that may not be good for us, personally. Alright, alright, I know this isn't some deep revelation, but it means a lot to me to know and have it confirmed that He truly does know me inside and out and will try to help me be the best me, the one He created me to be.
I want to track my progress as this goes along. Not just numbers on the scale, but all my symptoms that are associated with this thyroid problem. This is going to be real and transparent and honestly, I hope no one reads one word of this so as to not have to be too vulnerable and open to criticism.
This is the beginning of my journey. Welcome aboard.
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