Last year I was diagnosed with a thyroid disease called Hashimotos disease.
it affects EVERYTHING in my body.
When I was diagnosed I was having some really intense symptoms. I was freezing all the time, in the middle of summer I was huddled under blankets, and in the house shivering. I was having memory loss. really bad memory loss. I had to keep calling Hubby to remind me why I was in the car and where I was supposed to be going. honestly I probably shouldn't have been driving. We would have a conversation and I would think it was the first time, till he would say, "we talked about this the other day, don't you remember ?" But I didn't remember. to me it was the first time we were having the conversation..I even went as far as to accuse him of trying to make me feel crazy. as if I needed any help there. right?
So I talked to my friend, who was getting worried about me. I wasn't looking the same. my hair was falling out and I was puffy and gray looking. I had no energy. I had stopped going to the gym with her because I just didn't have the energy anymore to leave the house. just taking a shower felt like I was running a 5K. I had become the mom nobody wanted to have, I was moody and lazy, and no fun at all.
So I called my Dr. She checked my TSH levels and referred me to an endocrinologist. The other Dr's I had seen, a total of 5 in 7 years, all had tested my TSH at one time or another. Some had said it was a little high others had said it was "normal". I hate the term "NORMAL" when it comes to my TSH. just because my blood test says I'm fine, doesn't mean I actually feel FINE. and not one of them understood this.
So I made the appointment with the endocrinologist, and geared myself up for a battle once again. you see because all the other Dr's who I had trusted because, hey, they were doctors and therefor knew more than me, had all told me YOU HAVE DEPRESSION.
Not one of them listened to me, not really. all they heard was when I said I was tired, like really tired, all the time. no matter how much sleep I got I was incredibly tired. so this automatically meant DEPRESSION. which meant anti-depression meds. which meant major side effects.
I'm too damn young to have no sex drive !!!!
So I geared up to prove I was not depressed. This time I was going in armed. I made a list of all my symptoms.
A couple weeks later there I was sitting in the little room nervous I would be shut down again. So this time I brought my husband to explain the things I was going through in case I couldn't or I didn't get it out right.
In came this young looking blond woman. she had a cute Russian accent. She sat down and casually spoke to me like a friend would. She asked questions about my life and really paid attention. She listened as I told her how stressful my life can be, at the time we were really struggling with Bubba Boys ASD.
She reviewed my medical chart and looked at my medical history. she asked about the anti depression meds my previous Dr had placed me on. She asked if they were making me feel better and I told her No, Not really. And that was honest. I had been taking them everyday for over a year, and I had never felt any difference from the day I started, She looked at my recent blood tests and then did her physical exam. She looked at my belly, and then felt around my neck. My voice was very horse and she picked up on that too. She asked how long it had been like that. I couldn't remember a time it hadn't, so I'm guessing for years.
She then poked around my throat and it felt like she was going to strangle me, but I was relieved, because not everyone knows this, but your thyroid is in your throat. It's a butterfly shaped gland in the middle of your throat near the Adams apple. and mine had never been examined by any of the other Dr's who had told me I was hypothyroid and gave me pills to fix it.... along with the anti-depressants.
As it turned out mine was very swollen, hence the horse sounding voice, and the feeling of food being stuck in my throat all the time. She asked about the memory loss and my husband explained the conversations we had repeated and the meals I had made for what I thought was the first time not knowing I had already made them the week before. She said I was lucky I was seeing her when I was, that this could lead to a very dangerous side affect, and ultimately a Coma,or death. I was scared, but glad I was seeing her.
She was my miracle. This new Dr. was finally validating all the things I had thought I was imagining, because no other Dr, ever seemed to understand it.
She looked at me and said, I'm pretty sure you have something Called Hashimotos disease, but I will do more blood work to be sure.
She talked a little about what it was and honestly I don't remember what was said after she gave the diagnoses. I was in Shock. I wasn't crazy after all. I really was sick. It wasn't in my head as the other Docs had suggested. and finally I had a name to what I was feeling.
She said I didn't need the anti-depressants any more, that I never should have been given them, but that this is a common result to General MD's not understanding what they were seeing. We set up a game plan and I was sent for more blood work. given a new prescription for a synthetic thyroid hormone and sent home.
I finally had a name and a plan. I was finally going to start feeling better........
That was last year. check back for how I am doing this year and the progress I have made with my disease so far.
I'm too damn young to have no sex drive !!!!
So I geared up to prove I was not depressed. This time I was going in armed. I made a list of all my symptoms.
- mood swings
- very dry skin
- weight gain...a lot of weight gain
- headaches
- joint pain
- hair loss
- memory loss
- FATIGUE
- bloating and gas
A couple weeks later there I was sitting in the little room nervous I would be shut down again. So this time I brought my husband to explain the things I was going through in case I couldn't or I didn't get it out right.
In came this young looking blond woman. she had a cute Russian accent. She sat down and casually spoke to me like a friend would. She asked questions about my life and really paid attention. She listened as I told her how stressful my life can be, at the time we were really struggling with Bubba Boys ASD.
She reviewed my medical chart and looked at my medical history. she asked about the anti depression meds my previous Dr had placed me on. She asked if they were making me feel better and I told her No, Not really. And that was honest. I had been taking them everyday for over a year, and I had never felt any difference from the day I started, She looked at my recent blood tests and then did her physical exam. She looked at my belly, and then felt around my neck. My voice was very horse and she picked up on that too. She asked how long it had been like that. I couldn't remember a time it hadn't, so I'm guessing for years.
She then poked around my throat and it felt like she was going to strangle me, but I was relieved, because not everyone knows this, but your thyroid is in your throat. It's a butterfly shaped gland in the middle of your throat near the Adams apple. and mine had never been examined by any of the other Dr's who had told me I was hypothyroid and gave me pills to fix it.... along with the anti-depressants.
As it turned out mine was very swollen, hence the horse sounding voice, and the feeling of food being stuck in my throat all the time. She asked about the memory loss and my husband explained the conversations we had repeated and the meals I had made for what I thought was the first time not knowing I had already made them the week before. She said I was lucky I was seeing her when I was, that this could lead to a very dangerous side affect, and ultimately a Coma,or death. I was scared, but glad I was seeing her.
She was my miracle. This new Dr. was finally validating all the things I had thought I was imagining, because no other Dr, ever seemed to understand it.
She looked at me and said, I'm pretty sure you have something Called Hashimotos disease, but I will do more blood work to be sure.
She talked a little about what it was and honestly I don't remember what was said after she gave the diagnoses. I was in Shock. I wasn't crazy after all. I really was sick. It wasn't in my head as the other Docs had suggested. and finally I had a name to what I was feeling.
She said I didn't need the anti-depressants any more, that I never should have been given them, but that this is a common result to General MD's not understanding what they were seeing. We set up a game plan and I was sent for more blood work. given a new prescription for a synthetic thyroid hormone and sent home.
I finally had a name and a plan. I was finally going to start feeling better........
That was last year. check back for how I am doing this year and the progress I have made with my disease so far.
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