As part of my New Year looking after my self plan, I had
some blood work done. I couldn’t put in another year like last year.
It felt like I’d spend the last year walking up a downward moving
escalator, not an easy thing to do.
Now I know why “Under Active Thyroid- Hypothyroidism” the Doctor
explained the test results and medication, I asked if I would feel the difference soon “Oh
definitely” was her reply.
I came home feeling elated, now I knew that there was something
tangible wrong with me, I wasn’t going mad and just knowing that, felt good.
I’d lost my Self, my Essence, my Va! Va! Voom!
I’d wake in the morning feeling gloomy, melancholy
and down. Then I’d spend a few hours mentally saying to myself what’s wrong
with you? There are people with real reasons to feel low? Then I’d be saying to
myself “stop comparing yourself, everyone’s different”.
I’ve have the usual stresses financially, parent hood etc
still I struggled with the constant to and froing of everyday life and I could
find little joy in life.
Energy was only coming in wee boosts, I’d have one and feel
like old me and then flump. I’d feel exhausted and lacked the energy or
enthusiasm to go places or do things. My get up and go –had gone.
Summer seemed non existent with just an occasional good day
in it. I didn’t do Halloween, no
pumpkin, first time ever and Christmas I
did just enough to pass myself.
I would also have this weird feeling as I lay down in bed at
night. A coldness would just sweep over me, it didn’t matter about electric
blanki or fluffy PJ’s , I was just chilled to the bone cold.
There were pains in my legs and joints but I just put them down
to doing something that day or getting old, Oh and cramps in the feet, nearly
forgot about them.
I sometimes had palpitations and a feeling of anxiety. Now I’ve
always been a “Feel the fear and do it anyway “kind person so anxiety was a new
emotion to get a handle on.
But what I was finding tough was the mental fog that seems
to have enveloped my brain. I’d decide to go back to education and yes I’m
older than some of my peers but I just seemed to have lost the ability to take
in, retain or recall anything I was being taught. Lack of clarity,
concentration, focus, my usual attention to detail was swallowed up
My hazy, muddled mind added to my feelings of low self worth
and had me questioning even more.
I did talk or moan to my friends “I’ve lost the old me, I
don’t know what’s wrong, How do I get it back?” but I never told the complete story.
Partly because I could hear myself moan, even I was bored with myself and
partly for fear of my own mental strength.
With a background of nearly twenty years in complimentary
medicine, helped me hold it together. I have a healthy diet and I take some
supplements but I thought I need to get my bloods done to find out what’s wrong with me?
Don’t despair it’s a simple blood test and here is what I’ve
learned that Hypothyroidism is.
What is hypothyroidism?
Hypothyroidism is a condition
characterized by abnormally low thyroid hormone production. Because thyroid hormone
affects growth, development, and many cellular processes, inadequate thyroid
hormone has widespread consequences for the body.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism
The symptoms of hypothyroidism are
often subtle. They are not specific (which means they can mimic the symptoms of
many other conditions) and are often attributed to aging. Patients with mild
hypothyroidism may have no signs or symptoms. The symptoms generally become
more obvious as the condition worsens and the majority of these complaints are
related to a metabolic slowing of the body. Common symptoms are listed below:
·
Fatigue
·
Modest weight gain
·
Cold intolerance
·
Excessive sleepiness
·
Dry, coarse hair
·
Dry skin
·
Muscle cramps
·
Decreased concentration
·
Vague aches and pains
·
Swelling of the legs
As the disease becomes more severe,
there may be puffiness around the eyes, a slowing of the heart rate, a drop in
body temperature, and heart failure.
Properly diagnosed, hypothyroidism can be easily and completely treated with
thyroid hormone replacement. On the other hand, untreated hypothyroidism can
lead to an enlarged
heart (cardiomyopathy),
worsening heart failure, and an accumulation of fluid around the lungs (pleural
effusion).
My simple advice is if you are feeling like you may have
some of these symptoms, please get it checked out. This is a condition that
runs in my family, particularly in the women’s side of the family so I will
have my daughters informed so they so not suffer in the future.
Thyroid information I used see http://www.medicinenet.com/
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