Hello friends, today I will be including a more personal blog post about being diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I feel that even though it's something that can be very common, it's said to be mostly found in elderly women (60 and above as shown by case studies). Why do I want to share this with you? Because I feel that it's important to know that sometimes we may have all the symptoms that our body is trying to let us know that things are not right and we refuse or cannot comprehend. Even if you personally may not suffer from this, there might be a relative or friend that does and this way you can just let them know you understand. Even though, I initially debated whether I really wanted to put this out there because I"m a very introverted person and don't like to discuss my problems with other people, I decided to do it in the hopes that it may help someone.
I had seen/researched a bit about the possibility of having thyroid problems way before I was diagnosed, but never took it seriously enough to ask my doctor to test me for it. I have been having weight issues, fatigue, irregular cycles and other things for a long time but did not know they could be related. I initially went to the doctor for my anxiety about seven months ago(which I may discuss fully in another post/video because I'm still dealing with that). I told him, I wasn't sure what was affecting me for certain but I wanted to be tested. How do you test for it? I simply took a blood exam (this was a few months after that first visit-I really dislike blood tests) ;Surely enough it came back positive as I suspected. I came home and jokingly told my sister, "See, I have a reason to be fat". Which honestly is not even funny but what else could I do. It's not something that I provoked by not eating incorrectly or any such case. So what is it? There are two types of diagnosis, you can have an over active thyroid(known as hyperthyroidism) or in my case under active thyroid (known as hypothyroidism). It's a condition where the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone. What are the symptoms? The symptoms can be easily confused with other health issues, or attributed to getting older. As I myself have been caught saying many times," I can't lose weight as easily because with age your metabolism slows down". Although, this may be true, the fact is that having hypothyroidism does not make anything easier. Common symptoms are described as fatigue,lower energy levels, depression, weight gain, excessive sleepiness, sluggish feeling, constipation, aches/pains, high cholesterol, muscle cramps, swelling of the legs, cold intolerance, dry skin/hair, muscle cramps, and decreased concentration. If the disease should escalate it can lead to puffiness around the eyes, slower heart rate, drop in body temperature, and heart failure. In the most severe cases, it can lead to a life-threatening coma(rare) (myxerdema coma), as the onset result of serious illness, surgery, stress, or traumatic injury (in this case the person must be hospitalized and treated with hormones by injection);or cancer of thyroid gland. How can it be treated? Hypothyroidism is treated with thyroid hormone replacement, but if it's not treated it can lead to an enlarged heart (cardiomyopathy), heart failure, and an accumulation of fluid around the lungs (pleural effusion).
So, although, I knew a bit about thyroid issues I was not educated nor did I receive a crash course by my doctor. I was told, that the blood test showed that my levels were high and he'd give me a prescription that would regulate my metabolism. Also, he asked me to eat healthy since my cholesterol came back a little high (I wasn't told exact numbers); eat lots of greens, salads, avoid late dinners, and exercise to reduce weight (although it was not a priority at this point because he told me not to lose weight too quickly). I came home did some online research, was initially scared by what I found, did some of the healthiest eating ever, cut out a lot of the bad stuff and began taking my prescription. I was prescribed Synthyroid-Levothyroxine in a low dosage(1 pill 30 min-1 hour before breakfast). At first I noticed I had lost weight, then after a few visits had gained a few pounds. Even if this seems a bit discouraging, I am glad that I know that I'm doing the best that I can to help my body try to maintain at its potential health. This is hard, because I love to cook and of course I love food, but I find myself having to say "No", even if I really mean"yes" (of course I cheat all the time).
At my last doctor's visit I was told that it's under control with the medication (I've been on it for about 4 months).He said normal levels are 0-5, and I was at 4 (4 point something). So definitely my advice, if you see any symptoms that you may recognize ask for the test, best thing that can happen is to be told that you don't have it. But in case that you do, it's better to be able to treat it early on before it should worsen.
Another thing that I cannot forget to mention is that we really need to be sensitive to others. What I mean is that people can say hurtful things without even taking the time to understand that someone might have a health issue that causes a weight problem. I mention this specifically because there are at least three very specific instances that I felt very hurt by people's comments regarding my weight even though they were not people that were near me(also at this time I did not know about any thyroid issues,I just felt over weight),those comments are still etched in my memories. Please take the time to understand others, understand their situation (not only specific to this or to me).
A kind word uplifts and hurtful words tear down..use your words wisely.
I'm at least glad that this was found in a very treatable stage, even if from what I understand I will have to continue with this medication indefinitely. But on the other hand I'm pretty certain that this will not be any "crippling disease"-in the sense that everything seems "pretty normal". I will try to keep you posted if there are any significant changes. Thank you for taking the time to read this post, I know it's not beauty related directly; but it is-
Our health is optimum to be able to feel at our best.
Hope to hear about any thoughts or comments you may have down below, or if you have any questions I will try to answer them as best as I can...
