Hashimoto's

The first thing I did when I went to work today was to see if my lab results were back yet. They were, and it was a good news/bad news situation. The bad news is that my thyroid is, indeed, acting up. The good news is that I don't have a NEW health issue to worry about.

I'm very frustrated that since joining Weight Watchers, I'd lost a little over ten pounds. And in just over two weeks, I've gained almost all of it back. Weight gain is a pretty typical symptom, as are the other symptoms I've been experiencing: raspy voice, constant fatigue, feeling cold, depression, and inability to concentrate.

I called my endocrinologist and was told that her next available appointment was 02 October. I made the appointment, but decided to explore other options. I'll skip the details, but I was able to work out something with my endo. I faxed her my lab results, and she ordered my chart from the archives (I haven't seen her in 26 months). She'll decide if she feels comfortable just calling in a prescription for me or if she'll try to squeeze me in.

I hadn't seen her for so long because I've been euthyroid for awhile - meaning that although my antibodies were elevated, my TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) levels were normal. This is a somewhat normal pattern for Hashimoto's patients - having an underactive thyroid, then the thyroid decides to do its job... hell, sometimes it even becomes *too* active. In fact, that's what happened to me. I eventually became hyperthyroid (rather than hypothyroid, which is how I usually present) before my thyroid decided to settle down and act right.

All of this makes me VERY happy that I decided to drop my calculus course a couple of weeks ago. Depending on how long it takes me to get in to see Dr. El-Hajj (and I LOVE her - she writes down all of her instructions and explanations; the patient goes home with the original and a carbon copy goes in the chart), this could get slightly worse before it gets better.

The doctor who wrote the order for the blood test told me today that he was impressed I was so tuned in to my body and was able to pinpoint the culprit. That was kind of nice to hear.

In the meantime, one of the things that typically plagues affects my interactions/relationships the most when I'm symptomatic is difficulty with memory. So please be patient with me as I try to remember to revert to some of my coping mechanisms - carrying my book with me at all times, writing copious notes/to-do lists, etc. If I forgot something, it's not personal; I promise.

And thanks for all of the support. I wouldn't know what to do without you!