Many of us are living with the debilitating and devastating effects of a silent or invisible disease--a condition that others are not able to see, but that affects us in profound ways nonetheless. Sometimes we spend years in our search for an answer, only to get brushed off as "depressed," "stressed," "over-worked," or even just "getting older" by our own doctors. Some of us may even be treated with anti-depressants or other medications that don't address the underlying cause of our symptoms, and in certain cases may even contribute to our failing health. And some may even go their whole lives without getting a proper diagnosis or treatment.
I've named this blog "misadventures" because that is how my journey through the medical establishment has felt--one wrong turn after another, bouncing from specialist to specialist, finally resorting to begging my primary care doctor for blood work to check my thyroid function. I've known something was wrong for a long time--close to ten years, in fact. During the last five years I've been on a steady but significant decline in health: lacking energy, experiencing sleeping problems, gaining weight inexplicably, having trouble thinking and focusing, losing hair by the handfuls, and feeling crazy and unbalanced.
Even though all of my symptoms are clearly common symptoms of an under-active thyroid gland, at that point my doctor told me that it probably wouldn't help to do any blood work because my symptoms were common signs of aging. I'd had blood work two years previously with blood levels within the "normal" lab values, and she felt it wasn't important to test them again. But I insisted anyway.
Aging.
I still can't believe that was her answer, and I am only 35 years old! I requested a complete thyroid panel, and surprise! surprise! my blood work showed that something was definitely wrong. In the week between picking up my lab results up and seeing my doctor for my follow up, I gave myself a crash course in thyroid disorders. It was a long-overdue education, and gave me the tools I needed to defend my position as a well-informed patient when I had my follow up discussion with my doctor.
I now have a diagnosis of "sub-clinical hypothyroidism" which basically means that my labs show "mild" thyroid changes but based on my symptoms, my doctor can officially call my hypothyroid. Hallelujah! I finally got a real answer, and it only took documenting an entire page's worth of symptoms and an additional page of medical history that has contributed to my current state of health, or lack thereof.
I'll be starting my journey on Armour Thyroid tomorrow morning, and though I don't know how or when this will get resolved, but I am anxious to begin the healing my body has so desperately been crying out for. I've already given up too many years of my life to this crushing illness, and I refuse to lose any more. I hope you will continue to join me on this journey as I explore treatment options, and discuss the many challenges that those of us with "invisible" illnesses face from day to day. I'm here to let you know that you are not alone, that there are many people going through the same challenges that you are. Together, we will find a way to heal our bodies, our minds, and our hearts.
No comments:
Post a Comment