1/16/2009

Better Days

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The past two months have been a roller coaster for me. Some days were spent laying on the floor attempting to play with my kids, and others were spent cleaning my house in a manic state. My emotions would zig-zag between depressed, irritated and anxious. I really began to think I was going crazy.

January 3rd I went to an appointment with our family practitioner. I have a family history of thyroid problems, and I was also going to express my concern about postpartum depression. As I began to list off my many symptoms, my CNP assured me that it did in fact sound like my thyroid. I got on the examination table, and she found my thyroid to be quite enlarged (a goiter). She drew my blood, and discussed that we may be looking at Hashimoto's Disease.

The drive home from Denton gave me plenty of time to think about the many things I would be researching when I got home. The internet can be a scary place, but I navigated my way around and educated myself on the different possibilities for my goiter. We spent a lot of time praying, and looking into holistic ways to treat a thyroid imbalance.

I began to dump vitamins down my throat. Extra cod liver oil (I was also extremely deficient in vitamin D), minerals, magnesium, vitamin E, a thyroid support, and adrenal support all worked their way into my vitamin regimen. Brazil nuts, high in selenium, also became a twice-a-day staple in my diet. I bid good-bye to gluten and sugar in my diet.

I finally got into to see a reputable endocrinologist this week, and he agreed that my numbers were peculiar and that there was in fact a goiter. He asked me to come back the next day and have an ultrasound of the goiter. The tech did the sonogram and sent me on my way.

Today I received the call that my thyroid has no abnormal nodules, and I'm cleared from any chance of thyroid cancer. Brandon and I let out a big sigh of relief. The doctor wants me to take Armour (dissected porcine thyroid) to see if my symptoms are reduced and if the goiter disappears.

I thank God that I have my answer. While the births of my children have been joyous, the postpartum struggles have casted a shadow over our experiences. I have lost weight very quickly, and then gained it all back. My emotions have been all over the board, and the "brain fog" leaves me feeling like I delivered part of my brain with the placenta.


Some more information for those that suspect thyroid issues:


Stop The Thyroid Madness


Postpartum Thyroiditits

1 comments:

Karen said...

Oh, lady. I'm glad you have found some answers, but so sad you've had to deal with all of this. I do understand all about the "brain fog" as I have been in one for years now.