Extremely vulnerable post, not sure if I will publish or not. I’ve been wanting to write about my struggles with my little butterfly (thyroid), weight, and mental health for a while but I’ve always waivered. Not sure if it’s out of fear of being vulnerable, judged, or both. So, if you’re reading this it means it means that I’m probably freaking out-not sure what to think or feel. So, please be kind and welcome to my journey.
I was originally going to write this as a single post, but thought I would create a page so I can update on it. Maybe it will help someone else going through something similar, maybe it will only help me, and that’s okay too. I’m trying to be accountable to myself, so this might help me do just that.
Before we continue: l use the term “butterfly” in reference to my Thyroid. Since, the thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck. What does the butterfly do? Thyroid hormones control the way your body uses energy, so they affect nearly every organ in your body, even the way your heart beats. Without enough thyroid hormones, many of your body’s functions slow down.
Now each person’s butterfly reacts differently, there’s hypo and there’s hyper-as it sounds this one is overactive. I have family members that have this version, symptoms are completely different and some are more serious than mine.
Some people can go undiagnosed for years, one of my doctors thinks this might have been the case with me. However, there was a point when something felt different, something felt wrong. I was either severely anemic (which I was but there was a reason for it), or I was dying (I wasn’t). That’s when my doctor decided to test me, I was 37, I had been anemic all of my life. So there was a possibility that my butterfly was causing my anemia or it was just something that occurred later in life. We don’t know, we also don’t know how it was that I had not fainted from how bad my anemia was and how off my Thyroid numbers were. We focused on the anemia, and just kept an eye on my Thyroid. As I figured it was bad because life was life-ING during this point, two years later my anemia was better but my thyroid was not, my numbers were even worse. It was officially time for medication, I was on it for a year-I made a deal with my doctor.
Once my numbers are at an “okay” level, I get off of medication and I continue with labs and tracking my lifestyle. She agreed, after 15 months my labs came back better. I was off of medication for almost two years, until recently. Again, when my life was chaotic my butterfly was in disarray. This time I didn’t make a deal, I was tired of feeling crappy.
Now you are coming into this stage, my second round of medication, while trying to adapt a lifestyle to ensure I not only come off this medication but stay off of it. So, please be gentle and DO NOT take anything I say or do as medical advice. Each case and body is different, if you suspect you might have an issue check with your doctor.
Now let’s see how it goes… but please remember be kind and respect what I decide to do with my body.
Voz y Vida™ 