Thyroid's Going A Little Haywire

Haven't really gotten back on my exercise routine since coming back from Yosemite. It's amazing how just a couple of days of vacation can take me an entire week to recover from. I've been exhausted. I've noticed a change in my body, and I'm not quite sure if my TSH levels are going haywire again. I've been trying to take my meds at the same time everyday, but with brain fog, I'm lucky I remember at all. Not only has my need for naps come back, but I've been shedding like a long-haired dog everywhere in the house. Just this morning, I noticed that I had tons of hair on the sheets when I got out out of bed. Not only that, I had tons on my shirt earlier in the day as well. This is how I know that something in my body is not right, and I need to figure out how to get it back on track.

Hopefully, now that Stinky's moved my treadmill out to the garage, I can really get back to my exercise program. It wears me out, but I do feel better. I've also got more room in the office so I can rearrange things to have room for Pilates. And hey, I've kept the weight, that I've lost so far, off.

10,000 Steps

Remember in my effort to declutter the body, I wanted to try to get the recommended 10,000 daily steps? Well, before the fall, it actually happened. I kept getting close most days averaging between 7,000-8,000 steps. Of course I haven't hit 10,000 steps since then because my fitness routine was shot due to the injuries and my body's recovery time. The fall really got me back to that place where I was tired all the time. Everything hurt. Even things that I didn't bump or bruise in the fall.
I stepped on the scale this morning and was surprised to see my weight up. I do tend to fluctuate through the day or sometimes over a period of days. I'm also surprised at the amount of swelling my body has been going through lately. My socks actually indent my cankles. My feet look like they're just dangling from the leg with almost no ankles. What's weird is that it's more prominent in my right ankle than my left. The swelling gets bad enough that I can't wear my wedding rings most days. Most people have to drink loads of caffeine to get this kind of swelling. It just takes one soda for me. My thyroid is being a pain in my ass (and has also cause the spread of the aforementioned ass).

I'm tired of the swelling, and though I can't cut out the sodas cold turkey, I am going to start back on my routine tomorrow. It's back to keeping track of everything in this:


When I went to Barnes & Nobles, they had so many of these journals to choose from. I picked this one because it had pages for goals, food tracking, weight tracking, exercise tracking, and a few other things. I really love it.

I'm also going to put on the pedometer and try for those 10, 000 steps per day.

I haven't done my belly dancing workouts either. :( So I really need to start back, and throw pilates into the mix as well. The treadmill is having some belt issues, but I need to sort them out. Maybe I just use that as an excuse....

A Setback

It's amazing how long it has taken my body to recover from a fall that I had about 3 or 4 weeks ago. I still have a little sore spot in my left cheek, a hardened swollen area on my shin that still has no feeling to it, and I've been feeling unusually rundown.

Ever since I started the Cytomel, I had been feeling pretty decent. I was taking naps maybe only once or twice a week, sometimes not at all. But since that fall, almost everyday since, I have been so tired. It has thrown me off my whole exercise/diet routine as well. I was doing pretty well with it, but now I'm just maintaining the weight that I lost. At my heaviest, I was 223 lbs. and now I'm at 216 lbs. Who knew that I would even get over 200 lbs.? I used to have super metabolism, never went over 115 lbs. in my younger days, and when I had gotten big before, I lost the weight in 3 or 4 months just like that.

I joined up with thyroid.about.com not too long after I was diagnosed to better understand the disease and get options on how to deal with it day to day. They had a special sign up called, "4 weeks to weight loss", and I signed up for that. The patient advocate, and thyroid sufferer, Mary Shomon answered emails through this site. I was quite surprised that I had an answer. I had mentioned that I lost 1/2 lb. a week. This is when I was told that that was pretty good for those with thyroid problems. Normal people can lose about 5 lbs. a week on average. She mentioned that if I really wanted to lose weight with this disease, I would have to go down to around 1200 calories a day and eliminating all carbs, sugars, and fats.

I actually tried to go down to 1200 calories very slowly. First, 1800. Then 1600. I figured if I could do 1600 calories then surely I could do around 1300 next. I ended up getting very light- headed and had to eat the extra calories to feel better.

Before the fall, I had been very diligent at recording everything I ate in my weight-loss journal. But now, I'm back to square one. Hopefully, I can get back on track soon.

I did my second round of labs after a dosage change. My TSH is now at 1.6. Prior to starting the Cytomel it was 1.2, and the 1st lab after taking it was .089. I know I need to be at around 1.0 to feel somewhat well.

I guess it's somewhat my fault that my TSH is now higher than when I began Cytomel. My memory is terrible, and no matter what I do, sometimes I cannot remember to take the medications. I get them all taken during the day, but usually I'm cramming a Cytomel and a Levothroid down my throat right before bed. I have tried setting alarms for different times of day, a 7-day pill case, and who knows what else, but I still have trouble remembering. Bad part is, one of the keys to feeling well with thyroid disease is to take your meds correctly.

On top of all this, I'm having my surgery on Wednesday, and I feel like I'm getting sick. I've sneezing and having a bit of a runny nose today. I hope to maybe sleep it off a bit tomorrow, and that it's just a temporary thing. The last thing I need is to get so sick that I can't have my surgery on schedule, and have to wait another THREE months to get one scheduled.

Sometimes I wish I didn't have this thyroid anymore. It's just useless, it drains me, and I'm sick and tired of sick and tired. A cliche' I know, but a true one nonetheless.

Health Update

Been suffering from some back pain for about a week now. Not sure what is causing it other than all the weight I'm carrying around. Even though I'm quite heavy, I usually don't experience backaches of this nature.

I did have a Lupron Depot injection a few weeks ago to help with the thinning of my uterine lining, and to help stop the endless bleeding that I from taking the birth control pills they put me on for the same purpose. After a month of bleeding, it finally stopped. I'm wondering if the injection has anything to do with the backaches. I know that bone loss can occur from it, but to what extent? I've just been taking ibuprofen or naproxen when it is at it's worse. I just hope the backaches stop soon.

The ablation surgery is right around the corner. I have the pre-op appointment on the Tuesday, the 20th. That's when they'll tell me what I need to do and take a list of medications, etc. I know that with Cytomel you have to tell doctor or dentist that you're on the medication. Not so for the Levothroid. Not quite sure what they're going to tell me to do. I know without the Cytomel, I'm a lot less functional.

Been struggling with the lack of energy and weight thing again. But then, what is new? I know that I have to try to make some effort to exercise, but it's so difficult when you feel like you have just had every last bit of energy zapped out of you on a daily basis.

I guess I can be grateful that I don't have ALL the symptoms I had back in the early days of my disease. At least I know I won't want to just fall asleep at the wheel.

September Is Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month

I got my lab results in the mail a day or two ago. I had been on my scrip of 2-5mcg of cytomel a day along with 1-137mcg of levothroid for about two months. Anyways, I was able to look up my lab results via the internet, but it didn't have enough information for me. Most of my lab results online come with some kind of notation. For some reason, that's not the case with my pcp and my endo. Both of whom I really don't care for. I mean it's great that my pcp did some tests when I told her that I was still suffering from some symptoms plus a mean case of indigestion. I GUESS my endo was ok for going along with my decision to go on combination therapy even though she was against it. But, you all KNOW I'm not a fan of Kaiser and most of their doctors.

My lab results are these:

Tri-Iodothyronine 128 70-200 (ng/dL)

T4 Free 1.2 0.8-1.7(ng/dL)

TSH, 3rd Generation .086(*) 0.2-5.5(uIU/mL)





In the letter it said that there's too much thyroid replacement and to do what I've been doing with the exception of changing half tablet of Levothroid on Saturday AND Sunday. Then I'm to get another level check in 2 months (around Nov. 2 it states).



Before going on the Cytomel, my TSH was 1.2, and I knew that I wanted to be at around 1.0 or just under. But because I'm under more than I should be, I'm feeling rather tired again. Actually, I don't know if that's the true cause, but with too much thyroid replacement, a person who is hypothyroid can become hyperthyroid.

1. Stand in front of a mirror

2. Stretch neck back

3. Swallow water

4. Look for enlargement in neck (below the Adam's Apple, above the collar bone)

5. Feel area to confirm enlargement or bump

6. If any problem is detected, see an doctor

Labs Are Back, Thyroid Still Whack! LOL

I've got a lot going on in my life lately. Been feeling rather tired but I'm not sure if it's because of my thyroid, being 5 hours in the heat for a couple of weekends in a row, or both.

I had my TSH reevaluated on Friday. When I read my labs on the website for Kaiser my T4 was 1.2 and as for my TSH it said See Gen 3. Of course I have NO idea what this means so I researched it. I guess it's a more sensitive test for thyroid antibodies. Anyways, don't know if my doctor is going to comment on the results or if I'm going to get the results in the mail. All I know is that I want to stay on the Cytomel that I was on for the last two months as well as the Levothroid I've been on the last 3 years. The combination therapy has worked out a hell of a lot better than just the T4 meds alone. I don't have to take a nap everyday just to 'make it through'.

Wednesday I go in for my endometrial biopsy. They asked me if I wanted Valium, but I'm afraid of addiction, so I said no. It's funny because when I went to pick up my thyroid prescriptions they said I had an extra one. I asked what it was for and when I found out I told them that I didn't want it. I had a biopsy of my cervix before, but I didn't feel anything from it really. Of course, I'm a lot older now, and my thyroid has racked my body with all kinds of lovely symptoms. Things I use to be able to handle I no longer can. For example, there was a time I would NEVER sunburn...HONESTLY. I'm half filipino, and it has helped with that. But over the last 8+ years, I don't tolerate the sun well. As for my skin, well, it just gets fried.

I want Steve to come with me, but when he asked me, "Why? So I can sit and wait around?" I decided it was FAR better to go alone, despite the fact that I'm a bit nervous and that I could be in pain afterwards. Funny how women are always expected to do things on their own or still do whatever they do even when they are sick. I can only imagine what will happen when I have the surgery.

Everything is starting to get to me now. The court date with the ex, my thryoid problems, the biopsy, and there's not a soul to talk to around here. I guess that could be my fault, but I'm very particular as to who I have as friends. Just haven't really found any here.