Malfunctioning Thyroid?

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Statistics have shown that one in eight women in America suffer from thyroid issues. As one of those unfortunate women, I am constantly looking for ways to make the day to day journey a bit easier. I have done a lot of research, and thought I would share some of the steps I took through the nightmare of being diagnosed, with the hope of helping someone else as well.

Thyroid frustrations seem to run through my family, making me aware of symptoms to watch for through my post teenage years. When I began to notice that I constantly felt drowsy, and my energy was depleted, I began looking at other changes in my life as well. Unfortunately, this was also during the pandemic, and after receiving a positive diagnosis of Covid 19. This hindered a bit of my suspicions, because many of the symptoms were those that could be in relation to the effects of the virus. So I finally decided to make a list of those things that seemed a bit 'off ' to reference during the appointment with my physician. The top five on my list? 

   

     - Constantly feeling exhausted. Like, not just tired, but to the point that I was always falling asleep while sitting on the couch. When I would attempt to be woken, I almost had what I would describe as the feeling of being drugged. It was beginning to cause me to miss important appointments, work, and time with my family.

    - Little to obsolete sex drive. This of course, I felt was due to the constant exhaustion. Intimacy became a thing of the past, resulting in a feeling of depression and inadequacy. 

    -Hair loss. When I did have enough gumption to bathe, washing my hair left my shower slow to drain. I knew this was a symptom of hypothyroidism, but also a symptom of stress. Leaving me to believe it was probably a result of the latter.

    -Increased appetite. It seemed like those rare moments when I was able to keep my eyes open, I constantly felt hungry. But the hunger always accompanied cravings of sweet snacks, and salty potato chips. Again, a symptom of stress, or depression. Both of which I seemed qualified for.

    -Weight gain. Hand in hand with the snacking and sleeping, this made perfect sense.

Once I was finally able to meet with my physician in person, rather than via face-time, (due to the pandemic) I requested she do a panel of bloodwork on me. Three days later, she called and stated that my vitamin D levels were low, but that everything else appeared normal. So I was given a script for a higher dose of vitamin D than you receive in a daily multivitamin, and the assumption that it was all related to post Covid depression.

After three months of noticing absolutely no difference in my daily pattern, I returned to her office for a follow up on the blood work. Once again, I was told that it was in relation to a vitamin deficiency, and sent on my way. Frustrated and feeling helpless, I found myself ranting on the phone to my sister, who lived 5000 miles away, and had recently been diagnosed with Hashimoto's Disease. The more we discussed our symptoms, the more I was convinced that I was not receiving the correct diagnosis. Through my sisters diagnosis, we discovered that there is more than one test for thyroid disorders, but generally only one is offered, unless the others are requested. 

Long story a bit shortened, after a year of bloodwork and increased symptoms pointing to so many random health issues, such as the depression, stress, and Covid relations, I chose to find a new physician. Upon requesting that I have what is called a T3 and T4 test done, which is as easy as a simple blood test, I was finally diagnosed with hypothyroidism. 

Don't misunderstand me. Nobody wants a diagnosis of a disorder, or disease. But I was relieved to know that it was more than the original diagnosis, and that I could now be treated correctly, giving me the chance to soon feel alive and myself again. I've wrote this in the hopes of helping others who might be facing the same problem, and feel like they are running themselves into a wall with their physician. Request the extra testing to be done. Yes, they are the ones that went to school and got the degree. But you are the only one who knows exactly how you feel. Follow that gut instinct, and refuse to give up. Believe me, the end result is worth it. 

Good luck, and best wishes. 

    

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