Seeing it is a few weeks till my next check up I thought I would bring an important matter to your attention….. Alien’s

 

 It’s happened ,aliens have invaded and we didn’t even notice it, Oh! but they were very subtle. They have disguised themselves as Buddleia, a simple but resilient plant that has slowly positioned themselves all around the country, especially London.

Everywhere you look you will see them spying on us, on waste land, by roads, peering through railings, growing on rooftops, all along the railway…..everywhere ….mind you they are clever. To make sure that we leave them alone they attract creatures that everyone on earth likes…..butterfly’s..I wouldn’t be surprised if this is how they pass information onto each other via “Butterfly FM” so you have been warned …look out for them from now on, study the picture and note where their locations are

Spread the word    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddleia

“The truth is out there”    

Well its 2 weeks on from my increase to 200 micrograms, and a lot of my original symptoms are gone or going. I am left with two main things now
1) Carpel tunnel syndrome, it has not got a lot better, but I am sure that is because of some water retention I have, I am hoping that as I lose weight it will go.
2) the sore throat it is like having a miniature Phlegm machine at the back of my throat and it is uncomfortable….sort of like when your tonsils are just starting to inflame…except I have no tonsils. Very odd feeling. Again I suspect that it is caused by a slight goitre and hopefully this should go.

I still suffer fatigue which is not surprising as I have worked out that I was Hyperthyroid for about 2 years on a sliding scale. It will take awhile to get my body back to normal.
What defiantly helps is if you can get decent nights sleep which I want more of.
As for the weight gain I am not trying to lose the excess just yet, I have not put anymore on and I am eating food that supports my glands and helps to recover. I will make a concerted effort to lose weight after my next trip to the docs. My levels should be around normal …..We will see. I will then start to increase my fitness and stamina I am looking to be back to my old self sometime in the spring……slowly…slowly is the best way.
I am of on a 2 week break and I intend to get lots of rest and if the weathers good some direct sunshine vitamin D.
I have continued to read everything I can about this complaint and am lining up a list of questions for the doc,
I hope that those of you who have just started out on this thyroid roundabout are setting up your stalls to fight and get back to normal and those of you that are further down the line pass on your tips and lessons learnt so the rest of us can progress faster

Knowledge is definitely the way!!!

The thyroid is a funny thing wrapped inside your neck
I’m strong I’m tough I’m young and bold so thyroid…..what the heck
It won’t stop me from doing well and living life in full
It’s such a tiny little thing who said it had to rule

I don’t see why I feel so cold my fingers hurt like mad
I don’t see why I feel fatigue why is it so so bad
Why is that I fall asleep at every given chance
The muscle cramps the tired legs the sickly looking stance

I would get help for all these things but my memory lets me down
I'm going mad it’s just not fair I forgot the way to town
My minds a fuzz my hair is thin my nails a breaking fast
The lack of hair around my eyes gives everyone a laugh

Please doctor can you help me now as I really feel so sad
You call me in and look away you think I’m going mad
The test are taken all sent off, now its time to wait
At last there is a reason something I can hate

And hate you very much I do for months of grief and strife
For all the days you made me bad to both my kids and wife
You will not win this battle now as I have all the facts
But hell it’s hard to fight this thing and get myself on track

So all of you both young and old take heed and listen good
You can’t ignore your body’s voice even if you could
Oh so fast things slow down you don’t see what it is
Your thyroids got you by your throat yes you! Not mine, not his

Hi,
Well I went to the doc’s today. I had booked a double appointment and I was armed with a list of questions that I wanted to ask. The one hic-up was that the doctor I had been seeing was on extended leave, and I was going to see the Locum….Hmmmmm.

Well I went in and sat down, “ How can I help you”……not a good start, here I was having spent the last few weeks still battling this condition and counting down the days till I could see the doc to find out my latest levels, and I get “ How can I help You”….not her fault I suppose as I am just another patient to get in and out the door…lots of others to see…..she is not to know how this thing has turned my life upside down, she not to know that I have been feeling crap for a long long time. After all it is just the good old thyroid problem….common as muck….easily sorted out!!!! Eh!.

“I have come for my latest results”…notice I am calm and not lost my rag…however she gives me a funny look and I think she senses that I am not a happy bunny.
Ok first off, my T4, the latest levels are…16.6… great the normal levels are between 11.5 -22.7, i want to be nearer 22... but.....anyhow, great!!.
Now for the dreaded TSH last time they were 53.6…....TSH 14.80…..great!! the normal levels should be between 0.3 and 3, again I want to be under 2….I know the British normal levels are between 0.35 and 5,5 but I am going with the latest info.

The doc turns to me and says “Your T4 is normal so things are ok…….in my head I shouted…. “Ok….....F*&(^%$%£% Ok…… I’m nowhere near Ok”….but I remained calm if maybe a little ruffled.
I tersely explain the arrangement that I had come to with my regular doc…that she would treat the symptoms and not go by figures….she would treat me as an individual and not as part of the Thyroid herd….
To be fair the Locum sensed that I was miffed and then we had a good chat I explained the symptoms that I still had and that I was still very much hypothyroid…

I then asked about my cholesterol.. I was dreading this as the first time I went to the doc it was because my level was 10.6 and that is way bad.
At the time they had wanted to start me on medication at once… but I refused as I wanted to know what had made it so high …hence the Thyroid discovery….even then they wanted to give me drugs for the cholesterol as well as the thyroxin but I said no, as I would then be on TWO types of meds for the rest of my life….fortunately when I got to see my regular doc she went along with it…..
So today’s level…….5.6 mmol/L again…. bloody great, normal is under 5. So by being firm about my own treatment and having a doctor that actually listened I saved myself a life time of meds..
One worrying aspect is that my antibody reading is 2588 iu/ml it should be between 0 and 100… this means my anti bodies are attacking its own body. Which is a sign of hashimoto’s? ….Hmmmmm more research needed.

I then hit her with my list of questions ….which I wont bore you with but suffice to say that the doctor realised that I had learnt probably much more that she knew about the complaint, again to be fair she turned out to be very good and we had a good discussion about all my symptoms…..I told her that I felt that I was suffering from “adrenal fatigue” and I could see that she was not convinced… but it was agreed that we would have a look at this when I have my next bloods….My meds have been increased to 200mg…I am a bit worried that this is a bit high ..I would have liked to have gone up to 175 first, but hey I know the signs of going Hyper, so I will keep a close eye on it.
So…. there you go, all my levels are going the right way and by educating myself about my thyroid my doctor had to listen….the figures all made sense to me and I could help her to help me.
OK …She probably thinks I am a bit of an arrogant sod, but I want the right treatment so I will continue to fight my corner…also getting a double appointment was a great move. She wasn’t clock watching and I had time to go over all the things that I wanted to know.

So my top tips are
1) Between visits as you think of something write it down and take the list with you
Book a double appointment
2) Educate yourself about the complaint
3) Don’t take any S*^T from your doc,
4) You are an individual…. you are suffering…. you deserve the BEST treatment.
5) It is important to stick with the same doc

We know there are others worse off than us…..but that doesn’t help me….

Remember power…. IS…. knowledge.