Hello!
I know I have a problem with not updating my blog very often, I attribute that to being busy and forgetful! I have good intentions but when it comes down to it I falter.......I'm sorry for that, I really am!
So, it's been a year since I had my thyroid removed and I can tell you that I notice nothing different. My levels are still wacky, I'm losing hair by the handfuls, I still lack energy and god forbid I want to lose a little weight - it takes an enormous amount of effort and it always comes right back. So, having my thyroid removed didn't help me with any of my major issues. At least I don't have growths anymore but my levels still have not leveled out. I started on 150 mg of Synthroid last year and am now on 100 mg - I continue to be adjusted to lower levels without it helping.
So since it's been a bit since I've updated let's see what's been happening:
January-March 2016 - I started back to college at an online University - Ashford University. It's been 7 months and I'm doing great! I have straight "A" grades and just last week was invited to become a member of Alpha Sigma Lamda Honor Society. This is an honor society for exceptional adult learners. It was such a great surprise and honor. So being that I have such great grades should also tell you I spend a lot of time with my schooling. I haven't had time to be sick or tired or sore or anything other than focusing on school. My intention of going back is to complete the degree I started right out of high school - which was a long time ago.........I'm studying "Social and Criminal Justice" and will graduate with my BA in 7/2018.
Regarding my FMS and CFS I'm still holding steady. I haven't had any major flare up of either condition. I have learned to just listen to myself and if I'm tired, I go to bed. I still have issues with my hips being achy and locking up after sitting down for a bit but overall I can't complain. I have a lot of contact with people who have FMS really bad and I feel terrible for them but at the same time am grateful I have been able to reverse a good majority of my issues with FM and keep it under control.
April - July 2016 - I ended up in the ER on my birthday, April 5th - with what I thought was chest pain - it was bad, had me convinced I had a blockage - after a night stay and many tests that came back negative I was sent home and referred to a cardiologist. A few more tests and nothing. I still get these weird chest pains but haven't gone back to the cardiologist because he already determined it's not my heart but of course, as with most things they don't know why I'm having these pains. I thought maybe heartburn but I really don't think so since I never get it. So chalk it up to another strange thing related to FMS I guess.....
I was just talking with my mom about when I first got sick back in 2010 and took up juicing to get better. It definitely worked after a period of time - between juicing AND taking many supplements I brought my nutrition levels back to where they needed to be and was able to reverse a lot of my symptoms that had me bedridden for several months. Everyone also is different so what worked for me may or may not work for another - but it's all worth a try! In fact, coming back to my juicing information I've decided to juice a metabolism boosting juice and see if it helps me shed a few lbs like it says it does.
In other news, I've been off work since the first week in June and it's been great! Since I work in a school, I have the same schedule as the kids do and it's fantastic. We go back in just 3 wks from now......summer vacay goes way too fast! But it will be good to get back on a schedule. When I have no schedule not much gets done because I don't have to....it's bad.
My daughter is going into her senior year of high school - I can't believe in just a short year she will be going to college. My "baby" girl is grown into such a beautiful young woman. Makes me sad that she will be leaving but I know it's coming quickly. My son is starting his sophomore year - he is another one that I can't believe has grown so much both physically and mentally. The past several months have been big in the growth area for him. My daughter will be playing volleyball with the school over the next few weeks leading up to try outs - in fact next week we go to a big college camp with some girls who were invited from the school - should be fun!
I hope this update has found you all well! I would like to say that I will update in a month but, I've said that before and 7 months later I show up ...... I know I suck at this but I'm trying! I will be back soon, how is that???
Saturday, July 16, 2016
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Happy New Year!
Oh my gosh how time gets away from me! I'm sorry to have just up and left you here without an update or anything! So much has been going on so let's get started with this update!
Since my last update I've had a couple more Dr appointments and continue to have a lower dose of Synthroid. I'm now on 112 mg/day. Honestly, I can't tell any difference from 150 mg to now but apparently my TSH is still not in the right range.
In other news, I decided around the holidays to go back to school this year. I started on Jan 5th and am almost done with my first class. I'm doing an online program to get my Bachelors degree in Social and Criminal Justice. I've always been interested in this field so I figured why not! It seemed like a good time to get started with most all of my health issues "under control" at this point, or should I say for now.
My FMS has been relatively "laying low" if you will. Now I say this only because I can compare what I previously had to deal with to now. Don't get me wrong, I still have my good days and bad days, but they are nothing compared to what I use to deal with. I still have a pretty high level of fatigue which I don't think I'll ever not have to deal with. Aches and pains, they come and go but are at a level that is manageable on a day to day basis. My hips tend to give me the most trouble with consistent pain and my guts are often "upset". I'm sure a lot of this sounds all too familiar to many who deal with the curse of chronic illness(es).
The most recent flare I've had to deal with is the tendon in my right arm flared up. Literally I was fine the night before and woke up with this pain that was pretty intense going from my hand to my elbow and especially worse with certain movements. This was terrible as I'm right handed and couldn't do anything that required lifting or twisting. Even lifting just a bottle of Gatorade was impossible for weeks. I had my chiropractor treat me using a technique called "Graston" - if you have never heard of it, click HERE to read about it. It's a strange kind of therapy but it works every time! I've had it done several times for different issues and each time it's solved the problem. With my arm, I had 2 sessions and the pain was noticeably less. Today, I have no pain in that area.
Speaking about chiropractors, I need to mention that at the end of the year I realized I had not been into my primary physician's office in an entire year! That was something to celebrate as it's just unheard of with all the health issues I've had to deal with. Other than my Endocrinologist dealing with my thyroid, I didn't need to see an MD for any kind of illness for an entire year .... and still going! I did however, see my chiropractor anywhere from 2x a week to 1x a month just depending on my needs and what was going on. I firmly believe in and highly recommend alternative treatments for people like us with chronic conditions. From the research I've done, alternative therapy is the way to go for managing these chronic illnesses that aren't necessarily seen as true illness. Those of us who deal with them day in and day out know otherwise.
When asked what I've done to "make yourself better" I can't really pinpoint just one thing. It's been a long road of recovery to get to the point I'm at today. Feeling good with occasional flares. listening to my body, taking time to do nothing when I need to, the right mixture of nutrients, protein, and therapy all play a role in healing the body and getting you to a good functioning state of being. I spent a lot of time researching and trying different methods until I started seeing good results. It's a hard long road but at the end of it the results are better health and an overall better quality of life. I know that at any moment I could crumple to the floor in pain and deal with that for an undetermined amount of time, but for the time being I will enjoy where I am with my health.
Like many people who deal with chronic illness, I belong to several online support groups. It gets hard to read everyone's postings about how terrible they are doing. In more cases than not, it's usually money that stops people from getting the help and treatment they need to feel better and be a contributing member of their community. So the cycle just continues, day in and day out so many people are suffering. My hope is still what it was when I first started this blog, that if I can help even just one person find a path to getting themselves to a better state of health, then I've succeeded in my mission.
I hope the New Year has found you well and that you are finding ways to manage in your day to day life. Whether you suffer from chronic illness or a loved one does, I encourage you to look back through my postings and try new things in an effort to feel better.
My vow to you today is that I will try to do better with my updates - I just get so busy in life that I forget to come post updates. I will make a conscious effort to update at least 1x a month if not more!
Until next time....to your health!
Since my last update I've had a couple more Dr appointments and continue to have a lower dose of Synthroid. I'm now on 112 mg/day. Honestly, I can't tell any difference from 150 mg to now but apparently my TSH is still not in the right range.
In other news, I decided around the holidays to go back to school this year. I started on Jan 5th and am almost done with my first class. I'm doing an online program to get my Bachelors degree in Social and Criminal Justice. I've always been interested in this field so I figured why not! It seemed like a good time to get started with most all of my health issues "under control" at this point, or should I say for now.
My FMS has been relatively "laying low" if you will. Now I say this only because I can compare what I previously had to deal with to now. Don't get me wrong, I still have my good days and bad days, but they are nothing compared to what I use to deal with. I still have a pretty high level of fatigue which I don't think I'll ever not have to deal with. Aches and pains, they come and go but are at a level that is manageable on a day to day basis. My hips tend to give me the most trouble with consistent pain and my guts are often "upset". I'm sure a lot of this sounds all too familiar to many who deal with the curse of chronic illness(es).
The most recent flare I've had to deal with is the tendon in my right arm flared up. Literally I was fine the night before and woke up with this pain that was pretty intense going from my hand to my elbow and especially worse with certain movements. This was terrible as I'm right handed and couldn't do anything that required lifting or twisting. Even lifting just a bottle of Gatorade was impossible for weeks. I had my chiropractor treat me using a technique called "Graston" - if you have never heard of it, click HERE to read about it. It's a strange kind of therapy but it works every time! I've had it done several times for different issues and each time it's solved the problem. With my arm, I had 2 sessions and the pain was noticeably less. Today, I have no pain in that area.
Speaking about chiropractors, I need to mention that at the end of the year I realized I had not been into my primary physician's office in an entire year! That was something to celebrate as it's just unheard of with all the health issues I've had to deal with. Other than my Endocrinologist dealing with my thyroid, I didn't need to see an MD for any kind of illness for an entire year .... and still going! I did however, see my chiropractor anywhere from 2x a week to 1x a month just depending on my needs and what was going on. I firmly believe in and highly recommend alternative treatments for people like us with chronic conditions. From the research I've done, alternative therapy is the way to go for managing these chronic illnesses that aren't necessarily seen as true illness. Those of us who deal with them day in and day out know otherwise.
When asked what I've done to "make yourself better" I can't really pinpoint just one thing. It's been a long road of recovery to get to the point I'm at today. Feeling good with occasional flares. listening to my body, taking time to do nothing when I need to, the right mixture of nutrients, protein, and therapy all play a role in healing the body and getting you to a good functioning state of being. I spent a lot of time researching and trying different methods until I started seeing good results. It's a hard long road but at the end of it the results are better health and an overall better quality of life. I know that at any moment I could crumple to the floor in pain and deal with that for an undetermined amount of time, but for the time being I will enjoy where I am with my health.
Like many people who deal with chronic illness, I belong to several online support groups. It gets hard to read everyone's postings about how terrible they are doing. In more cases than not, it's usually money that stops people from getting the help and treatment they need to feel better and be a contributing member of their community. So the cycle just continues, day in and day out so many people are suffering. My hope is still what it was when I first started this blog, that if I can help even just one person find a path to getting themselves to a better state of health, then I've succeeded in my mission.
I hope the New Year has found you well and that you are finding ways to manage in your day to day life. Whether you suffer from chronic illness or a loved one does, I encourage you to look back through my postings and try new things in an effort to feel better.
My vow to you today is that I will try to do better with my updates - I just get so busy in life that I forget to come post updates. I will make a conscious effort to update at least 1x a month if not more!
Until next time....to your health!
Sunday, September 6, 2015
My thyroid numbers and medicine changes
First, let me start off by saying how great I've been feeling! I think having my thyroid removed is a huge part of why I'm feeling so great! For years I had a suspicion that a good majority of my medical issues were because of a faulty thyroid - even though the blood work always came back "fine" I knew things were not "fine" and now that I have been without my thyroid for a good 2 months I really believe that the be the case.
After my surgery, I started on 150 mg of Synthroid. I had my blood drawn on Aug 8th and it came back with a low TSH of 0.028 - the normal range is 0.0450-4.5000 so my Dr lowered my dose to 137 mg. What I find most interesting though is that my other numbers are significantly higher than they have ever been. Prior to my surgery and going on the medication my numbers were always in the low range of normal.
Before my surgery, my numbers were:
TSH - 0.749 (within the normal range)
T4 or Thyroxine - 5.4
T3 Uptake - 30
Free T4 1.6
My most recent numbers show improvement and I'm sure why I feel so much better:
TSH - 0.028 (according to my Dr, the number being so low means I have high thyroid hormone which could cause heart problems and why she wanted to lower my medication dose)
T4 -9.8 (up significantly since starting thyroid medication)
T3 Uptake - 34
Free T4 - 3.3
You will see an increase in all the hormones which makes me even more certain that the lower numbers were causing much of my fatigue, fibromyalgia pain and overall lack of being healthy in general. I would argue with anyone who says otherwise considering that it's the only thing that has changed in my life and the result is me feeling like a "normal" person most of the time now.
I will go in and have my numbers checked again later this month or early October to see how the medication adjustment has changed the numbers. I was really worried that dropping the dose of my medication would significantly effect me but so far things seem fine.
On another note, I've lost 18 lbs in the last 3 months. I'm on a mission to lose another 40 to get back to where I was before getting sick. With the new found energy I have, I'm able to get myself to the gym a few days a week to lift weights. I'm really pleased with the changes that I'm starting to see overall.
That's it for this update - I just wanted to be sure to update my numbers and share my success thus far since Surgery - it's really just been about 9 weeks since the surgery but so far everything is going really good.
Until next time - to your health!
After my surgery, I started on 150 mg of Synthroid. I had my blood drawn on Aug 8th and it came back with a low TSH of 0.028 - the normal range is 0.0450-4.5000 so my Dr lowered my dose to 137 mg. What I find most interesting though is that my other numbers are significantly higher than they have ever been. Prior to my surgery and going on the medication my numbers were always in the low range of normal.
Before my surgery, my numbers were:
TSH - 0.749 (within the normal range)
T4 or Thyroxine - 5.4
T3 Uptake - 30
Free T4 1.6
My most recent numbers show improvement and I'm sure why I feel so much better:
TSH - 0.028 (according to my Dr, the number being so low means I have high thyroid hormone which could cause heart problems and why she wanted to lower my medication dose)
T4 -9.8 (up significantly since starting thyroid medication)
T3 Uptake - 34
Free T4 - 3.3
You will see an increase in all the hormones which makes me even more certain that the lower numbers were causing much of my fatigue, fibromyalgia pain and overall lack of being healthy in general. I would argue with anyone who says otherwise considering that it's the only thing that has changed in my life and the result is me feeling like a "normal" person most of the time now.
I will go in and have my numbers checked again later this month or early October to see how the medication adjustment has changed the numbers. I was really worried that dropping the dose of my medication would significantly effect me but so far things seem fine.
On another note, I've lost 18 lbs in the last 3 months. I'm on a mission to lose another 40 to get back to where I was before getting sick. With the new found energy I have, I'm able to get myself to the gym a few days a week to lift weights. I'm really pleased with the changes that I'm starting to see overall.
That's it for this update - I just wanted to be sure to update my numbers and share my success thus far since Surgery - it's really just been about 9 weeks since the surgery but so far everything is going really good.
Until next time - to your health!
Saturday, August 8, 2015
I can't believe how much has changed since the beginning - stick with me here on this recap of my journey so far.......
Hello everyone! I hope this update finds you well!!
So, the summer break is coming to a screeching halt as school in my area starts back up on Monday. That means I go back to work too. BOO on that but hey, it's my job to be there for the kids and that's what I'll be doing! Seems like the summer break just went way too fast this year! We were busy with my surgery, volleyball, and trips so that's most likely why it seems to have gone so fast - tooo fast! I guess though when you are living life instead of watching it pass you by it does go quickly!
This update is going to be chalk full of a lot of great things so I hope you will continue to read. For starters, I saw my Endocrinologist last week for blood work - I am axiously awaiting those results. My thryoid levels, Vitamin D and calcium levels. I'm expecting that they will be great based on how I'm feeling.
As I sit here today, I realized that about 5 years ago exactly is when I first became the sickest I've ever been. As you know, I've been pretty sick at times in my life but this time, my life was changed in so many ways. Initially the changes were not good and the things that were to come over the course of the following year were the worst of the worst for me and my family. Some of the things that happened, I've never talked about because it was/is too personal and painful.......we were at our worst financially, emotionally, and for me, physically with illness that seemed like it would never get better. Early on, before being diagnosed with FMS, I honestly in my heart thought I was going to die. That alone is the scariest feeling to have. Initially, all I could do was lay in bed, sleep and go to Dr's to try to figure out what in the world was going on.
My first diagnosis was bronchitis, then pnemonia......then everything else started happening....migraines, vertigo, terrible pain in my legs and hips that was 100% unexplainable. I saw neurologists, had cat scans, MRI, blood draws, chiropractic care - you name it and NOTHING seemed to help and there were no results from the tests. I began to feel like I was crazy and I think the Dr's thought so too! None of them could make sense of what I was going through. I finally recovered from the bronchial issues but had a migraine and vertigo for 3 months straight - the meds the neurologist put me on helped some but the migraine would come back. The vertigo was just there constantly and the pain in my legs and hips never let up. I could barely walk by myself let alone get out of bed and function. It was the literal rock bottom, the worst. That December of 2010 I finally ended up seeing a Rheumatologist who was the one to diagnose me with FMS. I was SO relieved to have an answer even though I had no clue what it would mean for me. Initially he put me on a medication, I can't recall what but it didn't help so I stopped taking it. We decided at my next visit to just increase the antidepressant that I was on - Effexor - as that was also known to help with FMS pain at higher doses. So he doubled it and within a day the pain in my legs vanished!! PROGRESS! Slowly over the course of another few months I was feeling well enough to be out of bed and sit in "my chair"......that is when I started doing mad research on Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue (which I had been diagnosed with many years prior) Lupus (which I suspected I had due to the tell-tell rash I always got on my face), Lyme disease which was suspect due to all my symptoms and life history of illness........and I started my blog to document all the stuff I was finding. I began to think that if I could help even just one other person that it would all be worth it because NOBODY deserves to live like I was......and I now know that way too many people do!
So that is, in a nutshell, the beginning of my story and journey. I started looking for natural ways to heal myself - I knew that I couldn't live like that forever and I had a family to take care of. I was in search of natural ways to heal myself because I knew I couldn't be on pain killers and medications for the rest of my life. I started juicing, was contemplating going to the Mayo Clinic for help but ended up finding a Dr about an hour away that dealt primarily in FMS. I began seeing him 1x a week for a year. My treatment included acupuncture, massage and chiropractic care. One of the first things he did was a blood panel that looked at all my micronutrients - come to find out I was depleted of all my antioxidants so I immediately started on them all - I must of been taking 10-15 different supplements - it's all in previous blog posts with pictures....seriously crazy stuff. After going 1x a week for 6 months I started to feel somewhat normal again - seriously relieved that I could drive and function on a somewhat normal level but I still didn't feel "normal" whatever that was.
After a year of driving an hour each way to see this Dr I found a local chiropractor who specialized in chronic illness, specifically FMS so I started to see him. Now that I was feeling so much better I felt that change could happen. He did a follow up on the blood work and this time all my levels were good. So I was able to stop taking the multiple pills and go down to about 5 different vitamins. I saw him weekly as well to keep my spinal health in good condition and had him do acupuncture on me as needed.
Slowly I was feeling better......my business that I had for 12 years leading up to this was gone...since I couldn't work to save my life......other things we had were gone......but my life was moving on. Don't get me wrong, I was still having pain, fatigued beyond belief but I was out of bed and functioning to the best of my ability. The pain wasn't constant but would pop up randomly and was definitely there.
Now let's fast forward a bit. My thyroid started to become a huge issue - as you know that's dealt with now. I'm finally feeling like things are looking up all around. When I exercise I get pain in my hips, my hips are always the problem for me. But with regular chiropractic care that seems to help a lot.
People who are like me and have multiple issues with health have to deal with things one at a time.....there is so much going on that we just have to pick one thing to handle......it's taken me 5 yrs to get a handle on everything and the last thing to deal with is my weight......since getting sick 5 yrs ago I've gained 65 lbs - SIXTY FIVE POUNDS! That's 13# a year, which doesn't seem like a lot but year after year it added up to where I am now. I think my thyroid, laying in bed, having no energy, eating on the go and fast food is definitely to blame......my lack of motivation to do anything about it and lack of knowing what to do about it too. It seemed like such a huge feat to try to lose it all,,,,,,,,and I didn't know where to even begin. Getting to the gym was not an option because I had no energy....none. Cooking healthy didn't happen, no energy. Ordering pizza, getting subway or other fast food was easy, so that's pretty much what we did.
Everything started to change when a friend of mine introduced me to a company that is focused on lifestyle, weight loss and fitness. I researched this until I was blue in the face as I didn't want another scam or gimmick to deal with. I didn't want to waste money or time that I didn't have. I've tried it all, believe me. There are so many out there, so many that don't work that I wasn't about to take a chance on another failure. Honestly, it's taken me a couple years to really get on board with this and already in just a couple months I'm down 14 lbs, feeling the best I've felt in as long as I can remember, my skin issues are clearing up and I have energy - yes energy! I want to scream from the mountain tops. Here is a little video that tells you about it.
I'll be 100% honest - I've done the challenge before and lost some weight then as well (2013) but I was still dealing with stress and my illnesses and didn't really give my lifestyle, ways of looking at food and eating the attention I should have. I wasn't eating right and wasn't sticking to a better eating plan. Because of that, I gained back what I lost initially. As would anyone who goes back to eating out, fast food, sugars and all the processed crap that is in our face everyday. It takes some effort to eat better than that. It's a lifestyle change and that takes time and energy I just didn't have to give. Be honest, it's easier to stay the same and not work on betting ourselves UNTIL we hit that point that we know something has to be done. I'm on TWO medications for the rest of my life - Synthroid for my thryoid and Effexor because #1 the withdrawls to come off it will send me in a downward spiral I'm not willing to endure and #2 it was the only thing that helped my hip pain. Not bad for someone who has all the chronic illnesses I have.
I've been on this challenge now for 2 months and I'm down 14 lbs and 10 inches overall. I'm feeling the best I've felt in as long as I can remember. I have energy to do things with my kids and husband.....I'm starting to work out at the gym - WHAT? Yes, working out at the gym! This is a new me that I'm loving! At the rate I'm going, I expect I'll be down to the size I was 5 yrs ago PRE-ILLNESS by mid 2016, maybe even sooner. And it doesn't end there! Once I'm down to where I began I plan on maintaining that with my new lifestyle and living the life I only dreamed I could! Do I avoid going out to eat, NO....Do I get to enjoy treats time to time - absolutely! Is it hard? Sometimes but those are the times that I have to be strong and remember WHY I'm doing what I am.
Remember, I have always said that I started this blog and share information in hopes that I can help someone which is ultimately exactly what I want to do. If I can help someone change their life and circumstances then I have succeeded in my mission. This is no different. I know there are people out there who have struggled with weight gain and an inability to lose it for whatever reason. Just like me, it seems that no matter what you do, aside from starving yourself, you can't lose the weight. I've always said if I even look at a piece of cake I gain 10lbs - because that is how I really felt. I struggled to control my cravings and didn't even try to have will power when faced with an opportunity to have cookies, cake, ice cream, pizza, burgers - all the good stuff that isn't so good in the long run. Right now, I can walk away from it all - because I'm seeing how much better I feel without it. Even without going to the gym I'm losing the weight just from changing the way I'm eating.
If you are reading this now - congratulations for sticking it out! I know this is long but I have so much to say - I could continue but this is enough for now. I'm just so excited about where this long journey has taken me and where it will continue to take me. I'm sure I will have set backs, we all do...I'm not perfect and the healing process is long - we all have to remember how long it took us to get where we are and allow the time to change ourselves inside and out.
I encourage anyone out there to reach out to me to talk if you want some guidance - that's why I'm here - my mission is to help anyone and everyone who is ready for change in their life, suffering from illness and ready to do something and make changes. I've taken the journey and am still on it....
Until next time - to your health - xoxoxoxo
So, the summer break is coming to a screeching halt as school in my area starts back up on Monday. That means I go back to work too. BOO on that but hey, it's my job to be there for the kids and that's what I'll be doing! Seems like the summer break just went way too fast this year! We were busy with my surgery, volleyball, and trips so that's most likely why it seems to have gone so fast - tooo fast! I guess though when you are living life instead of watching it pass you by it does go quickly!
This update is going to be chalk full of a lot of great things so I hope you will continue to read. For starters, I saw my Endocrinologist last week for blood work - I am axiously awaiting those results. My thryoid levels, Vitamin D and calcium levels. I'm expecting that they will be great based on how I'm feeling.
As I sit here today, I realized that about 5 years ago exactly is when I first became the sickest I've ever been. As you know, I've been pretty sick at times in my life but this time, my life was changed in so many ways. Initially the changes were not good and the things that were to come over the course of the following year were the worst of the worst for me and my family. Some of the things that happened, I've never talked about because it was/is too personal and painful.......we were at our worst financially, emotionally, and for me, physically with illness that seemed like it would never get better. Early on, before being diagnosed with FMS, I honestly in my heart thought I was going to die. That alone is the scariest feeling to have. Initially, all I could do was lay in bed, sleep and go to Dr's to try to figure out what in the world was going on.
My first diagnosis was bronchitis, then pnemonia......then everything else started happening....migraines, vertigo, terrible pain in my legs and hips that was 100% unexplainable. I saw neurologists, had cat scans, MRI, blood draws, chiropractic care - you name it and NOTHING seemed to help and there were no results from the tests. I began to feel like I was crazy and I think the Dr's thought so too! None of them could make sense of what I was going through. I finally recovered from the bronchial issues but had a migraine and vertigo for 3 months straight - the meds the neurologist put me on helped some but the migraine would come back. The vertigo was just there constantly and the pain in my legs and hips never let up. I could barely walk by myself let alone get out of bed and function. It was the literal rock bottom, the worst. That December of 2010 I finally ended up seeing a Rheumatologist who was the one to diagnose me with FMS. I was SO relieved to have an answer even though I had no clue what it would mean for me. Initially he put me on a medication, I can't recall what but it didn't help so I stopped taking it. We decided at my next visit to just increase the antidepressant that I was on - Effexor - as that was also known to help with FMS pain at higher doses. So he doubled it and within a day the pain in my legs vanished!! PROGRESS! Slowly over the course of another few months I was feeling well enough to be out of bed and sit in "my chair"......that is when I started doing mad research on Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue (which I had been diagnosed with many years prior) Lupus (which I suspected I had due to the tell-tell rash I always got on my face), Lyme disease which was suspect due to all my symptoms and life history of illness........and I started my blog to document all the stuff I was finding. I began to think that if I could help even just one other person that it would all be worth it because NOBODY deserves to live like I was......and I now know that way too many people do!
So that is, in a nutshell, the beginning of my story and journey. I started looking for natural ways to heal myself - I knew that I couldn't live like that forever and I had a family to take care of. I was in search of natural ways to heal myself because I knew I couldn't be on pain killers and medications for the rest of my life. I started juicing, was contemplating going to the Mayo Clinic for help but ended up finding a Dr about an hour away that dealt primarily in FMS. I began seeing him 1x a week for a year. My treatment included acupuncture, massage and chiropractic care. One of the first things he did was a blood panel that looked at all my micronutrients - come to find out I was depleted of all my antioxidants so I immediately started on them all - I must of been taking 10-15 different supplements - it's all in previous blog posts with pictures....seriously crazy stuff. After going 1x a week for 6 months I started to feel somewhat normal again - seriously relieved that I could drive and function on a somewhat normal level but I still didn't feel "normal" whatever that was.
After a year of driving an hour each way to see this Dr I found a local chiropractor who specialized in chronic illness, specifically FMS so I started to see him. Now that I was feeling so much better I felt that change could happen. He did a follow up on the blood work and this time all my levels were good. So I was able to stop taking the multiple pills and go down to about 5 different vitamins. I saw him weekly as well to keep my spinal health in good condition and had him do acupuncture on me as needed.
Slowly I was feeling better......my business that I had for 12 years leading up to this was gone...since I couldn't work to save my life......other things we had were gone......but my life was moving on. Don't get me wrong, I was still having pain, fatigued beyond belief but I was out of bed and functioning to the best of my ability. The pain wasn't constant but would pop up randomly and was definitely there.
Now let's fast forward a bit. My thyroid started to become a huge issue - as you know that's dealt with now. I'm finally feeling like things are looking up all around. When I exercise I get pain in my hips, my hips are always the problem for me. But with regular chiropractic care that seems to help a lot.
People who are like me and have multiple issues with health have to deal with things one at a time.....there is so much going on that we just have to pick one thing to handle......it's taken me 5 yrs to get a handle on everything and the last thing to deal with is my weight......since getting sick 5 yrs ago I've gained 65 lbs - SIXTY FIVE POUNDS! That's 13# a year, which doesn't seem like a lot but year after year it added up to where I am now. I think my thyroid, laying in bed, having no energy, eating on the go and fast food is definitely to blame......my lack of motivation to do anything about it and lack of knowing what to do about it too. It seemed like such a huge feat to try to lose it all,,,,,,,,and I didn't know where to even begin. Getting to the gym was not an option because I had no energy....none. Cooking healthy didn't happen, no energy. Ordering pizza, getting subway or other fast food was easy, so that's pretty much what we did.
Everything started to change when a friend of mine introduced me to a company that is focused on lifestyle, weight loss and fitness. I researched this until I was blue in the face as I didn't want another scam or gimmick to deal with. I didn't want to waste money or time that I didn't have. I've tried it all, believe me. There are so many out there, so many that don't work that I wasn't about to take a chance on another failure. Honestly, it's taken me a couple years to really get on board with this and already in just a couple months I'm down 14 lbs, feeling the best I've felt in as long as I can remember, my skin issues are clearing up and I have energy - yes energy! I want to scream from the mountain tops. Here is a little video that tells you about it.
If this video doesn't play you can also view it here - just click on the first video
I'll be 100% honest - I've done the challenge before and lost some weight then as well (2013) but I was still dealing with stress and my illnesses and didn't really give my lifestyle, ways of looking at food and eating the attention I should have. I wasn't eating right and wasn't sticking to a better eating plan. Because of that, I gained back what I lost initially. As would anyone who goes back to eating out, fast food, sugars and all the processed crap that is in our face everyday. It takes some effort to eat better than that. It's a lifestyle change and that takes time and energy I just didn't have to give. Be honest, it's easier to stay the same and not work on betting ourselves UNTIL we hit that point that we know something has to be done. I'm on TWO medications for the rest of my life - Synthroid for my thryoid and Effexor because #1 the withdrawls to come off it will send me in a downward spiral I'm not willing to endure and #2 it was the only thing that helped my hip pain. Not bad for someone who has all the chronic illnesses I have.
I've been on this challenge now for 2 months and I'm down 14 lbs and 10 inches overall. I'm feeling the best I've felt in as long as I can remember. I have energy to do things with my kids and husband.....I'm starting to work out at the gym - WHAT? Yes, working out at the gym! This is a new me that I'm loving! At the rate I'm going, I expect I'll be down to the size I was 5 yrs ago PRE-ILLNESS by mid 2016, maybe even sooner. And it doesn't end there! Once I'm down to where I began I plan on maintaining that with my new lifestyle and living the life I only dreamed I could! Do I avoid going out to eat, NO....Do I get to enjoy treats time to time - absolutely! Is it hard? Sometimes but those are the times that I have to be strong and remember WHY I'm doing what I am.
Remember, I have always said that I started this blog and share information in hopes that I can help someone which is ultimately exactly what I want to do. If I can help someone change their life and circumstances then I have succeeded in my mission. This is no different. I know there are people out there who have struggled with weight gain and an inability to lose it for whatever reason. Just like me, it seems that no matter what you do, aside from starving yourself, you can't lose the weight. I've always said if I even look at a piece of cake I gain 10lbs - because that is how I really felt. I struggled to control my cravings and didn't even try to have will power when faced with an opportunity to have cookies, cake, ice cream, pizza, burgers - all the good stuff that isn't so good in the long run. Right now, I can walk away from it all - because I'm seeing how much better I feel without it. Even without going to the gym I'm losing the weight just from changing the way I'm eating.
If you are reading this now - congratulations for sticking it out! I know this is long but I have so much to say - I could continue but this is enough for now. I'm just so excited about where this long journey has taken me and where it will continue to take me. I'm sure I will have set backs, we all do...I'm not perfect and the healing process is long - we all have to remember how long it took us to get where we are and allow the time to change ourselves inside and out.
I encourage anyone out there to reach out to me to talk if you want some guidance - that's why I'm here - my mission is to help anyone and everyone who is ready for change in their life, suffering from illness and ready to do something and make changes. I've taken the journey and am still on it....
Until next time - to your health - xoxoxoxo
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Three weeks post surgery, no changes
Hello!
Well here I am 3 wks post surgery and really, I don't feel like there has been any change in how I feel. I realize it takes time so I'm hopeful. I have a follow up with my endocrine the first week in August for another blood test to see how my levels look.
I just finished a very busy week with my daughter and her High School volleyball team. We had two big camps we attended. It was busy and I'm glad it's done. This next week doesn't have many plans which I'm glad about - time to rest up! The following week will be another busy one with another volleyball camp and a trip to California to see my family. I'm the only one going and it will be a nice break/vacation before school starts again, which means I go back to work.
While my blog has mostly been about Fibromyalgia I am going to start including some things on Thyroid disease and hypothyroidism. I think there are links between the two. So as I get information I'll be including it here in link and just general information.
I don't really have a lot to report right now......I'm healing well from my surgery and hoping to see some changes as time goes on. I'm currently on a 150mg dose of Synthroid which I'm beginning to wonder if it's too low since I'm really not seeing any kind of difference in how I feel overall. I know that this particular medication is a T4 replacement and I wonder about the T3 - something to ask the dr and do a little research on. I know Amour is another medication that replaces both the T4 and T3 so we'll see.
Until next time - to your health!
Gerri
Well here I am 3 wks post surgery and really, I don't feel like there has been any change in how I feel. I realize it takes time so I'm hopeful. I have a follow up with my endocrine the first week in August for another blood test to see how my levels look.
I just finished a very busy week with my daughter and her High School volleyball team. We had two big camps we attended. It was busy and I'm glad it's done. This next week doesn't have many plans which I'm glad about - time to rest up! The following week will be another busy one with another volleyball camp and a trip to California to see my family. I'm the only one going and it will be a nice break/vacation before school starts again, which means I go back to work.
While my blog has mostly been about Fibromyalgia I am going to start including some things on Thyroid disease and hypothyroidism. I think there are links between the two. So as I get information I'll be including it here in link and just general information.
I don't really have a lot to report right now......I'm healing well from my surgery and hoping to see some changes as time goes on. I'm currently on a 150mg dose of Synthroid which I'm beginning to wonder if it's too low since I'm really not seeing any kind of difference in how I feel overall. I know that this particular medication is a T4 replacement and I wonder about the T3 - something to ask the dr and do a little research on. I know Amour is another medication that replaces both the T4 and T3 so we'll see.
Until next time - to your health!
Gerri
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Thyroid Surgery, Synthroid, Recovery and more......
Hello! I'm here, alive and doing pretty well! Had my surgery on June 26th which I want to share that experience with everyone......
Surgery took about 3 hrs - apparently my thyroid growths were pretty big, bigger than the Dr expected and growing down into my chest! That was a surprise when he told us that! Clearly a good thing I went with the surgery to get it removed. Pain after surgery was pretty high mostly inside my throat and upper chest - it hurt pretty bad - the incision itself didn't really bother me though. It was swallowing and taking a deep breathe that I struggled with. The Dr had told me to expect some pain in my throat due to the large breathing tube they use in order to monitor the nerves to the vocal cord. So the pain wasn't a surprise really but the amount of time I've had it has been. I'm almost 2 wks out from surgery and my throat still hurts to a degree. Not nearly as bad as it did but it still hurts when I swallow. Hoping that goes away in the next week. I have my follow up on Thursday the 9th (tomorrow).
The day after surgery I started on Synthroid, the hormone to replace the thyroid function which I'll be on for life. So far I suppose it's working, I don't feel any ill effects or any good effects for that matter....I feel fine really. I'm hoping I don't have any issues with the dosage - they started me on 150mg which I was told was the normal starting dose based on weight. I suppose if I lose weight, which is my intention, they may have to adjust the dosage.
So all in all, not a lot to report with surgery, recovery has been good, I've just been taking it easy and resting a lot and as I feel I need to.
I'm hoping my energy levels improve but so far I haven't noticed much of a difference. As I continue to recover and go on in life without my thyroid I'm hoping that things change in the area of my energy and that I get more of it.......I've lived so long with this chronic fatigue and low energy/metabolism I am really looking forward to possibly having better energy and a faster metabolism but we'll see. While in the hospital I also found out that I still have low Vitamin D levels, so I'm going to start taking that supplement again to improve in that area which could also help with the energy.
To be honest, I'm so very tired of having all these "issues". At times I wonder if I really have all the things the Dr's have told me I have - Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Lupus......All the symptoms for each really go hand in hand and cross over one another that I find it hard to believe sometimes......are my diagnosis really that or just because the Dr's couldn't figure out why I have the issues I have had. I know I have Lupus as the blood test came back positive for that and I have the tell-tell signs of it.
Now, in addition to continuing to heal, I'm on a mission to lose this weight I've put on. I've started back on the Body By Vi program, you can check it out here - Body by Visalus - It's really helpful with controlling hunger and providing the nutrients our bodies need to keep us healthy and strong. I like it because I can drink a shake for breakfast which I usually skip anyway. It's a great program if you want to start a challenge, please check it out and let me know - you can win money and with every 10lbs you lose you also help a child in need. The program is fantastic and you get tons of support! Since starting on the challenge 23 days ago I've already lost 9lbs!!
Everyday is still a challenge and I'm not sure what to expect. One day I'm great and the next I'm feeling sick. Yesterday was a day full of nausea and just not feeling well. I've also developed some issues in my gut causing me to stay close to the bathroom most of the time.
That's about all I can give you for an update - I'll post again soon as I continue to heal and become the better version of myself.
Until then....To your health!
Gerri
Surgery took about 3 hrs - apparently my thyroid growths were pretty big, bigger than the Dr expected and growing down into my chest! That was a surprise when he told us that! Clearly a good thing I went with the surgery to get it removed. Pain after surgery was pretty high mostly inside my throat and upper chest - it hurt pretty bad - the incision itself didn't really bother me though. It was swallowing and taking a deep breathe that I struggled with. The Dr had told me to expect some pain in my throat due to the large breathing tube they use in order to monitor the nerves to the vocal cord. So the pain wasn't a surprise really but the amount of time I've had it has been. I'm almost 2 wks out from surgery and my throat still hurts to a degree. Not nearly as bad as it did but it still hurts when I swallow. Hoping that goes away in the next week. I have my follow up on Thursday the 9th (tomorrow).
The day after surgery I started on Synthroid, the hormone to replace the thyroid function which I'll be on for life. So far I suppose it's working, I don't feel any ill effects or any good effects for that matter....I feel fine really. I'm hoping I don't have any issues with the dosage - they started me on 150mg which I was told was the normal starting dose based on weight. I suppose if I lose weight, which is my intention, they may have to adjust the dosage.
So all in all, not a lot to report with surgery, recovery has been good, I've just been taking it easy and resting a lot and as I feel I need to.
I'm hoping my energy levels improve but so far I haven't noticed much of a difference. As I continue to recover and go on in life without my thyroid I'm hoping that things change in the area of my energy and that I get more of it.......I've lived so long with this chronic fatigue and low energy/metabolism I am really looking forward to possibly having better energy and a faster metabolism but we'll see. While in the hospital I also found out that I still have low Vitamin D levels, so I'm going to start taking that supplement again to improve in that area which could also help with the energy.
To be honest, I'm so very tired of having all these "issues". At times I wonder if I really have all the things the Dr's have told me I have - Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Lupus......All the symptoms for each really go hand in hand and cross over one another that I find it hard to believe sometimes......are my diagnosis really that or just because the Dr's couldn't figure out why I have the issues I have had. I know I have Lupus as the blood test came back positive for that and I have the tell-tell signs of it.
Now, in addition to continuing to heal, I'm on a mission to lose this weight I've put on. I've started back on the Body By Vi program, you can check it out here - Body by Visalus - It's really helpful with controlling hunger and providing the nutrients our bodies need to keep us healthy and strong. I like it because I can drink a shake for breakfast which I usually skip anyway. It's a great program if you want to start a challenge, please check it out and let me know - you can win money and with every 10lbs you lose you also help a child in need. The program is fantastic and you get tons of support! Since starting on the challenge 23 days ago I've already lost 9lbs!!
Everyday is still a challenge and I'm not sure what to expect. One day I'm great and the next I'm feeling sick. Yesterday was a day full of nausea and just not feeling well. I've also developed some issues in my gut causing me to stay close to the bathroom most of the time.
That's about all I can give you for an update - I'll post again soon as I continue to heal and become the better version of myself.
Until then....To your health!
Gerri
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
More on Teeth, Thyroid surgery
Hello everyone!
I have some updates for you since my last post (note that I'm really trying to stay on top of this blog! Today is May 3rd.....) Just a small victory in my world of many set backs!
So for starters, I got my new crown placed - that was all great but the dentist informed me that I still need a lot of work in my mouth - 3 crown replacements and one of my molars has a crack and needs a filling. My priority is dealing with the cracked molar so I don't end up losing it too! That appointment has been made although now that I'm looking for the date I don't see it on my calendar so I'll need to call and make sure I really made the appointment. Gotta love the fibro brain!
I saw the surgeon on Thursday last week. He said because one of my many goiters is 6 cm in size, very large for a goiter, the thyroid should come out. He explained that with goiters 4cm and larger they automatically want to take it out due to increased risk of cancer. He said even though my biopsies have been benign, there still is the chance of having cancer cells that either were not captured or will develop. He followed that up with telling me that those cancer cells may never do anything but they prefer to get rid of any potential of having cancer. I agree with that! We discussed what that means for me - basically taking a pill everyday for life, a scar on the base of my neck and possible issues with calcium which would be treated with high doses of calcium. He did discuss with me the possible risk of vocal cord issues or voice box issues to which he said the risk is only about 1% and usually temporary in nature. He said it doesn't mean my voice would be lost but that I would have a hoarse sounding voice for an unknown length of time that generally fixes itself unless there is nerve damage. Hospital stay over night and potentially a drain for a week. He said the drain will help fluids that might want to accumulate due to the large vacancy that will be left from the 6cm goiter.
So I have that surgery scheduled for June 26th. Due to the continued growth of goiters on the thyroid I feel my best option is to remove it to stop the growths. Taking a pill forever is an easy fix and I won't have to deal with the painful biopsies every year anymore.
According to research, there is a link between fibromyalgia and thyroid problems. There are a lot of thyroid diseases so I personally find it hard to make the connection especially if the hormones are within a normal range when tested. I have tried for years to tell my endocrinologist that I think I have hypothyroidism but she insists that my blood work proves otherwise because all my numbers fall within the "normal" range.
(Note that I started writing this on May 3rd, today I am finishing it and it's June 23rd - I guess my quest to stay on top of it kind of failed with end of the school year and summer coming upon us....but hey, at least I came back to it!)
So back to those Normal ranges. Since I wrote the above, I had another blood test to check my numbers - the following information is what I was given.
The blood tests ordered were TSH, Thyroxine (T4), T3 uptake
I have some updates for you since my last post (note that I'm really trying to stay on top of this blog! Today is May 3rd.....) Just a small victory in my world of many set backs!
So for starters, I got my new crown placed - that was all great but the dentist informed me that I still need a lot of work in my mouth - 3 crown replacements and one of my molars has a crack and needs a filling. My priority is dealing with the cracked molar so I don't end up losing it too! That appointment has been made although now that I'm looking for the date I don't see it on my calendar so I'll need to call and make sure I really made the appointment. Gotta love the fibro brain!
I saw the surgeon on Thursday last week. He said because one of my many goiters is 6 cm in size, very large for a goiter, the thyroid should come out. He explained that with goiters 4cm and larger they automatically want to take it out due to increased risk of cancer. He said even though my biopsies have been benign, there still is the chance of having cancer cells that either were not captured or will develop. He followed that up with telling me that those cancer cells may never do anything but they prefer to get rid of any potential of having cancer. I agree with that! We discussed what that means for me - basically taking a pill everyday for life, a scar on the base of my neck and possible issues with calcium which would be treated with high doses of calcium. He did discuss with me the possible risk of vocal cord issues or voice box issues to which he said the risk is only about 1% and usually temporary in nature. He said it doesn't mean my voice would be lost but that I would have a hoarse sounding voice for an unknown length of time that generally fixes itself unless there is nerve damage. Hospital stay over night and potentially a drain for a week. He said the drain will help fluids that might want to accumulate due to the large vacancy that will be left from the 6cm goiter.
So I have that surgery scheduled for June 26th. Due to the continued growth of goiters on the thyroid I feel my best option is to remove it to stop the growths. Taking a pill forever is an easy fix and I won't have to deal with the painful biopsies every year anymore.
According to research, there is a link between fibromyalgia and thyroid problems. There are a lot of thyroid diseases so I personally find it hard to make the connection especially if the hormones are within a normal range when tested. I have tried for years to tell my endocrinologist that I think I have hypothyroidism but she insists that my blood work proves otherwise because all my numbers fall within the "normal" range.
(Note that I started writing this on May 3rd, today I am finishing it and it's June 23rd - I guess my quest to stay on top of it kind of failed with end of the school year and summer coming upon us....but hey, at least I came back to it!)
So back to those Normal ranges. Since I wrote the above, I had another blood test to check my numbers - the following information is what I was given.
The blood tests ordered were TSH, Thyroxine (T4), T3 uptake
- TSH - 0.749 (Normal ranges for this lab - 0.450-4.500) I'm barely above normal
- Thyroxine (T4) - 5.4 (normal ranges 4.5-12.0) This one is low
- T3 uptake - 30 (normal ranges 24-39) This one seems OK
- Free T4 1.6 (normal ranges 1.2-4.9) This one again, just above the normal zone
Does anyone notice something with my numbers? The first thing I thought was that my numbers, while "normal" are very, very much on the lowest end of normal. This could explain and account for a lot of health problems and general issues I deal with daily!
I'm pretty nervous as I approach my surgery. Today the hospital called with details for the day of - I have to arrive at the hospital to check in at 5:30 am and the surgery is scheduled for 7:30 am. I'll be there over night and as long as everything is good they will let me go home the next day.
I just really hope everything goes well and that I don't have any issues with my thyroid levels after all is said and done. I'm hoping the meds they put me on will raise the low numbers - that would mean the Dr will have to prescribe me the "right" dose from the beginning.....praying for that!
I want to go back to the numbers real quick. Each lab has a different "normal" range for those thyroid numbers. So out of curiosity, I went and searched on google for normal thyroid numbers and found that is could vary from 0.3 to 5.0 and anywhere in between as "normal".....my immediate question is "normal for WHO?" Not me, that's for sure! I would be willing to put money down that if my low numbers were raised I would notice a huge difference in how I feel on a regular basis, day to day.........
Enough thyroid talk, school was done June 4th for me, the kids were out a week before that. My daughter took a little over a week to spend with her auntie and grandma (she calls her "bacca" and it really doesn't mean anything, the kids made it up when they were babies) in California. She had pictures done for her birthday and enjoyed being with the family.
Ryan went to a spring football camp with his high school and enjoyed that. He is in strength/conditioning through the summer through his school as well. Come fall he will hopefully be playing a little football! I just run the kids back and forth anymore :)
Taylor turned 16 on June 8th, that same day she got her driver permit and a job as a cashier at Wal-Mart. She is playing volleyball 3 hours a day as well right now getting ready for upcoming team camps she will be participating in for the rest of the summer.
BUSY is an understatement for our little family but it's good this way, keeps us all out of trouble ;)
So as I approach my surgery I want to wish you well and please send me a little extra positive thoughts and visions of healing fast.
Until next time......(I will try to post an update on my surgery as soonas I can!)
Gerri :)
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