The Longer Term Effects of Hashimoto Thyroiditis

 

To start off, I remember how my skin would turn dry and my hair unhealthy. I finally got to the point where I could not stay awake for a total of more than 8 hours a day; so I had to sleep, and I could not concentrate on anything.

I had all the time just to sleep. There was no way I could survive a schedule full time; I felt like a zombie. In 2002, I slowly started to swing at the end of the spectrum and opted antidepressants. There was nothing wrong with my life, there was nothing to be depressed about, but I felt that my brain is not working.

Be that as it may, I felt very bad. My athletics, which was a great source of fun, activity, and social life, deteriorated. Everything seemed like too much effort. The muscles in my back and my ribs were cramping. I felt like in slow motion; my legs were like an elephant’s trunk. It was so obviously that I looked awful. My whole face was dull, my hair was dry and my skin peeling, my nails were brittle; and, I had to take care of my energy.

My Doctor suggested that I tried antidepressants and said, “Maybe this is a normal tire after these races”. One day I saw another doctor in the same office. The problem with all doctors was that they kept saying that they always thought it was because I was running. My brain felt old.

I wanted to take a few health and nursing lessons

However, I could not even read a newspaper article. I could not remember the first sentence when at the end of a paragraph. A friend suggested that I have my thyroid checked. Nobody had ever assumed such; not even physicians. I asked the doctor about it, and she agreed. A few days after my blood test, I was called to the office. “Your TSH is a bit high; we have to check.”

It took a while for me to get an appointment as a new patient in a few months with an Endocrinologist who looked at me skeptically. They threw some samples of Levoxyl to me and told me to take another blood test and return after 6-8 weeks. In eight weeks I returned. My TSH was not moving. They raised up the dosage. In like eight weeks my TSH was back in the normal range 5.5.

As a matter of fact, I did not feel better. However, I went back to the family doctor; who sent me to another endocrinologist. This time, I waited almost three months to get an appointment. They ran a few more tests. They said it was an autoimmune reaction of the body; although, it made no difference in the treatment of thyroid. If my thyroid levels are normal; why do I still feel like a zombie? Nevertheless, I did not get much sleep; but I could not concentrate. Still, I felt terrible.

I went online and started digging for health information about hashimoto.

Initially I diagnosed myself with gluten intolerance and actually tried a gluten-free diet for a few weeks, with no improvements in my condition.

It took me forever to figure out what I was reading and that I was suffering from a health condition called hashimoto thyroiditis. I have had high levels of both antibodies to show I was suffering. My new doctor explained that hashimoto can lead to fluctuations in the production of thyroid hormones; so you get periods of hyperthyroidism, until finally; there is much damage to the thyroid gland to become hypothyroidism. But there is always the possibility of developing Graves’ disease at a given time; or thyroid cancer.. perhaps benign nodules problems.

It does not look good at all. He forced me to do an ultrasound, and I had a goiter and a few small nodules, but he did not care about them. He said that he had to see what they’ve done over the years. First of all, it looked like my thyroid was uneven and lumpy as he described it. This was the effect of hashimoto destroying my normal thyroid tissue. I wondered how long it lasted.

Some people have health symptoms of chronic hypothyroidism

This is because the active T3 thyroid hormone is absent. Many of these people in society do well when replacing T3. I always fight. I need to keep frequent checks on my thyroid. In the past, if I work hard or stress, and suddenly cut back on my training, I felt less need for replacement. I work part-time than full-time nursing, it is so tiring, making 12-hour shifts. If I run into the situation and have a normal life with energy; I have to cut back on something.

I’m good at it and keep fit in recent years in the racing world for a few days and dared harder. I have three races of 48 hours, and a few races over 100 miles. It took some time to treat my form after many years of struggle to get my thyroid and build courage for nursing school again; but I like it so much running as usual, and I feel like things are in balance.

You can run and do well in ultras with hashimoto thyroid disease. But, it will take a little more care and discipline on your part. You should listen carefully to your body and have to be persistent and in good touch with the doctor.

To assure physicians that they should get my thyroid checked usually once a year was a challenge. Doctors do not always understand the athletes. What doctors do not understand; especially with the athletes, is that good it is good indicators that the body needs to be checked as frequently; and even more than required.

I tend to be a little much better without laboratories, though

My T3 reduced to normal range; and I feel good now. I do not know where I’ll be if I did not take Cytomel. It was amazing a drug for me. Athletes who compete and prepare for a long time know their body very well. If your doctor is not an athlete; they could not understand. Find a doctor who listens to you and respects your wisdom about your own health and body. However, I was lucky because I came back to Colorado. My doctor is the assistant to the doctor; whom I knew more than 15 years and understood them; and they listened to me.

Now, I’m a nurse, I have pity for my patients who are struggling; especially when doctors are not. I make it a priority to ensure that the patient gets the answers to their questions; and to understand that they have options. In health care, listen to your customers. Ask what they need to make the most of their lives.

 

Click here to forward on to the next article about Disease of Hypothyroidism, What is Jenna’s Situation?