Hi fellow nice person.
Dropped Simon off at school this morning and stopped by the credit union to deposit a check. At the teller's counter was a framed sign that said,
hi fellow nice person
I love that. Seriously. How can you read that and not smile just a bit? I think it is a brilliant form of putting out there what you want to see in the world. I wonder if it has made an impact on how people treat the tellers? Or if a grouchy person has gone in and come out just a tad less grouchy?
A week ago Chris and I had an interaction with a very nice woman who made a pretty big impact on me. She is definitely on my nice person list.
We were at a local place that sells rocks and mulch and such (we are having our backyard landscaped). After looking around at all the different sorts of pavers we went into the office to talk about price and ask a couple of other questions. At the end of our conversation with the woman at the counter she asked me my name and said the following, "May I say something personal to you?"
Um, ok, thinking maybe she reads the magazine or has a child or relative with autism or wants to know what it is like being married to a politician.
"Sure." I said with a sideways glance over to Chris.
"It looks like your thyroid is enlarged."
First thought: um, what is my thyroid? And where do you see this? She touched her neck to show where it is and I touched mine (thinking I have always just had a big neck which Chris confirmed later on that was what he was thinking at that moment too). My response, "Oh, really?"
She went on to tell us about her mother and her daughter who have both had issues related to their thyroids. She talked about some of the symptoms of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism and other related issues such as Graves Disease and thyroid cancer. She mentioned words like depression, weight gain, and fatigue and I found myself listening a bit closer.
I could tell that she was somewhat uncomfortable bringing this all up but that she felt she needed to. She was kind and genuine and even though it was strange, it did not feel intrusive.
"You should call your doctor and get it checked out." She said.
I told her that I really appreciated her bringing it up (even though I still really didn't know what she was talking about) and that I would get it checked out. I think I said something cliche along the lines, "better safe than sorry."
Chris and I said goodbye and walked out to the car. Of course I am totally touching my neck the whole time.
We get home and the first thing I do is jump on the computer and google information on enlarged thyroid.
I start reading about goiters and then go into the bathroom and look at my neck in the mirror. My thyroid is totally enlarged. Not noticeable enough to me as I looked at myself every morning and evening while brushing my teeth, but now that I was aware it was definitely there.
So I call my doctor. Get an appointment for that afternoon. And yep, she tells me, I definitely have an enlarged thyroid. I tell her the story of what brought me to this point. We laugh. She schedules an ultrasound to see what's happening with the enlargement and I go have my blood taken to check for hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.
I call my mama. Of course I do. She tells me that my Grandmother has hypothyroidism and that she has taken medication for years and years. I call the doctor back and have that information added to the file.
The doctor called two nights ago to let me know that the blood test did show that I do have hypothyroidism (low functioning thyroid) and that I will need to take medication (and probably will for the duration of my life). Based on what she saw on the ultrasound results she is also sending me in for a couple more tests (iodine uptake scan) related to the growth issue and to figure out the underlying problem more clearly.
How long have I had this? Who knows? When I look at the classic symptoms of hypothyroidism, depression has been an issue for me for quite a few years now and I take medication to regulate that part of myself. Fatigue? Sure thing, who isn't tired these days? I am busy with a crazy schedule. Weight gain? Check. Irritability? I definitely have my moments...sometimes worse than others. In learning more about hypothyroidism it sounds like people can have any number or combination of symptoms ranging from barely noticeable to severe.
So why in the world am I sharing all this? Come to find out, hypothyroidism (not necessarily the actual enlargement of the thyroid - there are potentially two things going on here with me) is fairly common and often goes undiagnosed. It occurs more often in women than men. Maybe one of you out there will be helped by the information. I guess you could say I am paying it forward.
All of this because a nice woman at the rock yard decided to say something.
Yes, thyroid stuff is so very common. As my very close physician friend tells me thyroid issues are USUALLY so very easy to treat and this includes thyroid cancer. If you have cancer, it is the kind that you want 90% of the time. I, too have an enlarged thyroid. My hormone levels, however are fine. I had a biopsy and it came back benign and in the past six months it has not grown. Now, I just need to get it scanned (U/S) once a year to make sure it isn't growing. Of course, I got freaked out by the whole thing but it sure helped to have my friend, mentioned above, to continually tell me, it is really no big deal and so easy to treat in 90+% of cases (hypo, hyper or cancer). Good luck to you! I'm sure this diagnosis & treatment will make your life much easier.
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Thank you Ali for the gentle push! A few months ago at my yearly exam my doctor did find my thyroid enlarged. My ultra sound was fine but I think I'm going to go back and have some more blood work done. I'm going to go make an appointment!!
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send her daisies. =) good to know that strangers still care about other strangers!
A
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Me too, Ali! I take that little thyroid pill every morning. Cheers to fellow nice people everywhere. An amazing post!
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My first thought was, welcome to the club, and I'm not the first person here to say it! I'm so glad that woman spoke up, and that you promptly had it checked! I was diagnosed 8 years ago, when my oldest was around 4. I am hypothyroid and I have a goiter. My Mom, sister and I share the same condition, and so did my Mom's Mom. I learned something here that I wasn't aware of, which is that depression is a symptom. I knew about the fatigue and weight gain, but not depression.
Here's a funny story about my condition: They often say dogs and their owners sometimes look alike, especially with the passage of time. Well, my 8 year old golden retriever has been on thyroxine for the last 2 or 3 years. She is a female, but never had puppies, and never seemed depressed! But keeping her on her meds certainly makes a difference in her energy level, and weight!
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Wow. That's really all I can say. If it were me I'd probably blow her off and forget about it for another few years. So here's to the woman at the gravel/rock shop, and here's to you!
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Wow what a story! Good luck with everything, and next time I am at the Dr. I am going to have mine checked!
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well if anyone is still reading these comments, i have a question. for the last several months i've been convinced that hypothyroidism is my problem- i have every single symptom i've ever seen listed and have been on celexa for years. i went in to have a TSH, and my level is 1.2 which is well within normal range, even at the low end of normal. is it still possible this could be wrong? should i pursue additional tests? i'm just not convinced it's 'only' depression....but my doctor seems to be...
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My mother had thyroid cancer (she is fine now) She got it when she was a young girl living in CO and two of her first cousins (on each side) and her recvd treatment for Tonsilitis (sp) and at that time they used high doses of radiation for the xray machines. All 3 got cancer in their early 30's.
Fast forward 20 years, I was sitting with her when I touch my neck and felt a lump. Tests later it showed that I had a cyst. They removed 1/2 of my thryoid and I am fine....
I know you will be too. :)
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Glad you posted this here and took the time to check it out. My mom was recently diagnosed with Graves disease. She has had these symptoms for probably 10 years or more. Yes, TEN years, she had her thyroid checked early in the process and was considered normal so her doctors have only treated the symptoms and never found the real problem. It wasn't until she progressed to having a protrusion of her eye and complications with her vision that another expert was used and she was correctly diagnosed. My sister and I are now getting tested as is "runs in families". Hope your treatment makes all the difference in the world for you.
Stacy B.
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What can I add that hasn't been said already? Me too? I was diagnosed back in 2000 that feels like forever ago now. I know that you will research this disease lots yourself - and learn many interesting things. In the UK (I am Brit now living in Canada) I recieved FREE prescriptions - for everything - because of hypothyroidism. Interestingly, just a few years earlier my husband had been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and later had his thyroid removed. He now takes meds for his non existent thyroid (have to share this - when we visited the surgeon before his op he was looking my hubby over and said "yes, you do have rather an enlarged gand" - my hubby looked all pleased with himself - until he realised the comment was about his thyroid gland!!!)
Anyhow, we are both well, I seem to battle with it more that my hubby, but I have a great docotr now who listens and trusts my judgement regarding the prescription.
You will feel better, much better once the drugs kick in!
Karen
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Hi Ali-
Another Hashimoto's girl here. I was diagnosed at age 27 -- 9 years ago. We have a HUGE family history of the disease, which is common. It is very commonly overlooked because the symptoms seem so random -- dry skin, mild depression, hair loss, mild memory issues, slow metabolism, difficulty adjusting to heat/cold. The unseen effects can be more insidious -- miscarriage, infertility, high cholesterol. Good for you for getting into your doctor right away, and thank goodness for the woman who took a chance and mentioned it to you. It takes awhile to get your blood levels to where they need to be, but you should be feeling MUCH better once they are there.
Also -- a couple of books I can recommend that I have found very helpful. The first is an older book by a doctor named Broda Barnes. He was one of the original docs who focused on hypothyroidism as the root cause for so many of the varied symptoms of thyroid disease. The methods he talks about for discovering/diagnosing hypothyroidism are pretty old school (the book is from 1976), but is an interesting read and I found a lot of good info there. The book is called "Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness".
The 2nd book is the one I have read and referred to most often. It is by Mary J. Shomon and is called "Living Well With Hypothyroidism". It was first published in 2000, with a revised and updated version being re-released in 2005. Sooooo much good info there.
Good luck with your journey. And thank you so much for posting about this on your blog. If it helps even one more person see their doctor and get to feeling better -- well, thank goodness!
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Wow ~ it's crazy how prevalent this is these days. I was reading your blog and it caught my breathe. I keep hesitating to get mine checked. My Dad had Thyroid Cancer twice and then had it removed and has been on Synthroid for over 30 years. My Aunt (my Dad's sister) also had cancer, had it removed and doing great. One of my Sisters is Hypo as well and two of my good friends just had their Thyroids removed and are going thru the process of body scans and trying to regulate everything. It can be a little crazy but all so worth it. Of all the things women get these days this is pretty common and just know we are all here for you and you will do great. All in all it's all part of the Journey ~ I need to have myself checked as I experience almost all of the symptoms listed. One of my ole college roomies works at the Mayo Clinic and has been bugging me for a long time. Guess after reading your story about it it's feeling like I need to finally make the call to the endocrinologist. May God Bless you.
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thought I had it - turns out I have something else! how neat that someone was able to approach you about that in a loving way. you just never know!! have a great weekend.
melanie
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Wow that was very nice of her. I went to the dr for a sinus infection about 2 years ago & he thought my thyroid was enlarged. They ended up finding a nodule & I am border hyperthyroidism. My nodule isn't yet large enough to biopsy, so I have to have it checked out every 6 months till it is. Nice thought to know I will most likely have thyroid cancer in my lifetime. My mom just had hers removed a few months ago because they found cancer. Hers was overlooked for several years. Make sure to stay vigilant with the doctors. You should be going for follow ups at least every year if it is enlarged. Thyroid cancer is very common & one of the easiest cancers to treat/cure. Take care!!
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Ali...thanks so much for sharing! These events in our lives are moments of grace. There is a book you might want to check out:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?r=1&ean=0743226526
I read it and it is awesome! Talks about these moments that are certainly not coincedences in our lives that all happen for a reason.
Good on you for looking into it! :)
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I always say that The Universe is guiding our steps. We'll get the guidance if we pay attention to what's happening around us.
WOW, this is absolutely mind-blowing :thumbs-up:
Barb
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Ali,
Thanks for sharing. I feel repetitive sharing my story as there have already been a ton of comments on this...but if there is one thing you have really inspired me to do is to share MY story. Each of us has a unique story. A unique life. I am going in for thyroid surgery in two weeks to remove half of my thyroid. I have been monitoring nodules on my thyroid for nine years and in the last year they have greatly increased in size. Thankfully all tests have come back benign, but we won't know for sure until they test it again while I'm under (and then I will either have the other half removed or I will live with the half remaining). Thankfully I am not scared, thanks to doing the right testing all along and continuing to monitor it. And for all the people that have shared their story with my in the last few months...yes, there are TONS of us out there with thyroid stuff. Thank you for encouraging us all. Thank you for sharing your story. For always being honest even when it means being vulnerable. So awesome. I hope my little comment will also give hope to someone too.
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Totally spooky and I believe in ALL of that stuff...that a woman can see your thyroid from across the room!!! And diagnos you!???? So cool.
Don't smack me...but you know me...(and YOU DO)...is there a natural thing that you could do? Any homeopath or food you could beef up on? I get so scared of meds...I do. You are so young for meds!!! Ever read Jean Carper books???? She's my mini guru. She got me through some bad times:))))
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Me too Ali! I'm glad you took her seriously and got it checked. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis seven years ago. Before I was diagnosed I was so tired and irritable and had complete brain fog. I would have trouble focusing and following a conversation. I couldn't think of the right word for common things. My hair was falling out. I kept thinking I was pregnant! I've been on medication since then, with no undesirable side effects. Once you get on meds and start feeling more yourself, you'll become more attuned to when you're feeling off and you'll know to get your TSH checked & get your meds adjusted. Good luck...I promise you'll feel better soon!
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Forgive me if this has been mentioned, as I have scanned the previous posts, but not read all of them in great detail.
My doctor will only give me a 6 month prescription of a particular dosage of synthroid, and I can only get a new one once I've had bloodwork done. My levels are checked every 6 months, and the dosage does have to be adjusted occasionally. It's usually detected by the test results, and not by me!
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I, too, have hypothyroidism. My doctor found it during yearly routine bloodwork. I never knew how one little thing (your thyroid) could affect your whole body. Like you, I blamed fatigue, weight gain, irratibility on everything else but that. Here's hoping that you will fell much better soon. You're in my prayers....
Dana
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Hey Ali--
Just catching up today on my blogging and came across this post! I also have hypothyroidism and have had it for the past 10 or so years. My story is quite similar to yours except it was my primary doctor who found my thyroid enlarged during a regular visit on a Friday morning. She called me at home at 7am on Saturday morning to tell me to go pick up a prescription right away. I did the same thing and immediately started looking it up on the internet, got scared, called my mom, etc.... The good news is that it is so very common and now that you have the diagnosis and some medication, you will notice a big improvement in many aspects of your life. Keep up with your lab work....you should have your TSH levels checked at least 2 times per year and take care of yourself!! I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Good luck!
Trina
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Hello. A friend pointed me to your blog :-) I had hyperthyroidism but after having radioactive iodine treatment for that I now have hypothyroidism. I was warned it might happen. Now 49 and fast reaching the menopause I am a jumble of mixed up hormones :-) I have had some minor battles with my doctor as my blood results often do not reflect how I feel and the tests are based on theories that are decades old. The more we can highlight hyper and hypothyroidism the better. It does seem to affect a lot of people any yet I'm not sure how much research is going into it. Good luck to you and if its ok I will look in again to see how you doing :-)
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Add me to the readers with hypothyroidism. Started out hyper in high school and went the opposite direction as I got older. A family thing for me - grandmother, dad, and me.
Good luck in getting your levels corrected. It may take some time to find what is best for you, but you will see a difference.
This reminds me I need to schedule my annual sonogram to check my thryoid out....
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