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A new disorder

It seems I have a new disorder to add to my collection. Before I went to ATS, regular readers may remember, my thyroid numbers were off at the NIH, and that my local doc. had run some follow up tests here at home.

I called today to check on the results and it seems the local doc. concurs with Kevin. They believe I have something called Hashimoto’s Syndrome. It’s actually not that rare, does run in my family and is very easily treated. I’ll start taking a thyroid hormone at a low dose at first to see if things improve.

I was elated at the news, to be honest.

Kevin at NIH (and pretty much everyone else) has been on my case about losing weight for some time, but especially since I entered the drug trial. And I have tried. Of all the diets I’ve tried, I’ve found Weight Watchers to be the easiest to comply with. I like the points system. But, even when I’m on my best behavior, carefully logging everything, exercising etc I never lose anything. In fact, I gain.

With all of my other health issues and complications, this is no easy task. And when it’s never met with any positive reinforcement or success, it’s so demoralizing. Several months ago I just gave up completely. I can’t even begin to tell you how humiliating it is to weigh in week after week and never even once meet with even a pound of success.

The more you struggle, the more everyone is an expert, monitoring everything they see you eat to see if you’re really being honest – or just a pig. Emotionally, I couldn’t deal with it anymore.

I’ve been dreading the nutritionist even more than my pulmonary function test results lately. Thankfully, when she dropped by for her “talk” I wasn’t in the room, and Karen told her to ease up on me.

I’d complain about this to my doctors, as well as about the fatigue I sometimes have for months on end, and it felt as though no one believed me – except Kevin. (Fatigue goes with so many of the other health issues I have going on that I don’t think anyone cares when I whine I’m tired.)

He’d noticed my thyroid was off on the last few trips, and this time I felt like he must have done quite a bit of research on the issue. He gave me some papers to take home to my local doctor. She ran her own battery of tests, and upon reviewing my blood work for the last year, seems to agree with Kevin.

For years actually, my thyroid, which I have tested regularly because of my family history, has hovered around the border between the normal and abnormal range. Now, it seems as though it’s been slipping more into the abnormal range.

I just hope this helps! I don’t think my psyche can take much more failure in this department.

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