KathyLesure

Diagnosis and Symptoms

Hmmm … where was I? 🤔 Oh! Waiting.⏳

The Doctor brought me back in and told me that my blood work showed elevated T-3 (triiodothyronine), T-4 (thyroxine, both of which are hormones produced by the thyroid gland) and low levels of TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) and told me that those results were consistent with hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid).

I was thoroughly confused. 🤔

He explained to me that the thyroid was responsible keeping our bodies “in balance” (homeostasis). The hormones produced by the thyroid regulates our metabolism (weight) and blood calcium levels, body temperature, muscle strength and nervous system. They also play a role in controlling our heart and digestive functions, mood, brain development and bone maintenance. In short, the thyroid affects every organ in our bodies by controlling the way our bodies use energy!

I sat in stunned silence wondering: when? 😲 How? 😧 WHY? 😳 while he told me that he would refer me to an Endocrinologist for further testing. He asked if my ‘asthma’ symptoms were better or worse and I told him that they were about the same honestly (😔). Then he told me that he didn’t think it was asthma that was plaguing me at all. In his professional opinion, everything I’d been experiencing was being driven by my hyperactive thyroid. 😯

🤔 I think it was at this point that everything else I’d been experiencing began to make sense:

• Changes in hair texture // hair loss (my hair fell out a total of THREE TIMES! 😳😳😳)
• Changes in my nails (acrylic overlay would not stick, chipping, breakage)
• Chronic insomnia (which I attributed to working Night Shift)
• Depression 😭, irritability 😡, nervousness // anxiety 😬 (which I attributed to life-LIFEING! 🤦🏾‍♀️)
• Palpitations, racing heart (I didn’t know where that came from! 😱)
• Tremors (hands and facial)
• Weight loss (though I wasn’t complaining about that! 🤭🤣)
• Frequent bowel movements (I mean I couldn’t go NOWHERE or eat NOTHING 🫣🤢🤦🏾‍♀️)
• Weakness 😔 (that I noticed in my arms, hands first) and …
• the most awful fatigue that I’ve EVER experienced !! 😭😭😭

I’d lived with these issues for so long at that point, that I’d begun to excuse and make excuses for them! However, my breathing was getting progressively worse and the constant karate chop to the throat was something that I couldn’t subconsciously explain away. 😔 I’d gone from using one inhaler six months to needed a new one every thirty days (or less when I could phone a friend to borrow one)! 😞

What? 🤷🏽‍♀️ Don’t act like you didn’t know that we ‘borrow’ each others’ medications! 😂 What? 🤷🏽‍♀️ You never ?? 😮 (Okay. j/k … don’t y’all be coming for my head in these comments over a little ‘jokey-joke’ 🤭).

Anyway, I was placed on methimazole (an anti thyroid) and a beta blocker (blood pressure medicine) to protect my heart from my renegade thyroid gland (😒).

And when I followed up with the Endocrinologist, the REAL fun began!

Listen to your bodies, Saints (and ain’ts. This is a judgement-free zone 🤷🏽‍♀️🤭😂). It will tell you when “something-something just ain’t right” (🎤🎵 Thanks, Keith Sweat 🤭😂).

Let me get out of here ‘cause bad humor canNOT be blamed on thyroid disease ! 😂

See you back here for the next installment. Bye y’all.👋🏾 Take care. 💕