KathyLesure

Symptoms II

This is Day 2 of “nothing but symptoms“. Please watch the videos for a RECAP.

I’d like to take a few moments to add the following symptoms that I expounded on in the video, but did not include in the list in the second blog post.

• Ageing (gray/white hair came in suddenly and fiercely !!) 👵🏽
• Brittle teeth (severe breakage) 😷

In the next video, I finally elaborate on “the biggie” (which, in hindsight, was not the great “biggie”) !! It’s not that the other symptoms that I mentioned were not ‘big’ in my estimation. Of course they were! 🤯 In fact, all of the physical/physiological impacts that I’ve mentioned have also had innumerous psychological/mental/emotional impact on me over the years. 😔

However, since I largely attributed my breathing problems (the “biggie”) to my pre-existing condition (asthma), I presumed (incorrectly) that isolating and treating that condition alone would bring the immediate relief and comfort that I sought. In my mind, I could then take my time to figure out the rest. It wasn’t until I met with the first Endocrine Specialist that I realized that the issue of hyperthyroidism was not something that I could minimize (explain away), compartmentalize and then tuck away neatly. 😢

Please watch the next short video for the testimonial that I’ve shared with a scant few. Then, I will attempt to further explain.

As you can clearly see, my symptoms were not getting better. 🥺 They were WORSENING !! 😳 My (once) seasonal inhalers, steroids and antihistamines became my daily BFFs !! Still, the eternal frog in my throat didn’t hop out. 😒 In fact, he set up shop and started a band in there: wrapping his slimy, strong legs around my trachea and tickling my vocal chords with his toes !! 😩

Y’all .. I went from singing EVERYTHING easily 👆🏾🙏🏽 to singing next to nothing with quite a bit of effort. 😭 And even on those good days when I did “everything” right (no dairy, no cold drinks, no ice, warm teas, plenty of rest) and could sing like some semblance of my ‘normal’ self, I sounded like I swallowed a Brillo pad when I was done. 😓 So, because I knew deep inside that something was WAY wrong and because I knew that the people who’d been listening to me sing for YEARS were also beginning to notice, I hid in the background. 🫣

After sharing this information with the Endocrine Specialist, I was sent for further testing: thyroid scan, radioactive iodine uptake and imaging. These tests confirmed hyperthyroidism, Graves Disease* (an immune system disorder that results in an overproduction of thyroid hormones) and the presence of a multinodular toxic enlarged goiter- which was likely causing my breathing and voice problems, according to this Specialist.🥺

She explained to me that I’d more than likely had thyroid issues my entire life since those types of problems run in families. She also said my hyperactive condition and Graves Disease were likely precipitated by a stressful event(s) and; thinking back, she’s absolutely correct (but that’s another topic for another day). 😢

The most important and terrifying thing she said to me that day was carrying on in a perpetual state of thyroid hyperactivity would eventually KILL me! 😳🤯😭

Then came education: of the two thyroid disorders, a hypoactive (underactive) thyroid is easier to manage. The symptoms are far less severe and less likely to cause life-threatening problems with proper management.

Thusly, she gave me three options:

💡 Manage the disease long-term with medication (methimazole),

💡 Thyroid ablation (radiation therapy in which radioactive iodine is administered to destroy residual healthy thyroid tissue – “kill the thyroid”), or-

💡 A partial/total thyroidectomy.

I’ll put a pin here because it was at this point that I could’ve been slapped down with a feather. 😳 THIS here is where this tale starts to go from “sugar” to shitake mushrooms !!!

NOTE: If I didn’t mention it before and or you didn’t know: I’m saved! 🙌🏾 I’m a Holy Ghost filled, fire-baptized Christian. ⛪️ I don’t fornicate 🚫 and I don’t cuss 🙊 …

…………………………….. no more. 🫣

What? 😧 I didn’t SAY anything. 🤷🏽‍♀️

You say; with yo’ sanctified self, “Christians don’t fear. It’s a sin. You should’ve kept the faith. You should NOT be moved by what you see (or hear)” and I hear ya. After all, the Word says: “the Lord is my light and salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1-2). The same unadulterated Word of God says (Mark 11:22 KJV) “have FAITH in God” !!

But a Sista got scared-scared. 😱

And, of course, I chose the path of “least” resistance: medicate me, please!

*Celebrities and other notable Personalities with Graves Disease: Hillary Clinton, Sofia Vergara, Missy Elliott, Wendy Williams, Oprah Winfrey, Rod Stewart and others.