For those of you who aren't aware, I have a disease called Hashimotos Thyroiditis. Hashimotos is an auto-immune disease where your immune system accidentally attacks the hormones produced by your thyroid. Also, now that I bring it up, it reminds me of a funny conversation I had with my former boss (which I will tell shortly) right after I found out why I was a hormonal mess.I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's almost 2 years ago when my family doctor noticed a lump in my throat, which I later learned is referred to as a "goiter". She sent me for an ultrasound which then landed me in the busiest endocrinologists office of all time. I literally spend hours there; I waited two and a half hours for my last appointment and managed to finish an entire book. But! the day I was diagnosed I came back into work and my boss goes:
Boss: "Well, what's the prognosis? You going to live?"
Me: "I have something called Hashimoto's disease"
*then there was a long pause where I contemplated whether I should turn around and leave or wait, then he turned and most sincerely goes*
Boss" "Does Hashimoto know you stole his disease?!?!"
Ok, it's not THAT funny, but it is funny if you know my former boss and/or if you know that he also looks a LOT like Mr. Burns from the Simpsons (I adored him despite this). So re-read the above dialogue and imagine him sitting behind his desk flicking his fingers together and talking monotonously.
But to the point of today's blog,
I recently ran out of medicine for my Hashimotos and had to call my Endocrinologist. As provided above, this man is NOT easy to get in touch with. It took over a week of me calling daily only to hear that my medicine, Unithroid, has been discontinued. I get off the phone and I'm all like "wait? what? did she just say discontinued?!?!" I attempted to call back, but to no avail! I then walked around for days convinced that my head might blow up like a cantaloupe or that my fingers would fall off at any second.
Despite the fact that my head didn't fall off and my fingers are intact, it has now been weeks without my meds. If you know someone who has a thyroid disorder then you know that we go a little crazy without our hormone control. For me, this usually means that I turn into Uma Thurman from "My Super Ex-Girlfriend". I go ape shit and sometimes I believe that I may actually be that girl from the "Exorcist" and that any second green vomit will come shooting out of me and then I'll eat small children for lunch and drive over kittens. I mean it's BAD! So bad that I can't even deal with myself and God Bless! my Boyfriend for dealing with me.
Aside, in moments like this when my Endocrinologist has allowed to turn into the spawn of satan I take a lot of time breathing, reflecting and thinking happy thoughts. (Peter Pan had a point ya know). So I've come up with a small list of things that I adore. I highly recommend you do the same, its quite refreshing
1.) Banana desserts that don't include walnuts (who thought THAT was a good idea?)
2.) Watching the interest on my savings account go up while ignoring the interest I pay on my credit card
3.) Open windows
4.) Pumpkin Spice/Apple Candles
5.) The smell of a fall breeze
6.) The Boyfriend's motorcycle and the kick ass helmet he bought me on one of those perfect spring afternoons together
7.) Italian food
8.) Drinks with girlfriends
9.) Tire swings
10.) Small children with smart ass attitudes
11.) Watching girly movies while the Boyfriend is out of the house
12.) Making love in the morning
13.) Church bells
14.) Clean sheets
15.) Artichokes
16.) Curling up in an arm chair with a good book
17.) Snow days
18.) Re-decorating
19.) Gardens, wildflowers and wide fields
20.) Biking on dirt roads
21.) Bubble baths with a good book
22.) Historic landmarks/homes/buildings
23.) Unintended compliments
24.) Martha Stewart (I love convicts, what can I say?)
25.) My nieces
I hope you enjoy this picture of my niece as much as I do. This is her "what do you mean you have Hashimoto's Aunt Kelly?!?! Is it genetic?!!?!" face... hehe ok no... this is her "Mommy... I see your ta tas...." face :-)
Sidenote:
For more information on thyroid disorders, please go to: http://www.healthywomen.org/healthtopics/thyroiddisorders
If you have a number of the related symptoms, please make sure to be checked out for a thyroid condition. 1 in 1,000 people in North America have Hashimotos and of that almost all are women.
2 comments:
So the key to your endocrinologits office is to get the earliest appt. That is what i always did, though that was before they moved to the office they are in now, so who knows? Once I went at like a 10 am appt. only to find out they schedule 2 if not more people at the same time for the same doctor! Ridiculous. i account it to the fact they are probably the only endicrinology office in the area....
Hope you get your meds soon, once my dad was taking the same dose but from meds he bought in greece, cause it ws cheaper only to later find out there doses arent as strong as ours, in their thyroig meds. He ended up with a very puffy face before he had that figure out :)
I always try for early morning appointments, but you have to book like 6 months in advance for them, its crazy. Even then though, I had one once and still had to wait an hour and a half... I don't get it! Oh well, the doctor finally filled my script for me and now I just have to wait until my MIDDLE OF THE DAY appointment, haha... ugh.
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