Haven't been "myself" for a while...

Just a few things off the top of my head...

Sheesh! With all good intentions, I meant to post regular blogs (really, I did), ...at least once a week, ...but it seems to have gotten away from me (for the time being), or, should I say, life kind of got in the way? I guess we all handle things differently. I have a very bad habit of occasionally "clamming up" and becoming a hermit for a while (don't want to talk to anyone, or see anyone (except William and my children), or go anywhere or do anything)...not necessarily a good thing, I know.

After doing some research, I am now absolutely convinced that these bouts of depression that I seem to suffer from are not just caused by stress. It is just one of the very unfortunate (and very real) symptoms of Hypothyroidism. I started to notice something was wrong a few years ago, but I thought it was just from the stresses of my life and working long hours, sometimes double and triple shifts, but I was starting to put weight on (a lot of weight), even though I ate like a bird, and I was tired ALL the time, my hair was becoming much thinner and I was getting very uncomfortable aches and pains that I thought were just from being on my feet all the time (some were, some weren't).

Last fall, before we travelled to Texas, I begged my then doctor to please prescribe thyroid medicine for me. She kept telling me that my numbers were in the "normal range". I was willing to try just about anything, so I could feel better. I was feeling so bad, that I had to stop working...I simply could not physically do my work anymore. She said ok, and prescribed Levothyroxin. It is supposed to start "working" within four to six weeks, but after about six months of feeling even worse, I stopped taking it, and decided to see another doctor when we came back home this past April.

Well, I did visit another doctor in April, who first tried to tell me it was all "in my head" (what a jerk), but I insisted on thyroid tests, and the numbers were now way into the "abnormal range". VOILA! (I told you so!)...I'm not happy about that, but at least I know for sure now.

Besides, both of my parents have thyroid problems and have to take medication for it. My Mom had to have half of her thyroid removed, and my Dad's cancer started in his thyroid and he had to have it completely removed. (The cancer is now throughout his whole body and just since April, he has had to have the bones in three of his limbs replaced with steel rods, because the cancer is causing his bones to disintigrate like cigarette ash. He has an amazing, inspirational will to live! He'll be 80 in December, but keeps telling everyone that he has too many things to do and that he isn't going anywhere until he's 115 years old. He still tells all his corny jokes, too! He loves to make people laugh.)

Anyway, this doctor I went to see, prescribed exactly the same medicine, even after I strongly suggested that I wanted to try something different, or at least a different dosage, but she said to try it again and come back to see her in three months (yeah, right....NOT!)

I did go ahead and try the Levothyroxin again for a few months, with exactly the same disappointing results (not to mention, I've been too tired and miserable to enjoy much of this summer...and poor William has been absolutely wonderful to me through all this).

Well, I started doing some more research and came across a wonderful and very informative website called http://StopTheThyroidMadness.com, and just recently, another one called http://www.EarthClinic.com (not just for thyroid problems, but for all kinds of health issues!) Do yourself a favor and check out both of them.

I am now taking a raw thyroid supplement that I found on http://amazon.com/ and some other supplements that I found on http://swansonsvitamins.com/ and guess what? I'm finally starting to feel just a little bit better, a little bit at a time.

Also, recently I started trying to avoid Flouride (a poison!) as much as possible now. I only drink and cook with 100% pure Spring water (read the labels when you shop!), NO tap water (most has Flouride in it and causes all kinds of illnesses)! I'm hoping that this informatiom will help other people (women AND men). Don't just take for granted everything that your doctor tells you. Do a little research on your own, and you might be surprised and be able to help yourself (unless you're one of the lucky FEW who has a GREAT doctor).

Hahahaha! I just re-read this and ...well... I guess that I'm blaming my thyroid for not keeping up with this blog the way I had originally planned, but, it is what it is.

Oh, and by the way, I HAVE been reading other's blogs, some very regularly, but, I've been terrible about leaving comments lately, so, I apologize for that, and will try to get back to leaving more comments in the future.

- Mary Ann