Hashimoto has moved in and set up camp. To my knowledge, I didn't invite him. But that's OK. After all, I wrote just yesterday about enjoying spontaneous guests, didn't I? So he is here and I am employing various techniques to make his stay a bit more enjoyable for myself. There's no way I would make his stay more enjoyable for HIM! Frankly, the things I feel when he's around make me wish he'd never shown up, but I'm sure we can work this out in the end.
If you have no idea what I'm talking about, Hashimoto's Disease is a malfunction of the thyroid, commonly referred to as hypothyroidism, but more amusingly named after some Japanese something, apparently. It's a situation of the pituitary gland sending a message to the thyroid gland to perform a function that it is no longer capable of performing as it once did in the days of its Prima Donna status. In which case, the thyroid gland kindly and softly puts on the brakes, which makes the pituitary gland accelerate even more, demand even more, and ultimately, make the thyroid irritated to the point of not functioning properly. All of this unusual activity makes one gain weight (check), feel extremely fatigued (check), taxes one's adrenal system as well (check), and overall makes one feel like crap (check, check, check, check, check!). [Excuse my language.] When you spend most days doing the equivalent of swimming through mud and forcing your mind, emotions, body, and will to act otherwise, you sometimes end up wanting to say far worse words than 'crap'. So 'crap' it is, folks.
I had my follow-up appointment with my doctor today and I only have one regret about it. And that is that I don't have a photo of her or of her fabulous office. Besides, there isn't any way to encapsulate on film the care that she provides her patients. If you are her patient, you feel that you are her only one. She gives her time and attention solely to you for as long as you demand it. Truly. She doesn't stick by the unwritten 7-minute rule imposed by insurance companies. I sometimes just want to keep talking and talking and talking … just to spend more time with her. If she wasn't my doctor, she would be a good friend, I'm sure of it. Her practice has grown to include other doctors and I'm SO grateful that I found her before so many other people did … that means she is MINE!
So where do Hashimoto and I go from here? I certainly don't want him getting TOO comfortable around these parts!
The great news is that Hashimoto cannot debilitate me even though some days I feel TOTALLY debilitated! The better news is that with thyroid medication, vitamin supplements, and better stress management (hmm … that could be a tough act to perform), I can achieve a better quality of life than what Hashimoto has been telling me I can have. I'm kicking him to the curb! And plan to fully enjoy more and more of life. Are you with me?! Please be my cheerleader!!
