 Yesterday, I started you onto a short version of my seven year journey into weird diseases. Today is a continuation of that explanation in hopes that someone out there has a lightbulb go off with their own symptoms and is able to get help. I’ll just give you a glimpse of some of the hurdles that have had to be overcome, especially in the medical community, and what led me to write this post. In 2005, my hair began falling out. Shockingly, prior to that, in one year my hair had gone from reddish brown to silvery platinum. (notice I do not say, “gray”!!) My hairdresser was astounded. My doctor was resolute – “Hormones,” he said. But despite replacement therapy and lots of money, my hair kept falling out in handfuls and the next year a dermatologist rendered the verdict that I had male pattern baldness. Rogain was in my forever future, according to this man. As you will see, he was wrong. In the meantime, I had a lump in my throat. Swallowing was difficult and annoying. Our family doctor did blood tests, but I was told that I was fine. No worries. All in my head. This continued for years with my occasional plea for more tests and normal results that indicated I was a hypochondriatic fruitcake. And then…in 2010 the weight gain began. I have always been pretty mindful of my diet and exercise and I have never really had much of a weight problem, but all of a sudden, on minimal calories, I started packing on the pounds. Now, we women have been accused of being overly conscious of our appearance, but the fact is, the men who make that accusation are pretty durned picky about how they want us to look!! And so, it is a natural dismay that surrounds a woman who watches the needle on the scales start ticking more and more to the right for no reason at all!! Mr. Fix-It has been the unusual man who has wisely kept his mouth shut about such things and I appreciate it. It was in May of 2011 that I gave up on our family physician and went to a Naturopath/Nurse Practitioner who actually felt my throat when I complained of pills getting stuck. Lo and behold, there were nodules on my thyroid and I had confirmation that I am only partially off my rocker!! Many tests, including a biopsy on the nodules, later confirmed that my thyroid was a wasteland of holes and lumps, with autoimmune disease-style antibodies present and the diagnosis (by an extremely inappropriate if not downright vulgar endocrinologist) of Hashimoto’s disease. I made the decision not to go back to this doctor because the red flags were waving all over the place. I found out later that I wasn’t the only one with that complaint. But I was put on desicated thyroid and felt good for the first time in a long time. I thought we had conquered the beast. Little did I know…. And stay tuned tomorrow for the rest of the story.  |
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Tags: doctors, Graves Disease, Hashimoto's Disease, Thyroid, thyroiditis
Hi Mary Beth,
WOW! What an ordeal. Sorry, I meant to comment at your last article, but didn’t get a chance. I had no idea. Your posts are always so happy and uplifting that I could not imagine you faced anything more challenging than the occasional snake or hail storm.
Why didn’t you ask for prayers? Not that I’m reprimanding you or anything. I know how hard it can be to suggest that we might be vulnerable. It’s that rugged American individualism that kicks in, isn’t it?
Well, whether you want ’em or not, prayers are goin’ up.
God Bless…
Aww, Hawkeye, you are so kind. Honestly, it wasn’t until just the past few weeks that I really knew what was going on!! Before then, I just thought I was just a whiney woman or worse, just nuts like the doctors thought! 🙂 So your prayers are much appreciated for sure!!!!
autoimmune diseases are very difficult to treat. the best way to treat them is by way of stem cells. :`”‘,
Yours truly http://www.healthmedicinelab.com“>