I told myself I'm going to blog in 2013, to help track a few things. 1) My work journey for the year, which currently has me in Socorro, New Mexico for the week. Followed by a week in Mesa, AZ, then back to NM then back to AZ and then finally, home! :) I'm excited for the month of January. Its going to be crazy busy with work, but I'm slipping in a quick trip to Texas to visit a good friend! 2) I'm blogging to try to track if we can make any type of progress on my "disease".
Let's start with the first one for this week. I flew into Albuquerque, NM and drove the hour drive south to Socorro. Its a nice drive, with mounain views in the background, but lots of open country on the way there. Lots of desert-like land. I'll take my grassy fields. :) I discovered that due to keeping my account with National Rental Car company from my brief stint at Daktronics, I am still an Emerald Club Member, which means I'm able to go to "Emerald Isle" and pick up any vehicle with the keys in it. The Camaro line didn't I have the keys in it, I checked there first. I guess I have to be VIP. With this job, betcha I'll get there! :) So, I spotted a black Jeep that I checked to see if it had XM radio- it did... so I took it! Onto my journey. I got to Socorro to early for check-in so I drove around a bit and found where my center is that I will be training at tomorrow and the rest of the week. Its a cute town, interesting in places! Home of New Mexico Tech.
Now onto number 2! (hahaha!) I have Hoshimoto's Thyroiditis. And, its a major, major pain in the a**! I was "diagnosed" with it when I was 16 years old, and didn't take my medication properly for it at the time, because I didn't want to have a problem, I wanted to be able to take care of everything myself. I decided to keep doing that until I was oh, about 24 years old, it was after quite some time of gaining more weight, feeling excessively tired, lethargic, being freezing all of the time, rather moody and like I was having blood sugar spikes and lows that I decided I'd better go back to the doctor. Needless to say, its a good thing that I went. A "normal" range for a T4 level (what is checked to judge your thyroid levels) is a 4 (according to my doctor). And, my level was at a 249 at the first reading. The poor nurse that had to call and give me that news.... she wasn't sure how to tell me, so she set it was "a little eleveated". I told her to come out and say it, its completely nuts. I hold the record at my doctor's office for having the highest level of a T4 reading! (At least I "win" something here!).
I went back to the doctor last week for a blood check and the level is at a 5, so - "not too high," one would think, but that's the tricky thing about regulating your thyroid levels. Even just slightly elevated and it causes all sorts of problems, and slightly low and you can have problems such as light-headed and heart flutters. That one stinking little gland (which, mine is quite large - yet another thing that has to be monitored), can cause a whole mess of problems.
So- the jist of Hoshimoto's Thyroiditis (SEVERE hypothyroidism) is, its a disease that attacks the autoimmune system, in turn effecting many other body functions. Primary is metabolism, I have ZERO which in turn means my body doesn't burn foods properly, which means I don't lose weight. That is the biggest battle that I want to overcome this year. I know I'm a good person, and that my weight doesn't determine that. But, my concern stems from the health standpoint, that I want to feel better with more energy and hopefully avoid premature hip replacement from excess weight causing problems. Good thing I have "my Nikki" for this! :) My dear friend, Nikki, is a nutrionist and is helping take on this battle. UGH!
So - its just getting started. I can use encouragement and good vibes along the way. Right now Nikki is doing research on foods that may trigger problems, etc. I've already learned the hard way that I cannot completely cut sugars out of my diet as I felt I was going to pass out - so its a balance game. Bring it on! For now, I'm doing a food/mood diary to see what may be better/worse for me.
Wish me luck... let's do this 2013!
