“You know, last year after BlogHer, I felt this way too.”
“Which way is that?”
“Tired. Emotional. Don’t you remember my friends were asking if I was mad at them?”
“Yeah, that’s when that whole mess sorta started, isn’t it?”
“Well, of course, last year it ended up that I was pregnant. And I always figured that is why I felt that way. But now I’m wondering if it wasn’t just a typical BlogHer Recovery. Because, obviously, there’s no way I am pregnant now.”
“It could be your thyroid, too.”
“…”
“Maybe?”
“Uhm… yeah. You know, it probably IS my thyroid. That would make a lot of sense, actually.”
***
To make a long, embarassing story at least a short, embarassing story, I haven’t taken my thyroid meds in four months. Not since Evie was born. See, about a month before Evie was born, my previous prescription had run out and I knew I was going to need some extras so my obstetritian wrote me a prescription for another month or two, enough to get me through until I could go see my family practitioner. But then I lost that prescription. And I didn’t want to go see my family practitioner because I still have guilt. It’s stupid, I know. But you know how it is when you’re a mom (a new mom, especially). It’s hard to make time for yourself.
Well, then our health insurance was going to change at the beginning of July. I figured I would go see a new family practitioner then. But then Kile had his little incident and plans changed. Our budget had to be adjusted, and then adjusted again to account for our trip to San Francisco for BlogHer. So I figured I would wait some more. I’d already waited that long, why not another month?
***
I’m feeling it now. I’m exhausted all the time. I start yawning, often just an hour after I’ve woken up. I never have any energy to speak of. I’m sore all over, from my neck to my shoulders to my back to my legs. My fingernails, of all things, have been changing and getting (there is no better word for it) sicker. I see myself and besides just being shocked by the sudden shorter haircut (still not used to that), I am horrified by how I look. My shape seems hulking. I don’t like what I see.
My smile seems harder to find. My temper has been short. It has been a lot easier to find woe than it has been to find a silver lining. It’s been subtle, but then again, maybe not THAT subtle. Even now, my stomach hurts, my patience is insanely limited as everything my children is doing is driving me RIGHT UP THE FRIGGIN’ WALL. That seemed to happen overnight but maybe it didn’t. Maybe this has been going on, building up, a lot longer than I thought.
My attention is diverted, my inspiration is limited. My motivation is low. I feel, I guess, somewhat depressed. Which is pretty typical of hypothyroid sufferers.
***
I know you’re not supposed to go off of meds. But I never felt like meds made me feel THAT much better so I figured being off of them wouldn’t make me feel THAT much worse. My biggest concern was weight gain, to be honest. But going from 200mcg of levothyroxin to NONE, I guess, is enough to make even my laid-back system sit up and take notice.
I need to make an appointment. I know I do. But yet… I will always be able to find an excuse not to. Do I really want to explain to a new doctor what the deal is? What if they think I’m full of crap and don’t believe I have a thyroid problem? Is there going to be a huge rigamarole to get my old files from the other family practitioner? Is it going to require me going down there because I don’t think I can do that. Is that another excuse?
Tune in to see if I actually a) make an appointment and b) keep it.

































{ 9 comments }
Jezer (15 comments.) 07.27.08 at 6:42 pm
Make an appointment. Keep it. You’ll feel so much better. You deserve it, and so does your family. But most of all, you deserve to feel better.
Jezers last blog post..Weight Watchers Update
catnip (8 comments.) 07.27.08 at 8:13 pm
It shouldn’t be trouble to get your old records. It just takes a written request to get them transferred. You don’t even have to talk to anybody, just a fax machine. It helps if you already have an appointment at the new place, so they have a deadline for getting the copies there. Those are your files, they can’t say no. Can you tell I was once at receptionist at a family practice?
I hope you feel better soon.
catnips last blog post..have you heard about Schuyler?
Andrea Payne 07.28.08 at 3:34 am
I will be back to make sure you make that appointment, and I may just harass you until you do. I never knew anyone else took 200mcg of levothyroxin too. I thought I was the only one in the world that took that much. I have gone off my meds because we couldn’t afford the dr visit or the meds, but I know now, that it is worse on the family if I do. All the symptoms you are having can be related to your thyroid. It is worth eating hotdogs and mac and cheese for several weeks to have the money to pay for your meds. Pregnancy makes a thyroid worse. The hormones during and after a pregnancy can really mess with you, and your thyroid. I am here to tell you things will only continue to get worse if you do not take care of yourself. I may just have to go to Kile’s blog and comment about this over at his blog, which by the way is pretty awesome. The kids need you to be there for them - take care of yourself…MAKE THE APPOINTMENT!!!!!
liz (56 comments.) 07.28.08 at 6:40 am
dude, i’ll take EXTRA levoxyl for you today.
lizs last blog post..what? i have a blawg?
cagey (100 comments.) 07.28.08 at 6:55 am
DUDE. Go to the doctor!
I am making it my personal mission to bug the shit out of you until you just go already. It is one thing to let a haircut go, but NOT your health. That is one my pet peeves, quite frankly, when a parent puts off going to the doctor.
Why are you still reading this? Get on the phone and make the appointment. Now.
cageys last blog post..Is acting drunk really that much more acceptable than being drunk?
Marilyn 07.28.08 at 8:15 am
Soo… I take it you want me to go to the doctor? Heh.
Thanks for the concern… the money thing wasn’t really about the meds, but more about the dr. appointment itself. The meds I can get for $4 down at Walmart but the copay for our dr. visits went down with the new insurance and I’m so danged cheap that I figured why not wait, you know?
But yeah, now it’s gotten sorta silly.
Kate 07.28.08 at 2:50 pm
GO TO THE DOCTOR SO YOU CAN FEEL BETTER!
that is all.
xo
Michele (27 comments.) 07.30.08 at 3:24 pm
See? I’m catching up now!
Dude, appointment, now. If I miss a day of my Synthroid I am screwed, I don’t know how you managed to go this long. OK, I don’t know your situation and maybe you have a partially working thyroid. Mine was replaced by a scar that looks like someone tried to slit my throat. Fun times at Halloween!
I hope you get that appointment in and get back on your meds. It’s amazing what a tiny little thing can do to your body, huh?
Micheles last blog post..Three Years
Izzy (4 comments.) 07.31.08 at 3:36 pm
Clicked over from your other post. I’m on Armour and whenever I think I don’t need it amymore…SURPRISE! I do. Go to the doctor. I know it sucks because you spend half the time trying to convince them that you ALREADY know that you have a thyroid problem, but you need to go.
Izzys last blog post..Get Mah Kicks on Route 66
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