Two months, to the day, after I became ill, I had my last test/procedure. Done and done. We now have lots of information, lots of what we know it wasn't, and the same treatment plan. I suppose ruling things out is not a bad idea, but it is time-consuming and costly. I'm thanking God for Dr. Woliner, in Boca Raton, for having the brains, the desire, and the inclination, to figure me out and give me a plan for regaining my health.
Without boring the daylights out of you all, I'll just say that I have, and have had, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. In some cases, that can turn into Thyrotoxicosis, and that's what happened to me in May and June. My thyroid flipped from being under active to overactive but with both sets of symptoms. That little, walnut-sized thyroid gland controls temperature, heart rate, how the body uses energy and makes proteins, and how sensitive the body is to other hormones. So, knock that out of whack, exhaust your adrenals, forget to eat well, and jump right in. Of course, the lack of energy might keep you from jumping at all...
Nausea is such a vague symptom but was my most dominant. Doctors are "practicing" medicine, and every patient walking through their doors is different. I don't envy them. Dr. Woliner took the time to test beyond what all the doctors did, and he found things beyond my thyroid that need to be addressed.
I'm happy to say that I'm not sick all the time anymore. It'll take awhile to balance everything, but I have every faith we'll get there.
Don't take "I don't know" for an answer from your doctors. You know when you don't feel well; don't be shy about saying so. And, don't let anyone tell you "it's all in your head" and prescribe anxiety meds. If you're anxious, it's because you're sick and you don't know why. Find a doctor who will make time to listen, and work out a plan with you. We drove from Canada, via Virginia, to Florida to get to Dr. Woliner, and he was worth it. (By the way, he had a patient come from Guam, so I don't win the prize... although, she didn't do it by car when nauseous - ha!)
So, I'm back to sitting up and blogging. I promise to be more of my positive self from here on out. However, I've always tried to be real with you, and blogging about the not-so-fun stuff is part of that.
If you're reading this, chances are we are friends at some level. Know that I cherish what we've built through association. Contrary to Simon & Garfunkle, I am not a rock nor an island. I journey with you.
Hugs,
Pam
