Although Newborn Screening Awareness month has passed, it is and will always be something that I will talk about on my blog. The key to saving children with congenital hypothyroidism is newborn screening. I am honored to share a personal story from Jessica Wade, a friend and fellow blogger, who I met through the MAGIC Foundation's private group for parents of children with congenital hypothyroidism. Her story is one of pain and heartbreak but also of hope and change. Jessica and I share a desire for more research, better screening standards and overall improved care of children with congenital hypothyroidism. You will learn from and be inspired by her story. Why is newborn screening for Congenital Hypothyroidism so important? Getting … [Read more...]
Scrub Phobia: Battling Your Child’s Fear of Doctors
Parents of children with any chronic disorder or illness have some things in common. Eventually, your child becomes terrified of labs, blood draws, doctor offices, and medical professionals (lab techs, doctors, and nurses). At my house, we call this Scrub Phobia. Children who endure repeated blood draws go through a period of time where they become so terrified that they often will cry as soon as they see the lab or outside of the hospital building. My sons would begin melting down at home when we applied the EMLA (lidocaine cream). I have shared with you my Top 5 Tips for Surviving Blood Draws. However, it's not just blood draws children fear. They often begin to fear regular doctor appointments as well. Today, I want to share with … [Read more...]
Growth Awareness Week: Why it Matters to Me.
Is Your Child Growing Normally? That's the question The MAGIC Foundation is asking. Today, they launched Growth Awareness Week aka Growth Spurt in an effort to raise awareness of growth related disorders affecting children around the world. This year, they expect to reach over 70 different countries and over 1 million parents. They email, text message, post to Facebook, Tweet, share videos, spread handouts, and post fliers, all to tell people... "Growth is a major factor in a child's overall health". WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT GROWTH AWARENESS: Measuring & plotting a child on a growth chart is one of the least expensive, most non-invasive forms of preventative medical care available. Normal children grow 2 to 2 1/2 inches … [Read more...]
Growth Awareness Week
On the eve of The MAGIC Foundation's Growth Awareness Campaign, I am excited to share with you this special message from one of their Co-Founders, Teresa Tucker. The MAGIC Foundation created our Growth Spurt three years ago to promote awareness of growth disorders in children. We did not realize that it would launch into the world wide campaign of 2014 and a proclamation from the US Senate, declaring the third week of September "Growth Awareness Week". This year, we expect to reach over 70 different countries and over 1 million parents. We email, text message, post to Facebook, Tweet, share videos, spread handouts, and post fliers, all to tell people... "Growth is a major factor in a child's overall health". What you should … [Read more...]
Congenital Hypothyroidism and Thyroid Resistance: A Story About Heart
One of the amazing things about volunteering with MAGIC Foundation and about starting this blog is all of the amazing parents I have met. I am very excited to introduce you to my friend, Julie Lopez. She has very openly and honestly written this guest blog post for Thyroid Mom so that you can learn more about congenital hypothyroidism and about thyroid resistance. It's so important to understand that not everyone's journey with congenital hypothyroidism is the same. We can all learn from each other. Thank you, Julie, from the bottom of my heart for sharing your story about David's journey.~Blythe aka Thyroid Mom My son, David, was 5 days old, and we showed up at his scheduled newborn checkup. The pediatrician our daughter usually saw … [Read more...]
You Are Your Child’s Best Advocate
When my oldest son was born, I remember having a conversation with my sister about how I disagreed with a decision made regarding my son's care. My sister told me: "Never be afraid to flex that mom muscle." What great advice. She was so right. Never be afraid to assert yourself. You are your child's best advocate and you know what is right for you and for your family. I tell that to people all the time. You'd think I would listen to the same advice. I usually do, but, recently, I failed to follow my own advice. 3 weeks ago, my oldest had to have blood drawn for some allergy/immunology testing. His doctor wanted me to use their recommended lab. I really didn't want to because we (of course) have a lab and phlebotomist we prefer. I … [Read more...]
My Child Has Congenital Hypothyroidism: A New Mom Confronts the Diagnosis
I am Thyroid Mom. I have been talking to parents and grandparents of children who were diagnosed with congenital hypothyroidism for several years now. Until this year, I had never met (face to face) with another mother of a child with congenital hypothyroidism. I had never met another child, another than my own, who had congenital hypothyroidism. Imagine my surprise when one day my endocrinologist said to me that she had a patient I needed to speak with. She told me that another patient of hers had just had a son diagnosed with congenital hypothyroidism and that if it was okay with me, she'd like to pass my email address along to her other patient. A few months later, I met my friend Shelley and her son, Gavin. I am pleased to share … [Read more...]
I’m a Pediatric Endocrinologist and My Son has Congenital Hypothyroidism
Imagine being a pediatric endocrinologist and getting the call that your newborn son has the same disorder that you treat. Well, that's exactly what happened to my guest blogger, Dr. Sarah Hart-Unger. I stumbled across her blog when I was doing research for my Wednesday Weekly Roundup and knew immediately that she's someone you would want to learn more from. I pleased to introduce her as my guest blogger today. Hello, Thyroid Mom readers! Blythe contacted me after reading on my blog (the SHU box) that I was in a rather unusual situation: I am a pediatric endocrinologist who treats thyroid disease every day at work, and I recently had a beautiful baby boy -- Cameron -- who was diagnosed with congenital hypothyroidism. After a failed … [Read more...]
I was born with Congenital Hypothyroidism
Introducing Teresa Rodgers. Parents of children with congenital hypothyroidism, have you ever wanted to look into a crystal ball and see what the future holds for your child? I have. I worry a lot about what it will be like for them as they get older. Will they take their medication when they go off to college? Will puberty be more difficult for them? How can I make sure they stay healthy during those times? One of the best things about starting my blog is meeting other bloggers and thyroid advocates. This journey has introduced me to so many wonderful and amazing people, including Teresa Rodgers. Teresa, now in her mid twenties, was born with congenital hypothyroidism. I recently chatted with her and am thrilled to share her … [Read more...]
Golden Birthday – Kids with Congenital Hypothyroidism
Struggles in Raising Kids with Congenital Hypothyroidism That precious, little baby in the picture is my oldest son who has congenital hypothyroidism. He was 5 months old and in the hospital when that picture was taken. My oldest son recently had his golden birthday. Your golden birthday is when you turn the age that corresponds with the day of the month you were born. For example, if you were born on January 18th, your golden birthday would be the year you turn 18. I think your golden birthday should be a birthday that gets a little extra attention. So, we bought some gold balloons ready and ordered a cake with a big gold medal on it. Just a few things to make this birthday stand out a bit. When I think about how much he's … [Read more...]