With regard to blood draws, I have been quoted as saying "it gets easier"... It's true. It gets easier. That doesn't mean they aren't still hard. Yesterday, both of my boys needed to go in for their routine blood draw to check their thyroid levels, as do all children with congenital hypothyroidism. Now that they are older, they only go every 6 months (unless there is an issue, then more frequently). Just enough time to forget they have to ever go again. I picked up my oldest from school. My youngest was already in the car. With my youngest, the less time he has to ponder the thought of having his blood drawn, the better. At the last draw, they both did well. No tears. This is a victory. For any other parent who has a child … [Read more...]
7 Lessons Chronic Illness Has Taught Me: A Retrospective Look at Hypothyroidism
Drum roll, please!! I am thrilled to share this Guest Blog Post by Sarah Downing with you. Sarah is a thyroid advocate and creator of the blog, Butterflies & Phoenixes, and is also the Blog Editor for ThyroidChange. She has great advice for those of us battling chronic illnesses. Treat yourself with patience and kindness. Whilst you probably wish you could get well overnight, in reality it may take months and sometimes years to experience “normalcy” again. Consider just how long it took you to get sick in the first place. This is a daunting thought, so take it one day at a time and celebrate each stepping stone of progress. Be kind to yourself on the days you are filled with frustration and despair because your mental outlook does … [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...]