I hear that it's Motivation Monday in the social media world. Here's what I want to say to you today. I spend an hour or so every day answering emails and Facebook messages from fellow thyroid disorder sufferers. There is a common theme and it's this: "I'm taking thyroid medication and I still have _____ symptoms." Are there some things that you may always deal with when you have a thyroid disorder? Yes, of course! However, if you are doing everything else right (taking your thyroid medication regularly, eating well, exercising, taking your vitamins and minerals, etc.) AND YOU STILL HAVE SYMPTOMS (like depression, hair loss, weight gain, etc.), then something isn't working! It's not normal to feel like crap! Let me say that one … [Read more...]
Congenital Hypothyroidism: The First Year
I am thrilled to share this touching letter with you from a mother to her daughter. Gabby, like my sons, was born with Congenital Hypothyroidism. Like all of us mothers and fathers who hear those words spoken about their newborns, Gabby's mother, Meghan, was so worried about what life would be like for her beautiful newborn daughter. Well, a year passed, and this is what Meghan has to say... Hi, everyone. We've just celebrated our baby girl’s first birthday. I write letters to my children on their birthdays, and I felt this was a great one for sharing. Gabby's one year birthday letter is for the day she leaves home, telling her story and diagnosis from the beginning. It brought me to tears many times thinking about the past year and the … [Read more...]
Thyroid and Mental Health
Next week is Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week (May 4-10), which helps raise awareness around children's mental health and May 7 marks National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day. Why does this matter to me, as Thyroid Mom, you may wonder. Well, you have probably read or heard about the connection between thyroid health and mental health. Depression and anxiety are common symptoms you find on the hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism check list. In fact, in his article, The Thyroid and the Mind and Emotions/Thyroid Dysfunction and Mental Disorders, Dr. A.G. Awad, MD, PhD, writes: "The psychiatric disturbances which accompany hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, the two commonest thyroid disorders, mimic mental illness. People with an … [Read more...]
Trust Your Gut: Raising Children With Thyroid Disorders
Photo Credit: Wilmington Star News (www.starnewsonline.com) Recently, my oldest son, William, asked if he could run a 5K. He’s a swimmer and hasn’t done much running, but he really wanted to try. As I am still recovering from back surgery, I was not able to run with him and my husband had an obligation with our younger son. Reluctantly, I gave in and registered us both for the 5k. The plan was for me to walk the race and for him to run the race. Being the worrywart that I am, I decided to write my cell phone number on his arm with a sharpie. I figured that if anything did happen, a person helping him would be able to reach me. I lectured him about not leaving the racecourse with anyone, etc. I slowly jogged the beginning of the race … [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...]
Wednesday Weekly Roundup-Thyroid News-1.14.15
Here’s your Wednesday Weekly Roundup of Thyroid News from Thyroid Mom for January 14, 2015. These are articles, abstracts or blog posts that either appeared in the news this week or things that I found this week that I wanted to share with you relating to hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism in both adults and children. Happy Reading! General Thyroid Related Articles (Hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s, Hyperthyroidism, Graves’ Disease, Thyroid Cancer) Research Findings May Lead to New Treatment for Hypothyroidism SLR Diagnostics Recommends Cold Weather Survival Tips From Thyroid January is Thyroid Awareness Month 5 Facts About Your Thyroid There is Substantial Overlap Between the Symptoms of Patients with Hypothyroidism and Those with … [Read more...]
Thyroid Disorders Don’t Have to be Scary!
It's Halloween! There are many scary things out there tonight. Don't let a thyroid disorder diagnosis be one of them. No matter what you or your children are going through, you don't have to be scared! Thyroid disorders don't have to be scary. If you or your child have just been diagnosed with a thyroid disorder, here are some things you should do right now: 1) Do your research. Take the time to learn what you can about Congenital Hypothyroidism or your specific thyroid disorder. There are many great books out there, including Mary Shomon's Living Well with Hypothyroidism, Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms When My Lab Tests Are Normal? by Dr. Datis Kharrazian, and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis Root Cause by Dr. Izabella Wentz. There … [Read more...]
Fill ‘er up! Fellow Thyroid Warrior, Is Your Tank Empty?
Today, I coasted into the gas station to fill up my car. No kidding, I actually coasted in. My tank was that empty. I could hear my Dad's voice reminding me that I shouldn't ever let my tank get lower than a quarter of a tank. He'll cringe when he reads this, but I often find myself coasting into gas stations on fumes. As I sat there waiting for the ENTIRE gas tank to fill up, I wondered in what other areas did I find myself running on empty? In what other ways am I totally depleted and when was the last time I took time to fill myself up? If you search top tips for thyroid health, among them you will often find talk of supplements, avoid goiterogenic foods, avoiding soy and gluten. You will hopefully also find things that discuss … [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...]
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...]