Stop the Madness, I Want to Get Off

This is a departure (to start off) from my regular topics, but one that many people don't pay attention to.

It's January. Do you know where your thyroid is? This is from http://www.thyroidawarenessmonth.com/.

Your thyroid is actually your master gland of metabolism and energy. January is thyroid awareness month, but every month should be. I know, being a hypothyroid suffer.

My friend, Susan, told me about the web site www.stopthethyroidmadness.com after I realized late last year that I was feeling really tired and out of sorts. I thought it was all the hours being spent on the Celebration and trying to fit in some jewelry making on the side. I've been on Levoxyl for years, letting my Doctors tell me if my TSH was within range and prescribing my dose. After spending a LOT of time perusing this site I pulled out my lab results and discovered, yes my TSH was in the "normal" range, but my FT3 and FT4 were no where near the bottom of the normal range. Well levoxyl is a T4 synthetic only. Can't produce FT3? Then you are probably feeling bad, and you would be AMAZED at the range the symptoms can take. I learned how important it is to be your own health advocate with these things, especially as many Drs., including endocrinologists, are not all that well trained on things.

I have a fantastic Doctor that works with me and knows the research that I put into this. I told her I wanted to try Natural Dessicated Thyroid. OK! Prescribed a dosage that ended up being too low (by about 1/2), but WOW, even with a low dose I felt a lot better within a day. A day!! Then two weeks later, most all the US pharmacies ran out. But, not to worry the pharmacy could compound me something similar (so they said, but all synthetic something). 4.5 weeks later: I'm feeling like I was feeling last fall, icky, crabby, tired, vision off, foggy brained, fat(ter and fatter), unfocused. Turns out, I, like many people didn't absorb any of the expensive compounded stuff for over a month.

Talk about some bad numbers, did you know your TSH (normal range 0.5-3.0) can go over 75. My Dr. said you can become comatose at the levels I was at-I almost felt that way. What to do, still no NDT in any of the pharmacies.

Thank you again for the web sites and facebook's Save Natural Thyroid. Canadian pharmacies have plenty of NDT, and everyone says it is like the original Armour. Back to my Dr., worried she'll say no, not Canada, but as always she was right there for me. So now I have a new script on the way. I can't wait! It was magical the difference that I felt (and Wes immediately saw it too) when I started NDT. I might feel really good again and it has been quite a few years since my FT3 and FT4 were in a normal range. Hopefully once the brain fog lifts new things will be coming fast!!

I do have new ideas though and am working on them. Stage 1 in a totally new endeavor worked pretty well, so progressing down that road. No announcements yet but hopefully by Feb.

Wes and I have lots of ideas for the garden and new endeavors there too, now that he will be retiring this spring. Stayed tuned to that one too!

2010, buzz words are FOCUS and progress on JLK Handcrafted (Jewelry and more) and the garden! So, stop all the madness of 2009, I'm getting off that crazy roller coaster, this is a new decade and a brand new focus for me!