I would’ve scrolled passed this thyroid article with ease a few years back. Taking in the general title and thinking it wasn’t applicable, sending the information away. It sounds like something my mother would read and send me in an email chain 🙄
However, I wish I could stand in front of that version of myself with a neon cheerleading costume and say “I love you, please stop ignoring what’s wrong.” But, I didn’t. I had a 3 and 5 year old to chase after. I thought that I was tired like any other mother (they make shirts that say this, don’t they?!). I thought the extreme fatigue was normal. The weight I was so desperate to lose that clung to my hips like balloons to static was my perceived lack of determination. Nothing was wrong, I was young. See ya at 40, doc!
Upon a discussion with my midwife, in passing, she asked if I had my thyroid checked recently. To avoid a lab work up, I nodded emphatically and insisted nothing was wrong.
For years.
Insert slamming into 35 and desperately wanting another baby and experiencing infertility. After early success with my other children, I was impatient for a pink plus. And, then I noticed my hair was starting to thin. A woman can only take so much. What the heck?!
Annoyed, I called my GP and set up a physical. Got labs. She called a few days later and asked me to come to the office. She sat me down and told me that my thyroid was acting weird, I needed a scan and more blood-work and medicine. Medicine for the rest of my life.
I burst into tears.
Because I let the signs go, it was wildly out of control. The infertility, the weight gain, the enlarged neck, forgetfulness, the hair loss and joint pain were all symptoms that I could’ve taken care of years prior but just thought were a part of motherhood.
The scans came back clear, thank God. I started a medicine regiment that we are still figuring out to this day. But, I could’ve easily never figured it out.
The thyroid is responsible for quite the list of what goes on in your body. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, don’t think it’s just motherhood kicking your booty, go check it out:
  • Hypothyroidism is a condition where the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone. Symptoms include extreme fatigue, depression, forgetfulness, and some weight gain.
  • Hyperthyroidism, another form of thyroid disease, is a condition causing the gland to produce too much thyroid hormone. Symptoms include irritability, nervousness, muscle weakness, unexplained weight loss, sleep disturbances, vision problems and eye irritation.
  • Graves’ disease is a type of hyperthyroidism; it is an autoimmune disorder that is genetic and estimated to affect one percent of the population. (Thyroid.org)

There are many ways to treat your thyroid. Most general practitioners can treat standard cases but can refer you to an endocrinologist if your case warrants it. There are even some online options such as Paloma and Plushcare.
Bottom line ladies, sometimes we have to be considered first. If you feel like something’s up, go check it out. An estimated 20 million Americans have a thyroid issue and 60% of them are unaware they have it ( most of them women, thyroid.org).
Waiting in the short term could save you time but cost you in the long run. Picture above is the enlarged neck that was a classic sign of Hashimoto’s disease but I chalked up to not restricting enough calories.
Jenny Dombroski
Jenny Dombroski lives and loves in Georgetown with her husband, Justin, and two crazy kids, Amelia and Sam. Her days are spent running her kids in two different directions, working on incorporating a little more sarcasm in her days and trying new classes at the gym. She believes in learning and experiencing the good, the bad and the ugly that life has to offer with as much grace as Jesus can give her.

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