Thyroid Disease... What a Bitch!

The New York Times has a nice piece today on the various types of thyroid disease. It's collection of audio clips from people with Graves disease, Hashimoto's, and the vanilla versions of hypo- and hyperthyroidism.

All of the patients do a great job of describing their experiences and how they dealt with them. Dana Smith, in particular, does an excellent job of recounting the faux depression of hypothyroidism and how difficult it can be to identify the disease when the symptoms are so similar to "just feeling blue" or "eating too much" or maybe even "getting older."

I'm coming out the other side of an 18-month fight with my thyroid – first, having it partially removed and recovering from the surgery, as well as the resulting fear and physical scar (so much for ignoring mortality, right?)... and second, finding that I was hypothyroid and monkeying around with doses of synthetic hormone until I feel "normal."

It's difficult to admit, but I don't know what "normal" feels like. That leaves me to the work of defining my new normal. (Hello, Erika!) I'm relieved to report that it seems the endocrinologist has found the correct dose of synthroid to put my TSH levels where they should. They physical part is falling in line, so the rest is up to me.

I encourage you to listen to the stories in the NYTimes "Patient Voices: Thyroid Disease." It might help you understand yourself or what's happening with someone else you love.

If you're new to my blog, you can read all of my posts about my exciting thyroid adventures, a.k.a, the Frankenneck, right here.