My Experience With Hypo-Thyroidism

My Experience With Hypo-Thyroidism

By Marcella S. Meeks

     I was diagnosed with hypo-thyroid, where my thyroids wasn’t producing enough thyroid hormones to keep my body running the way it was supposed to. I have never been one to be a habitual pill taker so I never stayed on the medicine my primary care doctor provided. My thyroid levels were always out of whack and I avoided my doctor for lab work which wasn’t a good thing.

     I weighed about 185 pounds on a regular basis. My family has never been very big. I was always the biggest one of several sisters. I stayed tired all the time, and I’d gain a few pounds along the way. My hair never grew well, and broke off a lot. I dealt with depression all the time. I had body aches and pains, especially my joints. Me feet and legs would swell for no apparent reason sometimes.. I’d get constipated occasionally which was very uncomfortable. I’d have irritable mood swings – grouchy or depressed all the time.

     But still, I didn’t take my doctor’s advice because I didn’t think my thyroid issue was a big deal.

     Boy, was I in trouble?

     Now that I much older, I started having pain in my muscles and joints worse than ever before. My doctor diagnosed me with osteoarthritis and hypo-thyroidism. She said the pain I was experiencing and the swelling in my feet, legs and

hands would not get any better until I get my thyroid levels under control. I started on a new thyroid medication about six ago, and I am still experiencing a lot of pain that never seems to go away.

     My depression has worsened as well. There are days I can barely get around or up and down. I feel exhausted all the time. I am also very sensitive to the cold.

     My doctor has had to increase my dosage on my medication in an effort to get my thyroid level under control.

     I finally started feeling a little better this week but the pain is still pretty intense.

     From this day forward I will listen to my doctor’s advice whether I like taking pills or not. I am thankful that the only thing I have to take is a mild muscle relaxer and a thyroid pill. Hopefully, in the next few weeks, my thyroid level will level out and the pain will go away.

     Hypo-thyroidism is a serious condition. Take care of those thyroids so that the want come back to haunt you later on in years like they have me. Lab work in essential to keeping those levels where they need to be.