Monday, July 30, 2012

And then there's that...

Ohhh boy. It's been quite a July! We celebrated Callie's 5th Birthday. It was actually a really nice day. Hot, but not 100 degrees hot. We had a bounce house, our new swing set all together and ready to go, and a pool. The kids had a blast.

 We went to Adventureland (which was SO much fun!), and Callie went on her first roller coaster (The Dragon!). Tanner had a bout with Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease for the first time. And then we kindly passed it on to half of Omaha, not knowing what was wrong with him! I ran my first 5k in 100 degree weather!! And this was all during our one week of vacation!!

While on vacation, I decided to go to the doctor. I'd been feeling so tired lately, my hair has been falling out in clumps, and I've been working out and eating right for over a year and my weight never seemed to really budge, no matter how hard I worked. I was so, so tired and sore all of the time. So when I went to doctor, she found a lump on my throat. And she uttered the words "thyroid cancer." I'll tell you now, so you aren't in suspense, I do not have cancer. I went to an ultrasound, had blood work done, and it turns out I have something called Hashimoto's Disease. I had never heard of it before. But after talking with my doctor, it explains all of my symptoms. The time they have you wait for your results, I just have to say, is the worst part. Not knowing for days. After the doctor suggested the "c" word. I was a bit nervous. Although I kept repeating to myself that it couldn't be cancer, I'm too young to have cancer (which I know is not true.) So when I got the news that I was in the clear from cancer, and had this other disease I'd never heard of, I was just relieved.

So now I'm taking medication. And I haven't noticed much of a difference, so far. But I'm so looking forward to feeling better. And to have my hard work actually pay off as far as my working out goes. I can't wait to have energy. And I can't wait for my hair to grow back in. There's no cure for Hashimoto's Disease, but it's so easy to treat. Just take a pill every day. I don't have a scientific definition, you can google it if you want to, but basically my immune system attacks my low-functioning thyroid.

Thank you so much to everyone who sent me thoughts and prayers and listened to me vent and obsess and wonder and worry. If you have Hashimoto's Disease, I'd love to hear about your experience with it.