Where have I been?

It has been ages since I blogged! This is usually the paragraph where as a blogger I explain that I really couldn't blog for a longtime because of some significant life event or life change, but really and truly everyday life just took over! Lately I've just always been in mixing mode or doing something else business related and trying to fit in my roles as auntie, sister, daughter, girlfriend, friend, worship leader and normal busy person in between.

But I'm back to post during one of my more important times of the year: in the month of July, I recognize THYROID DISEASE AWARENESS MONTH here at Just Bee You. If you're new to my blog you may not know that I have an autoimmune disease called: Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. With Hashimoto's Disease your thyroid is attacked by your immune system.

During this month I’ll tell you more about how living with thyroid autoimmunity has changed my life and my lifestyle, how it steered my path away from a career in diplomacy and towards creating this Just Bee You product line, and even give helpful tips for early detection of thyroid issues. If you're new to my blog why not get caught up on past blogs on this issue? Click on the tab "health and beauty tips" or just check out the links below:

GET CAUGHT UP:

THYROID AWARENESS MONTH 

TODAY IS ORSON'S BIRTHDAY

THESE SCARS OF MINE

HASHI WHO?

WHAT I WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW 

FIVE things I want the world to know about living with Hashimoto's:

There are times people feel misunderstood, or feel like they can’t always express how they REALLY feel to others. Sometimes we deliberately shut people out it’s because we think persons won’t fully understand what we’re going through. This post is really just scratching the surface on some of the emotions I go through living with thyroid dysfunction, but I hope it educates and inspires:

5 things I want the world to know about living with thyroid disease: 

1. It hurts when you call me lazy… and question my sleeping habits. 

Yes I JUST woke up at 8 o’clock. I also JUST went to sleep at 3 a.m. AND my alarm JUST woke me up at 6:30 a.m. to take my thyroid meds, so this is JUST my “post taking meds” nap. Get over it. The debilitating exhaustion which accompanies thyroid disease is something that I don’t think I can ever get used to. No matter how much I sleep I am always tired. Ironically, even with being so exhausted, at night it’s difficult to turn my mind off and fall asleep. Persons who are hypothyroid in particular can have very low energy levels, so there are days when we just can’t get things done as quickly as you’d like us to. But bear with me, I make up for it on days when I feel better!

2. I have mirrors at my house

It also really hurts when you call me fat! Trust me on this, I REALLY don’t need you to remind me about my weight every single time you see me. If you are on any kind of weight journey you know all too well, that sinking feeling you get, when you finally get into that skirt you haven’t worn for months and the first person you meet when you go out comments on your stomach.  Stop it people, I saw my stomach in the mirror before I left home, I know what it looks like. Be mindful also that not every overweight person you come across overeats! Some of us even exercise too, imagine that! The same is also true for persons with overactive thyroids. They may actually eat quite a lot and be unable to gain weight. The eating disorder jokes are uncalled for. Stop the body shaming, please.

3. Yes, this is a fake smile today

Day 1: Friend: Hey, how’s it goin?     Me: My whole body hurts today. 

Day 2: Friend: Hey, what’s up?     Me: I'm so nauseated this morning.

Day 3: Friend: Hi, how you today?  Me: Exhausted. Wish I could go back to bed.

Day 4: Friend: How you doin?     Me: I feel depressed. My body still hurts, today.

Day 5: Friend: Heya. How you?  Me: My mind is racing, it’s overwhelming!

No one wants to be that person! But the fact is there are weeks when EVERYDAY is a challenge for me! There are times when I may be dealing with multiple symptoms at once. It’s overwhelming. And I imagine that it may be overwhelming to other people as well (after all, who likes a Negative Nelly). So I pretend. Which is often easier than having to deal with any weird comments or give explanations as to why I’m always feeling sick. Or feeling like I’m always burdening other people with how I’m doing. Soooo what is my response most days: “I’M FINE.” Am I saying this is the ideal way to approach it? Maybe not. What I am saying is, be patient if your friend or loved one doesn’t always want to share how they feel right away, sometimes we are still trying to come to terms with the magnitude of all of this. A lot of times we downplay the way we feel not just because we don’t want to turn other people off, but for our own sanity (coping mechanism much?)

4. I’m scared sometimes

This is kind of scary at times. It’s a lot to deal with, the unpredictability of it all. Will I develop more autoimmune diseases? What if the other half of my thyroid goes bad? Am I going to be able to beat this? Am I doing enough to get better? Of course I put a brave face on, but there are times when I do have fears and concerns, and I do wonder about everything that’s going on with me. If my body is able to handle all of this, if my MIND is able to deal with it. 

5. I miss you. I miss me too. 

I speak for myself when I say that living with Hashimoto’s has dramatically changed the way I interact with society. I’ve always been a bit of a homebody, but I’ve become even more of a recluse, because there are times I really just don’t have the energy, I really don’t feel like subjecting anyone to my moods, or I really am feeling awful, so I’d rather just avoid social contact. So sadly, I’ve lost some friends along the way and I miss some of them tremendously. I vaguely remember the person I was before hashimoto’s disease, and I honestly have not felt like myself in a very long time. 

I miss that person too. 

July is THYROID DISEASE AWARENESS MONTH at Just Bee You! So be sure to check back here during this month for more posts on the thyroid. You can also follow Just Bee You on Facebook and Instagram (@justbeeyoutiful) for more posts.

Hashi WHO? My experience with Thyroid Autoimmunity.

In 2008 I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease in which your thyroid gland is attacked by your own immune system. Prior to my diagnosis, I had just a basic idea of what the thyroid did or why it was important. My vague understanding (or maybe I should call it misunderstanding!) was that persons whose thyroids didn't work properly struggled with their weight, or grew goiters. 

Until one day my aunt and I were chatting and she noticed a lump at the front of my throat and said I should probably check it out. I hate going to the doctor but I figured I might as well, after all I hadn't been feeling by best lately, including feeling reaaally tired ALL the time. But I figured working in a high stress environment and the fact that I was preparing to relocate to another country (Cuba) were all just too exhausting. 

The doctor I saw did blood tests and an ultrasound on my throat area and told me it was just swelling "probably from lifting something heavy" because everything in the tests appeared normal. He gave me some pills to take anyway and some antibiotics too (can't leave those out, right?) The pills made me feel SICK to my stomach, but I tried to take them because I wanted to feel better, I finished the antibiotics, but couldn't bear to finish the other meds. I didn't feel any better and that curious lump was still at the front of my neck, but then I thought: “Wait a minute, I'm moving to Cuba, and everyone raves about their healthcare system, I'll go get it checked out when I get there.”

A few weeks later, I walked into the department of general medicine at Cira Garcia Hospital in Havana. When I sat down in front of the doctor he immediately asked me: "I'm guessing you are here to be referred to the endocrinology clinic?" He explained that I had facial signs of thyroid dysfunction (did you know your thyroid even messes with your eyebrows too?) and then pointed to the same lump on the front of my neck. To make along story quite short, I begun working with the endocrinology clinic to deal with the lump or nodule that was growing in my thyroid. I was subsequently diagnosed with Hashimoto's. 

I was fortunate to work with a very good endocrinologist who encouraged me to do my own reading and to ask him questions when I came for visits. In addition to working to get my meds right, he also incorporated lifestyle changes into my programme, such as suggested dietary changes, an exercise programme and spoke to me very seriously about reducing my stress levels. 

As much as my doctor gave me very good information, it was during the times that I did my own reading that I really started understanding what the thyroid did, how important it was that it function properly, the seriousness of the condition I had, the changes I had to make to help me get better. I realised then how many symptoms I had over the years without knowing it: the menstrual issues, the fact that I had trouble sleeping at night and even more trouble getting out of bed in the morning, the exhaustion (I've been exhausted to the point of passing out on my street while walking to work), my perennial tummy issues, elevated cholesterol and so much more.

It is REALLY important that you be proactive about your own health! I had never really developed the habit of asking doctors questions when they said things that didn’t make sense to me, or researching medications they prescribed, so I know exactly what I'm taking. Or calling my doctor if the pills they prescribed didn’t agree with me. Thyroid disease often masks as so many other diseases that it can go undetected for a long period of time. Familiarise yourself with the symptoms of thyroid dysfunction, and if you feel like you may possibly have a problem go to a doctor and get a PROPER thyroid function test (not just TSH, as many indicators as possible: T3, T4, thyroid antibodies, etc).

July is THYROID DISEASE AWARENESS MONTH at Just Bee You! So be sure to check back here during this month for more posts on the thyroid. You can also follow Just Bee You on Facebook and Instagram (@justbeeyoutiful) for more posts.

BY THE WAY, I am by no means an expert or endocrinologist, this is just regular ole me =) sharing my experiences with thyroid autoimmunity. Always do your own research and also follow directives of qualified medical professionals.

Today is Orson's birthday.

The date was July 15th, 2010. I opened my eyes and saw my mom standing over me.Perhaps she read my mind, or maybe she has had so many surgeries she knows that when people wake up from general anaesthesia they usually wonder what day or time it is. "Good afternoon," she said, "Today is Thursday." I wasn't sure if my voice worked yet, but I tried to speak anyway. My first words came in a whisper:  "Today is Orson's birthday."

The thyroid disease I have is technically not a thyroid disorder at all. It is Hashimoto's Thyroiditis which is actually an autoimmune disease (your body attacks itself). When someone has Hashimoto's their immune system attacks their thyroid gland and thyroid tissue is destroyed. Hashimoto's Thyroiditis usually results in hypothyroidism (or low thyroid function) with bouts of hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid). It's often described as the most misdiagnosed thyroid condition, and it was probably this misdiagnosis which cost me half my thyroid ... but that's another story altogether.

When my doctor told me that I would have to have thyroid surgery, of course I was concerned. Concerned about what they would find when they went in. Concerned about my voice - would my voice change? Would I lose my singing voice? Concerned about the transformation my entire body would have to go through while adjusting to losing half my thyroid.

I had a nodule that was growing on my thyroid which was not cancerous, but it was becoming increasingly obstructive to my breathing and swallowing, and given the aggressiveness of my autoimmune disease, the nodule's non-response to hormone therapy and other treatment and the extensive damage already done to that side of my thyroid my doctors recommended that I remove that half of my thyroid.

Not all thyroid dysfunction has to end in surgery and so if you do have thyroid problems you shouldn't have to feel like that is your likely end or only option. Be sure to read up as much as possible ON YOUR OWN about disorders of the thyroid, including alternative treatments and everyday things you can do / lifestyle changes you can make to alleviate your symptoms and improve your thyroid function, so that you and your doctor can make informed decisions together about your treatment.

Most importantly, be proactive about your thyroid health (and this should apply to every aspect of health) familiarize yourself with a list of symptoms of thyroid dysfunction and make it a habit to periodically check your neck for a swollen thyroid or thyroid nodule.

How to check your neck:

[July is thyroid disease awareness month at Just Bee You! Beauty products. Be sure to come back for more posts on this issue and visit our Facebook Page for even more info on the thyroid and thyroid dysfunction.]

Leaving My Mark

scar (n): 

a mark left on the skin or within body tissue where a wound, burn, or sore was present;

a lasting effect of grief, fear or other emotion left on a person’s character 

by a traumatic experience. 

Some people see their scars as a reminder of a funny story or a crazy adventure. For others, scars are a reminder of a painful past, a bad fall, or a difficult illness. That's why some keep their ‘scar stories’ to themselves instead of rehashing the painful truth each time someone asks about it. I actually used to have a bit of fun by giving weird responses to persons who would ask about the scar on my neck from my thyroid surgery. Rather than discuss it, I've given outlandish responses like: “I was in a gang fight”.

This wasn't my first surgery, and so I knew I had a tendency to have bad scarring (or develop keloids), so when my scar started growing I wasn't particularly surprised, but I certainly was determined to minimize the appearance of it as much as possible. In the earlier months, right after the surgery, I would use silicone strips/plasters on my neck to flatten the keloid (which didn't help much by the way). Later, I began massaging it with my handmade cocoa butter and shea butter cream (cocoa shea skin smoothie) which, based on my progress pics, was beginning to fade the scar considerably.

One afternoon late last year, I went to the barber shop with my mom. While I was sitting waiting on her to get her haircut, another lady approached me and asked me about my scar. I noticed that her thyroid was very enlarged. We had a great conversation about the exhaustion, the weight gain, the frustration of having her hair thin out, the frightening feeling of being choked by your enlarged thyroid while trying to sleep. We discussed treatment options and my experience with my physician, versus what she felt was inadequate treatment by her doctor.

That encounter with that lady got me thinking … if she hadn’t seen my scar we would not have had that conversation. I decided at that time to stop working on my scar; I would be leaving the mark on my neck. It’s a bit less noticeable now, but you can still see it, and that’s fine. I don't mind explaining to people why I have it. I’ve gotten to the point where my scars no longer make me self-conscious, but I’m realizing more and more that they can be a powerful tool in raising the level of consciousness in people I meet every day. I have even had persons who noticed the scar on one of my Facebook pictures and have asked me questions about thyroid dysfunction. It’s a conversation starter, but maybe thyroid disease IS something that more people should be talking about, so I’m okay with that.

Instead of a reminder of a tough period in your life, try to think of your scars, whether physical or emotional, as marks of triumph over that difficult situation. More importantly think of it as a possible way to help someone else who may need help in dealing with a similar issue.

[July is thyroid disease awareness month at Just Bee You! Beauty products. Be sure to come back for more posts on this issue and visit our Facebook Page for even more info on the thyroid and thyroid dysfunction.]

July is Thyroid Awareness Month at "Just Bee You!" beauty products

In 2008 I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease in which the thyroid gland is attacked by your immune system. In July of 2010 I had surgery to have half my thyroid removed, mainly because despite my doctor’s best efforts at treatment, because my thyroid problems had gone unnoticed (and thus untreated) for so many years there was little that could be done to save that part of my thyroid.

Thyroid dysfunction is actually a fairly common medical condition, however, it is often misdiagnosed for many reasons: sometimes people can have normal test results and still have thyroid issues (even persons who have already been diagnosed can receive normal test results while still experiencing symptoms) and also thyroid disorders can sometimes persist with no symptoms or with a constellation of symptoms which can easily be associated with many other diseases.   

I've decided to use the month of July to highlight Thyroid Disease Awareness Month at "Just Bee You!" beauty products. I’ll tell you more about how living with thyroid autoimmunity has changed my life, including how it steered my path towards creating this Just Bee You product line. More importantly, I hope to highlight the importance of doing thyroid checks (especially for at-risk persons or persons with family history), dispel myths and reject misinformation regarding the thyroid and persons who live with thyroid disease, and hopefully provide encouragement for persons who may be dealing with thyroid issues. 

Be sure to check back here during the month of July for more information and also check out my Facebook page for regular tid bits as well.