Thyroidectomy - One Year Later

Health Watch..,

It has been one year (September 9, 2014)  since my thyroidectomy.   I'm happy to say that I am almost fully recovered from the surgery.  In July my tests and physical examination revealed that my hormone levels are where they should be, and I'm down to my 2012 weight.  Physically, I feel much better, but I do experience tenderness where the incision was made, hair loss, and feel tired at times.

You must know I had mixed feelings about posting a follow up report.  But after Rhonda's encouragement, I decided that it would be a good idea to let you know about my recovery process.  It might be helpful to someone else going through the same problem.

Getting the dosage right:

It took the doctors about six months to get the dosage right.  The therapy started with the lowest dosage of 25mcg gradually went up to 135mcg.  The entire process was trial and error.  Somewhere between the 4th and 5th month post surgery, my doctor was able to determine that 75mcg of Levothyroxine was the correct dosage for me.   About a month after each change new blood tests were ordered to check the hormone levels.  I continued to have severe headaches, poor concentration, fatigue, dry skin, and hair loss.

Once my hormonal levels normalized, the side affects subsided, but still are not completely gone. I was so glad when I learned that I was losing weight.  Now I'm hopeful that I can get back to my 2009 weight.  It is absolutely remarkable how much better I feel.  The bloating is almost completely gone.  I think I'm months away from a full recovery.  Every morning, I take a little pill at least an hour before eating anything. The lump in my throat is gone, and I am relieved.



The scar:

Vanity is one of the deadly sins.  Pre-surgery I thought about the surgical scarring and was pre- occupied with how my neck would look.  I had concluded that I'd have to cover it up.  Truthfully, I can't stand for anything to rest on it. Close necklines, scarves, and jewelry all irritate it.  So it is always exposed and I have long forgotten about hiding it.  Now, I see it as a battle scar, victory over a condition the used to interrupt  my sleep time and impeded my ability to breathe and swallow.  Vanity.. Poof be gone.  Now this brings me to my second point of vanity:  losing my hair. I'll just have to buy some!

Getting older doesn't mean you'll die tomorrow:

With every passing year, I notice changes in my body and how I respond to food and increased activities.  My allergies are more severe.  The arthritis pain is more noticeable.  Night driving is more challenging.  And the will to stay up all hours of the night sewing is gone.  These new indicators may not be associated with thyroid disease.  I'm just getting older.  And that's all right too.

What's most important is the ability to stay on top of things.   Eating healthy and exercising is key. I must have routine check-ups and report any abnormalities to the doctors.    I'm just entered into a new phase of life and am looking forward to the future.

Be dedicated to wellness:

It's your life, your body, your health.  If you feel something is wrong, get professional help to diagnose the problem.  My journey started with dreams of me drowning in Lake Michigan and of someone sitting on my chest choking me.  Then I started coughing and choking on food and water.

Thyroid disease is hard to diagnose.  Many of the symptoms are also symptoms of other health issues.  For three years, my primary doctor could not figure it out.  I was tested for all types of breathing disorders.  The blood test showed "in the range" of normal for everything.  He concluded that I was depressed and needed psychological therapy of some sort.  It wasn't until I got a new doctor (Dr. Clay), who almost immediately knew what was wrong after I explained the symptoms and the tests that I had already gone through.  She actually touched my neck and throat during the examination process.  I was immediately scheduled for ultra-sound and biopsy tests.  For two years I underwent these tests to monitor the growth of the goiter.  After it doubled in size, we decided to try the radiation treatment.  It stopped growing on one side, but continued to grow on the other.  I wasn't getting the relief I had hoped for.  Dr. Sehti sent me to Dr. Friedman at Northwestern Hospital.  Dr. Friedman recommended surgery as soon as possible. 

My journey to wellness took about six years!  That's a long time.  Three years to discover the issue, five minutes to diagnose, three years to monitor and assess.  Finally the removal of the goiter.  It is so important to stay on top of your health issues.  Paying attention to your body is not a crime.  It may help save your life.  Who knows your health better than you. 

This concludes my update on my health watch.  I hope everyone is happy and well.  And if there are any questions about my experience, do not hesitate to ask.  You may post a comment or send a personal email.

Thank you and be well,
Cennetta

Thank you!

Thank you everyone for your prayers and sharing your life experiences. I enjoyed reading your comments and will post replies soon. Thank you again, Cennetta

The Mane Event - What's Happening to My Hair?

Are you obsessed with your Hair?  Do you frequently go to the Hair Salon?  Do you ever leave home without grooming it?  In recent years, have you noticed changes in the texture and density of it?  Is your confident level dependent on well your hair is groomed?  Do you where hair extensions to add volume or length?  Are you devastated by hair loss?

In recent years, I've had many thoughts about the overall health of my hair.  There have been moments when I was in tears because of the increased loss of hair.   Yeah, it all sounds superficial.  But women are losing their hair at a significant rate these days.  Some of it is due to medicine (high-blood pressure) or other health condition (thyroid disease or cancer).  With the huge accessibility to hair extension and countless hair professionals who add them, some women have turned to wearing hair extensions to address hair loss and to get the desired hair style.  This practice has further increased the instances of hair loss in women.

Okay.  Let's rewind..,  Let's go back to a time when hair loss was not in my thought process.  That was when I had big hair.  Back in the day when I religiously went to the hair salon every two weeks without fail.  Needless to say, I took good care of it and spend a lot of money doing it.   I never used extensions and was pleased with the density and length of it.

Then something happened.  At age 38 I started noticing a difference in the texture and density of my hair.  Occasionally I told my stylist that, "I think my hair is falling out."  Not to say she was the cause, but to acknowledge that there were changes happening to my hair and maybe some changes in the care of it may be necessary.  Well, I continue to tell her, but my persistence was not received as a proactive cry for help, but a negative declaration of her professional training and skills.  So, by the time  I was 47 and on a regiment of high-blood pressure medicine, it was noticeably thinning at the top.  To the point were if I made a part in my hair is was wider than the parts made in other areas of my hair.  This was devastating for me.  And I became more vocal about it and wanted to explore alternative hair care practices.  Needless to say, this was not well received by my stylist.  So in the end, I decided to take the care of my hair into my own hands.    The biggest change for me was to put oil and more moisture back into my hair care regiment.  No spritz or other drying agents with minimum use of heat application and reduced timing on the hair relaxer applications. This helped a little, but the bigger problems were related to my medicine, thyroid disease, and becoming a older women.

About two years ago, I came to turns with the fact that I losing my hair and it will probably continue regardless of the added oils and moisturizers.  They may slow the lose down, but inevitably I will continue to lose it.  So, with that acceptance, I'm looking at alternative ways to "keep up a good appearance about the head".  Of course, I will "wear" my own hair for as long as it looks okay.  But the the time will come when it will not.  I'm really afraid of hair extensions. So I'm left with hair pieces and wigs.

Oh, forgot to I like the current length of my hair, but if I start to look like this, I will definitely need to cut it off.

Nine Reasons You're Losing Your Hair 

Thinning Hair:  Causes and Solutions

So, what are your thoughts on hair loss and treatment?  I'm sure there are some ladies/women out there who have similar stories and may be have some suggestions on how to handle hair loss condition.

I leave you with a song my India Arie, Titled: "I Am Not My Hair".