#Hashimoto’s disease

[foe-of-fate]

January is thyroid awareness month, so be aware… mine ain’t doing so hot

[no-see-um-incorrect]

So I wanted to share a little thing 

i’m going to put the warning here I talk about ⚠️chronic illness⚠️ in this post. but I really wanted to talk about it because it’s really important to me and no one IRL really cares (and I also wanted to bring light in case someone sees this post who is like me)

⚠️Small vent also⚠️ please feel free to scroll away 

I have two things PCOS and Hashimoto’s disease (if you don’t want to Google it feel free to ask questions)

And one of the treatable affects of these chronic illnesses is insulin resistance which causes dryness and darkening of the skin (also known as Acanthosis Nigricans) in certain places (under the chin, the neck, elbows, armpits, etc.) and for the longest time I was told that it was something that I was doing wrong.

You’re not drinking enough water

You’re eating too much sugar

You’re not eating good enough 

You’re not exercising enough 

Never stopping to consider that there’s something going on that’s out of my control. And it wasn’t until around August of last year that I started going to the doctor and actually getting diagnosed with and treated for these illnesses. 

My skin started darkening when I was 10 and my self-esteem went to hell because of it. People would stare at me in the grocery store. Kids would come up and ask why I had a dark ring around my neck, people would look at me like I was doing something wrong even though I was confused why it was happening myself 

Anyway Lil vent over 

I’ve got good news 

My doctor put me on medication 

And it’s starting to go away pretty quickly to the point where you can only see it in certain lights  and I am so relieved and ecstatic about it.  Because I didn’t think it was going to go away 

I thought I would just have to cover it up with makeup or hoodies and necklaces forever. I thought I was gonna have to feel that pain of looking in the mirror and seeing it forever. 

But now it’s gone almost completely. And I’m starting to heal from years of not getting it treated.

So if you are/were  in the same boat as me. Knowing something is wrong but people treating you like you’re the problem or people ignoring you about it 

It may not seem like you’ll ever get better. But you will. WE WILL

We may not recover fully mentally or physically, but we will recover.

[chronic--experiences]

I’m so fed up with how I’ve been feeling over the past few days.

It’s like I’m getting motion sickness just from standing up. I get lightheaded and I feel queasy and I really haven’t had much of an appetite. I’m so exhausted too despite only exerting physical effort when doing chores (laundry, dishes, nothing crazy.)

Is it my Hashimoto’s? Is it my body deciding to be a little bitch? Who knows!

[commonknits]

Hey I’ve just been diagnosed with two different autoimmune diseases, hypothyroidism and e.o.e., so now on top of my severe egg allergy I have to cut out a ton of other foods. So if anyone has any recipes or ideas for quick snacks I’d appreciate it. I’m down to really only eating ground beef, chicken, veggies, and fruit.

[bunnynarwhal]

Where my hypothyroid girlies at? I’m under a blanket because I’m fucking freezing in my apartment set to 74 degrees 😘

[batdude-s]

Does anyone with lived experience with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis have a few min to talk with me? I just got diagnosed and I would like to hear from someone who also has it.

[spoonfulofhannah]

Fatigue feels like you have sandbags tied to your feet while trying to walk. It feels like you haven’t slept in weeks. It feels like gravity is pulling you down. It feels like cotton balls are in your head, clouding everything.

Fatigue is NOT the equivalent to being tired.

[tearsthatburnandhurt]

took me a long time to realize that I’m not a victim and how my depression, delusions, and self destructive behavior all manifest in ways where I push people away from me. I’m still not fully there in realizing it, but I can acknowledge what I’ve done in the past that is wrong, and how I’m no longer in a fight or flight situation. My friends aren’t bad people for not wanting to hang out with me when I’m in an episode, because I wouldn’t want to be friends with someone who always makes them self smaller, or insults themself, because it’s an attack on me too. I was constantly constantly so concerned that people didn’t want to hang out with me that I thought of them less as people which isn’t fun for anyone!

The big life lesson here is that people who are friends with you are friends with you. You are not going to die for putting trust in someone else and they do not hate you if they don’t want to hang out sometimes it’s just not the right time, and that might happen often, but people have lives outside of you.

[icequeen1371]

Hashimoto’s moon face, all puffy & boy, do I ever need to dye my hair, but this is actually as good as it gets because the mirror in my spine specialist bathroom was amazingly kind to me on Thursday. I thought I looked fantastic lol Of course I had to get out my phone and take a couple pictures of myself LOL

Also, to any randos that may comment nasty crap about how old or ugly or puffy or fat, I am:

a) no shit, Sherlock. State the obvious more. Chronic illnesses that include lots of inflammation, and no sleep, kind of does that to you. So does long-term chronic pain. But since you don’t know me, you wouldn’t know that. Or care. However, I don’t think I’m ugly. You do? Please refer to the next statement.

b) Mind your own business, you don’t gotta fxck me, so what are you worried about?

c) don’t live your life on social media only to sh!t on other ppl’s parades. Not cool. Find a life. That’s just sad. And small d*ck energy. Piss off.

[chronic-melon]

Reblog if you understand that disability is not a monolith and two people with the same disability do not have identical experiences ✨

[emmuffins]

I don’t WANT to lie around all day. It’s not “relaxing” or “peaceful” or “restorative”; I’m Miserable.

I WANT to be at my job.

I WANT to hang out with my friends.

I WANT to clean the apartment.

I WANT to FEEL BETTER.

[colleendoran]

This Explains a Lot

Hey folks, I don’t want to drama queen all over you. I know you all have big problems. But there’s been a recall of medication I take to manage Hashimoto’s Disease.

Hasimoto’s Disease affects something like 1% of the population (depending on who you ask). It’s an autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to attack your thyroid gland.

The thyroid is sort of like your body’s throttle. If it doesn’t work properly, a lot of other things won’t work properly.

Symptoms include (from the Mayo Clinic Website):

Fatigue and sluggishness

Increased sensitivity to cold

Increased sleepiness

Dry skin

Constipation

Muscle weakness

Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness

Joint pain and stiffness

Irregular or excessive menstrual bleeding

Depression

Problems with memory or concentration

Swelling of the thyroid (goiter)

A puffy face

Brittle nails

Hair loss

Enlargement of the tongue

For my part, the big issues are the fatigue, aches and pains (my hands are sometimes so stiff I cannot move my fingers, and right now my back is killing me,) depression, and memory problems. As in, I will be sitting there working on a drawing and between the time I look at my reference and the time I look at my drawing I can’t remember what I just saw in my reference.

That’s not good.

Also not on the above list: edema, anxiety, high cholesterol, poor heart function, an enlarged heart and irregular heartbeats. I had to have a CAT scan in December, and my anxiety has been swinging back and forth into the red zone for months.

When well managed, I don’t notice it much, but when not well-managed, my life grinds to a halt.

Since cancer treatment, I’ve felt the usual fallout from all that cancer entails. But I honestly thought I should have been feeling much better by now.

But I’m not. I’ve been up and down, but mostly down.

Finding out I’ve been improperly medicated for 7 months certainly explains a lot. A friend of mine who got the defective medication notice from her doctor thought she felt poorly due to long Covid. Another was sinking for months, unable to understand why.

Well, at least we know why.

This doesn’t affect everyone on the medication, just those with certain lot numbers from certain manufacturers. And if you are highly sensitive to hormone fluctuations, even a small variation will knock you right on your keister.

Several people I know heard from their health care providers. Others heard nothing until they asked.

It’s not like I don’t have a lot of stress right now, and figured my anxiety, poor mood, and weight gain originated from dealing with what I’m dealing with.

Well, at least some of it is because my medication hasn’t been hitting the sweet spot.

Bad luck, but it is what it is.

It’s going to take about 6 weeks before I start to feel better, but at least I am working it.

Best Wishes.

[beetusbritt]

[rhiandoesfandom]

So let's see, what can I do to manage my chronic conditions:

-Destress (HAH uhhh we live in capitalism)

-Try a diet designed to get rid of inflammation (okay but how do I do that on $200 a month, I'm poor)

-Get mild exercise (Okay if my heart could stop having palpitations and my fatigue could let me I would)

-Have healthcare (easier said than done, especially if you don't live in a state with easy Medicaid)

-Apply for Disability (LMAO like it's easy)

I'm not even making excuses. This is real fucking life.

[untypicalcomfort]

Me: I don't think my chronic illness is bad today! :D I mean I just have a little pain—

Me as soon as I get home:

[charlies-a-ghost]

what do I say when it will never get better