Went to the Endocrinologist today in Topeka. I had a list of complaints I have been experiencing including poor sleep, sweating (unusual for me), fatigue, mood swings, anxiousness, fluctuations in blood pressure, and constipation. She told me all of them are telling her that my thyroid levels are not under control. There is a new thyroid medication out for those of us that struggle to control our levels. The new stuff is more pure and is more easily absorbed. If my insurance will approve it, I am going to try it.
She told me this all was probably caused by the C-Diff that I had last year. It caused the flora in my gut to change and as a result can cause poor absorption. That kinda makes me upset that I have struggled this long before they decided to do something. I had notified her back in August last year when I first got C-Diff and asked if I needed to watch for anything. My levels have bounced from 0.3 to 6.5 since I had C-Diff. Not sure why she is just now connecting the dots. I have had my levels checked every 6 weeks and they just kept adjusting the dosage. I didn’t know there was another medication I could try.
She asked if I wanted a referral to go back to MD Anderson for another opinion. I asked her why would I do that? She said she didn’t think I needed to go but wanted to offer it as an option. If the new medication doesn’t bring things under control within six months then we decided that might be my next step.
I’m not 100% convinced that my problems are all connected to the C-Diff though. I haven’t been able to maintain my levels for longer than three months since this all started in 2017. They went up and down before the C-Diff too. I did learn that weight can impact my levels as the more I weigh the more medication I need – or at least that is the way it is supposed to work. I have lost 20 pounds over the last six months and my levels have gone up even though the dosage I have taken has increased. The higher dose should have brought my levels down.
My body needs to have an owner’s manual to explain why it acts differently than most. She was surprised to learn the new cholesterol medication didn’t work for me. She said she hadn’t heard of anyone else having that result. In her mind that too was related to the C-Diff and the way my body metabolizes medication.
I asked her if there was something we are missing but she seems to think it is just my body not absorbing the Synthroid medication as it should be. Hoping the new medication will be the answer. If not, I will have to go get a second opinion again.
I also asked if there was anything I could be doing to help myself. She said to maintain my weight at where I am now, continue to avoid flour and sugar, and to take the medication at the same time everyday and fast for 30 – 60 minutes afterwards. Other than that she said there really wasn’t anything else I can do.
She assured me that the symptoms I have been having are all related to the uncontrolled thyroid and that is why I have been feeling kinda crummy lately. Sure hope and trust this new medication will do the trick for me and things can level out.
I stopped and got a gallon of paint before I headed to Topeka this morning. When I came back through Emporia on the way home I stopped and got some groceries. I bought a watermelon for the girls. When we went down to give it to them they were showing signs of heat stress. I set up the sprinkler and Jim threw the watermelon into their coop. Within an hour they had mostly stopped showing heat stress signs.
Jim is still here. He decided not to go to Stillwater this week. He is in the middle of fixing the girls some shade and wants to finish that project for them. The shade he has put up is really helping to keep their coop cooler already. He is putting up some supports of some sort this afternoon and will put shingles over it tomorrow.
Tomorrow I am going to take the grandkids swimming. I told them they could each take a friend along. They are going to swim for two hours then I will take them to get a treat and take their friends home. Then the kids can either come out to my house for a bit or I can take them home. I invited Jim to go with us but he doesn’t like to swim so I think he is going to pass. Not sure swimming is my favorite thing to do but I will enjoy spending time with the grandkids. I’m not sure if we are going to the Emporia pool or to Cottonwood Falls. I’ll see which the kiddos would prefer.
I haven’t gotten any painting done today yet. I might be able to go down this evening when it cools down a bit and paint. I am really struggling in this heat and don’t want to make myself sick by being out in it. I worry about Jim working in it. He has been fairly good about coming up to the house and taking cool down breaks every two hours or so. It is dangerously hot out today again.
Next week it is to cool down so that may be the week I finally get to the rental house and get some painting done. Dang, I am tired of that project and need it done! I can’t paint in the evenings as the renter is there and I haven’t made it in the early morning times this week. I guess it waits for me and will get done when it gets done.
We don’t have any plans this weekend. I had thought Jim would be gone and hadn’t planned anything except for painting. I’m sure he will continue to work on the chicken coop and hopefully I will get back to painting this weekend. Someone please remind me there is life beyond painting!
The grandkids want chocolate chip cookies this week. I will bake them after sunset tonight. I hate to turn the oven on during the heat of the day. The A/C is struggling to keep up as it is.
Grateful Jim is staying home this week, grateful for my Endocrinologist and her care and concern, and grateful the grandkids agreed to hang with grandma tomorrow afternoon.