ANYWAY… I’m catching the “Interview Me” fever. Whoorl sent me the following five questions, very nice of her I also have some questions to answer from Dutch Blitz, ‘cuz I’m whoring around for interview questions. (I’m selectively whoring. I’m a good girl, remember?) Anyway, you’ll see those on Tuesday. Meme = Content.

When Makenna was four months old, I was feeling a terrible ache in my joints, and I started feeling incredibly tired. I didn’t think anything of it, I assumed that being a new mom was taking it’s toll. Within two months, Makenna was sleeping 12 hours a night, and so was I, because I couldn’t stay up past 8pm. I would wake up, after 10 - 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep, feeling like someone have beat me over the head. I was feeling down, and I had a vicious temper. I would come unglued and yell horrible things at Andrew. I was getting puffy. I couldn’t hold a single thought in my head. I would look in the mirror and think, “I don’t look right…”

I finally went to my doctor, totally miserable and afraid that I was horribly depressed. A simple blood test showed that my T4 levels were dangerously low, and my thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) was the second highest she had ever seen. TSH is the hormone that the brain emits to control the thyroid gland, it basically “tells” the gland to make more or less T4. If the thyroid gland isn’t producing enough T4, the TSH level will rise as the brain attempts to force the thyroid gland to make more T4. TSH levels should be between .3 and 2.5. Mine was 115.

I was sent to an endocrinologist who first asked me how I was even functioning, and then started me on Synthroid. Within three months I was stabilized and feeling great. It was amazing. I had no idea that I could be a new mom AND feel like a normal human being. The maintenance of this disease is minimal — I just pop a Synthroid each morning before I eat and wait an hour; every 3-6 months my T4 and TSH levels are tested. I will be on this medicine the rest of my life. Yes, that would freak many people out, and I was definitely bummed at first — but I’ve been to the other side and it was awful. So I embrace this medicine as it is necessary for my body to function. The only major drawback is that when I’m grumpy, the first thing Andrew asks is “Do you need to check your thyroid?” Thanks.

Wow, that was an enlightening tutorial about Hypothyroidism.

If you’d like to join in the interview fun, follow these directions:

1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.” Then please email me at marci@lvgurl.com since Blogger doesn’t have a direct correspondence mechanism like WordPress.

2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.

3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.

4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.

5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

If you’re not into the interview thing, that’s cool. If there’s something else you want to ask me, go right ahead!