Category Archives: health & fitness

A narrative of my journeys with diet, exercise, and various healthcare professionals

mental health Leave a comment

Better Than OK Today

This morning, for the first time in a long time, I woke up happy.

I really don’t know why. Maybe it was the after effects of Connor’s choir concert last night. He had a really great time, everybody sounded fantastic, and one of his friends braided his hair backstage before the finale.

Maybe it was because I got a good amount of sleep—deep sleep, anyway. I didn’t get any more overall sleep than I usually do, but I got a lot more deep sleep than normal, if my Apple Watch is to be believed.

At any rate, whatever it was stayed with me all day. I’m not complaining. It really was weird, though: I felt almost normal. I didn’t feel like I was dragging. I didn’t feel that pressing strangeness of this menopause body I’ve been dealing with. I stood up straight and tall all day. I wasn’t tired.

My inner critic never spoke up out of turn. I didn’t guilt trip myself. I didn’t end up playing on my phone to escape boredom.

I want to capture this feeling of okay-ness and bottle it up for later.

I’m actually sitting outside as I write this. Connor is off at the karate dojo, helping out with the kids program. One of his friends who just got a car is going to be driving him home afterward, so that means my evening is completely and utterly free.

Every time this Connor goes out on a Friday, I never know what to do with myself. It’s a little bit silly, but when Connor’s not here, I actually feel a little bit lonely.

Even so, as I’m sitting outside in the evening air, feeling just a little bit lonely, and maybe a little out of sorts, I still don’t feel that usual weight of depression. Maybe it’s because I’m outside. Maybe it’s the angle of the sun and the change of the season. Whatever it is, though, I hope it sticks around. I’m tired of being tired.

thyroid Leave a comment

Life With Half a Thyroid: One Year

It’s been just over a year since my hemithyroidectomy, and about three months since I started taking levothyroxine to boost my thyroid hormone levels.

I’ve noticed an upswing in my energy levels since starting thyroid meds, but I’ve also noticed that I seem to be retaining more fluids than before. I feel puffy in my face, and even comfy socks always leave an indent on my ankles.

I asked my specialist if water retention is a side effect of levothyroxine; in response, he asked if I wanted to have my thyroid levels checked. That wasn’t really my question, but sure? I mean, more data points are rarely a bad thing.

The results of the blood test showed normal levels of TSH, Free T3, and Free T4. That’s good news overall, but still doesn’t answer the question of water retention.

Perhaps some clean eating is in my future.

thyroid Leave a comment

Life With Half A Thyroid: Month Ten

Self-portrait showing my head and shoulders. I'm wearing a boat-neck sweater that shows off my light-pink thyroid scar.

My follow-up visits with the Nurse Practitioner at endocrinology following my thyroid surgery were unremarkable, which is a good thing. She’d look at my lab work, palpate my neck, ask me about symptoms, and declare me good to go until the next follow-up.

My most recent visit was with the actual endocrinologist. My most recent lab work showed a significant spike in my Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), while my T4 levels remained on the low end of normal. Since I’d already gotten an education in how hormones work when I went through menopause, I suspected that the higher levels of TSH were a sure sign that I’d be put on thyroid medication — if not now, then eventually.

As suspected, he prescribed a low dose of levothyroxine. Now that I’m already on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for estrogen, adding another hormone to the regime doesn’t seem as daunting as it once did. In fact, I’m looking forward to seeing if it lessens any of the symptoms that could be attributable to my thyroid.

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spondylolisthesis, weight loss Leave a comment

Chiropractic FTW

Years ago, my chiropractor diagnosed me with spondylolisthesis, plus a bulging disc. I’ve been visiting her once a month for some 13 years now, to keep things healthy and make sure nothing gets too far out of whack.

Last month, I had four visits to the chiropractor’s office in just over a week, thanks to my disc pressing on a nerve and giving me the worst back pain I’ve experienced in a very long time. Since the chiropractor I normally see is semi-retired now and is only available on certain days of the week, I got to see two of the other docs at the practice. They were both just as helpful as my usual doc would have been, and got me back to normal pretty quickly.

Side note: It’s interesting how different people have different styles of chiropractic manipulation. I especially like my chiropractor’s niece, who is now in charge of the day-to-day management of the practice.

At my regularly scheduled visit earlier this week, my usual doc explained that the constant tension that’s cropped up in a new spot on my lower back is due to my right glute being in spasms. I’ve been instructed to massage the ever-loving hell out of it, preferably with a tennis ball. She also advised me that the stronger my glutes are, the healthier my back will be overall.

I suspect that my increased number of back issues lately is due to my weight and my loss of general muscle tone. If I needed a “why” with a sense of urgency in order to focus on my physical health, I think this is a good one. I miss the days when my back didn’t hurt all the time.