My Pesky Thyroid

My Thyroid has been a little temperamental since I was a teenager. I have taken Synthroid since then in varying amounts. Apparently, the Thyroid can really go haywire during and right after pregnancy, so the doctors like to keep a close eye on it. Thyroid levels that are out of range can cause problems for the baby including stillbirth, fast heartbeat, and developmental delay.

The Thyroid is a gland in the neck that produces hormones. These hormones effect nearly all of the tissues in the body, where they increase cellular activity. In type 1 diabetics, hypothyroidism, or under active thyroid, is common because the immune system attacks and destroys the gland in much the same way that the immune system attacked and destroyed the islet cells that produced insulin. Symptoms of an under active thyroid include fatigue, weakness, weight gain, muscle cramps, cold intolerance, constipation, and depression.

Last week I got the results of my blood work from the last time I went to the Endo, and it turns out that my Thyroid is indeed low. I am not completely surprised because I have been feeling incredibly cold lately and also incredibly tired. Of course, both could be attributed to other factors (cold winter weather and pregnancy), but the cold has been especially unbearable. It just did not seem to matter what I did, I just could not get warm. I was so cold that my insides felt like they wanted to turn inside out. And not just when I was outside in the cold, but also in the evenings when I was sitting on the couch next to the fireplace. My husband was sweating, but I was shivering.

The doctor increased my dosage of Synthroid and I started the new pills on Saturday morning. The new level should take 7-14 days to get all the way into my system, but I think the higher dosage might already working. The cold seems more bearable and my energy level seems to have increased slightly.

Resources

• Thyroid Disease and Pregnancy, http://www.thyroid.org/patients/brochures/Thyroid_Dis_Pregnancy_broch.pdf
• Hypothyroidism FAQ, http://www.thyroid.org/patients/faqs/hypothyroidism.html
• How Your Thyroid Works, http://www.endocrineweb.com/thyfunction.html

Sweet Dreams and Deep Breaths

I have been SO tired during these last couple of weeks. This baby making process sure takes a lot out of me. And when I sleep, it a is hard, dead-to-the-world kind of sleep. This morning, I almost slept through my alarm. That is very unusual for me!

I have taken to sneaking off to my car during my lunch break for a cat nap. I tell my coworkers that I am reading. Hopefully that are not on to me!

Even with the mid-day  nap, by mid afternoon, I am struggling to keep my eyes open at  my desk. I have never fallen asleep at work, but I have come close in the last couple of weeks.

And the dreams. I am having all kinds of weird dreams. The night before the second HCG test, I dreamt that the test came back negative. It was a sad, painful dream that went on seemingly forever. I have also had dreams that my belly is huge and I can’t tie my shoes. And even some crazy, seemingly unrelated dreams. I don’t remember them all, but basically, I am dreaming most of the night.

I did go to that yoga class last night. It is the first time I have told anyone that I am pregnant. It was a weird feeling. My doctor wanted me to tell the instructor so that he could give  me some modifications.  I was somewhat uncomfortable being singled out during the class. I mean, I certainly don’t LOOK pregnant (maybe a little more flabby in the tummy pooch area, though), and I don’t really feel the pregnancy in my belly yet. Or at least I didn’t until about halfway through the class.

The instructor kept showing me how to support my belly. This seemed silly because there is no real belly yet, but the doctor tells me that my muscles are all soft now, so they might not support the bundle growing in my uterus. About halfway through the class, as we were practicing our breathing, though, I finally got a really deep breath into my stomach area. And then I felt a sort of resistance to the breath deep down in my lower belly. I am assuming this is some sort of wall of muscles, or else the actual uterus. I am not sure, but I’ve never felt it before, even when doing yoga. This morning, if I really concentrate, I can still feel it. Weird.

Also interesting, I had been dealing with a headache all afternoon, and it got significantly worse during the class. I was really light-headed and dizzy. I am thinking that it has to do with those expanding blood vessels, and all of the breathing. Basically, I think my blood vessels were just expanding too far and too fast.

Some of the things my body is doing are just amazing. I am in awe of its ability to adapt and change. I am just trying to keep up with the changes and to enjoy the ride!