Finally... a Diagnosis!!!

Feel free to skip over this post. I am basically logging this for my own record. If you are curious then read ahead :)

For the past six months or so, I have been trying to find out what was causing me to have some "minor" health issues. These have included stomach issues, tingling hands and feet (remember the wrist braces?), Raynaud's disease, and Amenorrhea (which I have every time I go off the pill). The no periods have been the driving force behind trying to find out what is going on. I know the idea of no period sounds like heaven to some people... but if you are planning to ever have kids, it is kind of necessary to have one :) After trying multiple Dr's. and getting no answers (except eliminating possible problems), my Electrolysis lady (thank you soooo much Tracy!!!) is the one who mentioned it could be a thyroid problem. Duh! I am always cold, have stomach issues and my mom has a thyroid disorder. After further investigation... I found out my Grandma on my mom's side had her thyroid removed and that my mom has Hashimoto's disease (which is a genetic autoimmune disease). I decided to go and see my mom's endocrinologist and Dr. Kutas knew exactly what to test for. He found some nodules on my thyroid and had me go for a ultra sound and some blood work. Today I got the results. I have been diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease, just like my mom :) I was actually relieved that he found something wrong with me and that it is easily treated. The surprise was that he also found out that I am borderline Diabetic!! That was not something I was expecting. I don't even eat any sweets except for my frozen rice milk dessert! My Aunt Sue was diagnosed with diabetes... so I guess that runs in my family. Luckily, with a good diet (the gluten free really helps) and my exercise habits, I should be able to keep things under control. Right now, I am basically hypoglycemic, which makes sense considering how I get irritable and shaky when I go too long with out food and that I am occasional light headed.

So it has been an interesting journey towards discovering why certain things have been going on with my body. I feel like I have learned a lot by talking to different people and always reading up on different conditions I hear about. It is kind of crazy to think this could have been developing since I was in my late teens. Just goes to show... no matter how healthy a person may appear to be, when you feel like something is out of wack with your body, you really should get it checked out. As my friend Rebecca and I say... "I am not a hypochondriac. I am just in tune with my body!"