Some of you may be aware of this, some probably less so - the bottom line is that Kristin has hypo-thyroidism (under-active thyroid) caused by Hashimoto's Disease (an autoimmune disorder where anitbodies mistakenly attack the thyroid) - it's actually quite common, especially among child-bearing women, and should be easily managed by taking a synthetic thyroid pill every day, indefinitely.
The short story is that about a year ago our Dentist noticed that Kristin's lower throat seemed slightly swollen - saying we should have her glands looked at. With the baby and the move, we didn't act on it until a couple of weeks ago, after again noticing that the base of her throat had a noticeable bulge. (We have since learned that you can't see a normal thyroid - only an enlarged one becomes visible because nodules, or goiters, begin to grow on it.)
Here is Kristin's report from this morning:
"I just got back from the doctor and found out the results of my thyroid ultrasound and bloodwork - and now I have a label for what's going on in my crazy body! :) I have what's called Hashimoto's thyroiditis (a hypothyroid auto-immune condition where my thyroid has failed and my body is attacking and destroying it). The doctor said he'd actually never seen an antibody count as high as mine (which I told Darin reminds me of the first episode of Star Wars when Qui-gon Jin tells Anakin's mother that he has an incredibly high mito-chlorian count - see, I'm just special :)). My thyroid is very enlarged and has multiple nodules on it (growths - like cysts - which my thyroid has produced in an attempt to secrete the hormone it's supposed to be producing, but essentially producing "duds"), but none of the nodules appear malignant or too large at this point. The bottom line is: my thyroid isn't working and I need to be on medication to simulate what a functioning thyroid does for your body. I will go back for more bloodwork in 7 weeks (to see if the medication dosage is correct and to see what my vitamin D level is - a dysfunctional thyroid/auto-immune condition can lead to more auto-immune conditions, like Celiac disease - where your body attacks gluten, and Lupus - I really don't know what that one is, and osteoporosis - which is why the doctor told me to start taking a calcium supplement with vitamin D - which is necessary for calcium absorption and should be a proactive step against osteoporosis :)).
All of that is to say, it's good news - I'm OK for now - and the medication should help me feel better (increased energy, help with metabolism, etc - it's funny, if you look up symptoms of Hashimoto's, it list things like mania, panic attacks, depression - so anyway, the medication should help with all of my mania, too :) )."
The Doctor was actually quite surprised that she has not had other prominent symptoms - like infertility. Apparently that is a common result of this condition: miscarriages, etc. So we left the office feeling extra thankful for the gift of our amazing four boys!
So, thanks for praying! :) We'll keep you updated if/when We know more!
The short story is that about a year ago our Dentist noticed that Kristin's lower throat seemed slightly swollen - saying we should have her glands looked at. With the baby and the move, we didn't act on it until a couple of weeks ago, after again noticing that the base of her throat had a noticeable bulge. (We have since learned that you can't see a normal thyroid - only an enlarged one becomes visible because nodules, or goiters, begin to grow on it.)
Here is Kristin's report from this morning:
"I just got back from the doctor and found out the results of my thyroid ultrasound and bloodwork - and now I have a label for what's going on in my crazy body! :) I have what's called Hashimoto's thyroiditis (a hypothyroid auto-immune condition where my thyroid has failed and my body is attacking and destroying it). The doctor said he'd actually never seen an antibody count as high as mine (which I told Darin reminds me of the first episode of Star Wars when Qui-gon Jin tells Anakin's mother that he has an incredibly high mito-chlorian count - see, I'm just special :)). My thyroid is very enlarged and has multiple nodules on it (growths - like cysts - which my thyroid has produced in an attempt to secrete the hormone it's supposed to be producing, but essentially producing "duds"), but none of the nodules appear malignant or too large at this point. The bottom line is: my thyroid isn't working and I need to be on medication to simulate what a functioning thyroid does for your body. I will go back for more bloodwork in 7 weeks (to see if the medication dosage is correct and to see what my vitamin D level is - a dysfunctional thyroid/auto-immune condition can lead to more auto-immune conditions, like Celiac disease - where your body attacks gluten, and Lupus - I really don't know what that one is, and osteoporosis - which is why the doctor told me to start taking a calcium supplement with vitamin D - which is necessary for calcium absorption and should be a proactive step against osteoporosis :)).
All of that is to say, it's good news - I'm OK for now - and the medication should help me feel better (increased energy, help with metabolism, etc - it's funny, if you look up symptoms of Hashimoto's, it list things like mania, panic attacks, depression - so anyway, the medication should help with all of my mania, too :) )."
The Doctor was actually quite surprised that she has not had other prominent symptoms - like infertility. Apparently that is a common result of this condition: miscarriages, etc. So we left the office feeling extra thankful for the gift of our amazing four boys!
So, thanks for praying! :) We'll keep you updated if/when We know more!
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