In Part Two, I talked about my many, many blood tests, the results, and the recommended treatments from both of my doctors.?
In this last segment (at least for now), I want to send you off with some advice and lessons that I have learned throughout this messy process, but not until I share my most recent test results with you...?
January 2013 Test Results
After running the most recent treatment protocol and making the lifestyle and supplementation changes that I outlined at the end of Part Two for a little over a month, we re-tested my labs yet again. (I have a punch card with Quest Diagnostics now - one more blood draw and I get the 10th free!)?My doctor emailed me that was prefaced with following:
"Labs are all within range!"
Never have there been five words that I wanted to hear so badly! Now granted, some of my stuff is still "low/normal", however it is within the given range* and most importantly, it's all improved! I did what any rational person would do upon receiving such great news.
I cried. Like a baby I cried, and then I profusely thanked God over and over again.?
*Quick note about the "normal" ranges: these ranges are established using people with thyroid problems. That means that these ranges printed on your labs are slightly skewed. A good doctor should take into consideration how you feel along with your lab results, and resist the urge to view the given ranges as black and white. If your labs are "within range" but you still feel like poo, then they obviously need to keep digging.Symptoms
You don't have to exhibit all of my symptoms in order for there to be a problem with your thyroid. I'm not trying to turn you all into hypochondriacs, but it's important to point out that some people only get brain fog and cold feet., whereas others might get the whole kitten caboodle. If you suspect something is wrong, something probably is. Heed those warning signals that your gut is throwing off!
Dietary Changes
As I mentioned in Part Two, I was instructed to bring my carbohydrate intake up substantially and to eat frequently - no fasting! Both of these took quite a bit of adjusting for me because I prefer a lower carb diet and I preferred not to eat my first meal until around 11am.Now I have to make sure to get in at least 100 grams of carbs per day (which is still admittedly lower than I'd like it to be) and I eat as early as possible. If you believe that you have a thyroid issue, I'd like to encourage you to make sure you are getting in plenty of carbohydrate and put the Intermittent Fasting on hold for a little while.
My girl Jen Petrosino is working on an article for EliteFTS that will dive into the correlation between T3 and glucose, so when it's up, I'll make sure to link it to this post. It's out of my scope, and she can explain it better than I can, but suffice it to say, eat your carbs.?Eat your carbs, eat your carbs, eat. your. damn. carbs!?
Finding a Doctor
This is the hardest part. Unfortunately, most medical doctors (including Endocrinologists) refuse to test anything other than a basic thyroid panel, which is just TSH and maybe T4. If you remember from Part One, my TSH and T4 tested "within range" so my doctor thought everything was groovy, when in fact, everything was totally effed but at a much deeper level - a level they never saw because they refused to test for it.Because of MDs trepidation of extensive testing (and ignorance to most thyroid issues in general) I recommend that you seek out a good Naturopath. NDs are more typically more than happy to run these extensive tests. If you aren't sure whether they do or not, call them and ask them before you make an appointment.?
If you want to run an extensive thyroid panel, I recommend that you test for the following: TSH, Total T3, Free T3, Free T4, Total T4, reverse T3, and even thyroid antibodies to rule out the possibility of Hashimoto's Disease.?
Warning: If a doctor doesn't want to run all of these, you simply need to find somebody else. Because even if you can convince them to run them, they obviously won't know how to treat it if anything does turn up.
Remember that doctor's work for us. It is their job to listen to our symptoms and run the appropriate tests. If you find yourself begging and pleading for them to run some simple tests that don't cause any harm, then get a new doctor. Straight up. I could walk into my doctor's office tomorrow and ask her to test me for Rabies and she'd do it. She'd probably think I'm nuts, but she'd order the test. That is their job, and don't let them lead you into thinking otherwise. It's drawing blood, for hell's sake - you aren't asking them to amputate your friggin' arm and then reattach it!
(I have joked about cutting out the middle man and just purchasing my own needles and centrifuge because it's gotten to be such a circus to get testing done.)
I have solid recommendations for excellent Naturopaths in Utah, Kentucky, Las Vegas, and Baltimore! If you are in those areas, just let me know and I'll pass on the info!
Lots of Treatment Options?
The thyroid is a tricky little bugger and it affects nearly everything in your body.?Because this situation is so incredibly multi-faceted, I have discovered that every doctor treats it differently; most of their approaches aren't necessarily wrong, they are just different. On top of doctors all treating thyroid problems differently, every individual will react differently to certain treatments. Some people do better using a natural approach, while some people only respond to synthetic drugs. What I'm getting at here is just because one treatment doesn't work, don't feel defeated. Just try something different. There isn't just one way to approach thyroid issues, and it's rarely as simple as "Low T3 means to take synthetic T3". I wish it was, but it's usually not.Also, don't be afraid to get a second opinion. If it offends your doctor, then oh well. You've got to do what is best for you, and if they are a good doctor, they will be respectful of your seeking out a fresh set of eyes to look at the situation. Some doctors get stuck in a rut, continuously treating a condition one way and one way only. It can be extremely helpful to get with somebody else and ask them what they think. Remember, different treatments work differently for everybody. You've got to find your sweet spot, and don't give up or settle until you do.
"But it's expensive!"
Oh, trust me. I know. After a year of this mess, gallons of drawn blood, and over $6,000 in out-of-pocket medical expenses, I know just how expensive it can be. However, we are talking about your health. Running extensive thyroid labs typically cost around $200 out of pocket. Yes, it sucks. Sorry. You may have to give up your morning Starbucks and back down on your Netflix rentals for awhile, but it's important. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but it's pretty rare that a wonky thyroid will eventually just self-regulate on it's own without any intervention at all. Get it checked! Get it checked, get it checked, get it checked.Final Thoughts
When I first discovered my thyroid issues, I didn't want anybody to know. I told a total of about five people, and swore them all to secrecy. It sounds silly but I was embarrassed! Here I am, trying to be a good example and role model for health and fitness, yet my body was totally out of my control and all I wanted to do was sleep. My brain understood that it was nothing to be ashamed of, but my heart didn't.?
After giving it a lot of thought, I decided to flip the script and air it all out in the hopes that it helps somebody else that feels utterly helpless and confused with such odd symptoms... and so far it seems to be working. I have been absolutely flooded with emails and messages from people (mostly women) suffering from the same things. It's actually devastating to see just how many people are going through this b.s.! And I don't want to ?position myself as an expert, because God knows I am not one on this topic, but hopefully I can at least let people know that they are not alone, and give them some sound advice on what to check into.?
This journey has also really made me re-prioritize things in my life. At the risk of sounding like a total narcissist, focusing on my looks and my body have made up a significant part of my life, especially the last 5 years as I've really made a name for myself in the health and fitness industry. This whole mess made me realize that my health isn't worth a few bodyfat percentages. It just can't be. I've never felt as awful as I did last summer. The word "nightmare" doesn't do it justice.?
I'll never stop training smart and eating healthy, because that is what makes me happy, but my days of obsessing are over.?
It can't hurt to get everything checked out. It's what I should have done years ago, and unfortunately, my quest to (try to) be lean exacerbated everything. But, we live, learn, overcome, and pass on!?
I hope you will share the posts from this series with anybody that you think can benefit from them, and don't hesitate to reach out to me!?
Drop me a line below!?
For now, lets lighten the mood a bit, shall we? My next post will be a yoga workout!?
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Source: http://www.jencomaskeck.com/2013/01/part-three-thyroid-adrenal-and-hormones.html
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