Tuesday, January 30, 2018

The Thyroid and Fibromyalgia: Is there more than a butterfly connection?


Citrus Butterfly© Photograph by Celeste Cooper


It’s been said that thyroid disease is occurring at an alarming rate and that could certainly be true. According to the American Thyroid Association, more than 12 percent of the U.S. population will develop a thyroid condition during their lifetime. An estimated 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease, and up to 60 percent of those with thyroid disease don’t even know they have it. So, there's no time like the present to raise awareness, It’s January!

Thieves

I wanted to cry when I read Hypothyroid Mom’s™ article, Hypothyroidism Broke My Brain. I live with Hashimoto’s (an autoimmune disease where my body attacks my thyroid) and fibromyalgia. These two things robbed me from a lucrative and much loved career as a registered nurse. I was once the head of a training center for the American Heart Association, someone who wrote continuing education programs for the Missouri Nurses Association, someone in charge of hospital-wide education, and a board certified emergency nurse. It’s not about all that, but that I thrived in that environment—until—I didn’t. Fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, constant headache and insomnia was swallowing me whole. A neuropsychological exam scored me in the bottom 10% of cognitive function when related to my peers with equal schooling and age. Five years later, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and seven years to diagnosis of ME/CFS. It was another ten years of symptoms I was sure would kill me before the cause was finally identified,  Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. I have often thought it was very possible there was more than a casual connection between FM, ME/CFS and my thyroid. I have also though it possible thyroid resistance was a precursor to this autoimmune thyroid disease that is still somewhat of mystery because I can swing suddenly and drastically between hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.

The problem is that thyroid problems are generally not considered a big deal, that is, unless it is happening to you. And that’s why it’s important to raise awareness.

Is it any wonder we are perplexed?

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, one minute we are climbing the walls, a nervous bundle of energy with our heart racing in our ears, pounding until we have a headache, the next minute it is completely done, leaving us with extremities that resemble cooked spaghetti. Both cause extreme fatigue, one because the body is metabolizing overtime, the other because it isn’t metabolizing well at all.

Over this last year, I went from extreme hyperthyroidism with symptoms lasting well over a month to extreme hypothyroidism, all within two weeks, and will labs to prove it. I dropped like a rock in a bottomless pit, but the endocrinologist didn’t believe it. My rheumatologist is the one who got the confirming blood work. Now, I have a standing order for thyroid labs to be drawn anytime I feel the shift, so it can be treated appropriately.

That’s Not Nearly the End of It

In an article I wrote last January (2017), Fibromyalgia and Thyroid Dysfunction,
I relate the symptoms of thyroid dysfunction and pose the question, “Is it fibro or thyroid dysfunction?” The answer is yes. It can be one or the other, or both. Thyroid dysfunction can make fibromyalgia symptoms worse when they co-exist or it can lead to a misdiagnosis of fibromyalgia. You can read the full ProHealth article, here.

Thyroid problems are generally not considered a big deal, that is, unless it is happening to you.

The Many Faces of Thyroid

There are many diseases of the thyroid, but those with the closest relationship to fibromyalgia are hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and thyroid resistance. I hope you will take a minute to read my latest article for ProHealth, Thyroid Resistance and Fibromyalgia, it could offer an “ah, ha” moment.

If you suspect thyroid problems after reading the articles at ProHealth, keep at your doctor; don’t give up, so you don’t lose your mind!

Additional Reading:



 In healing,,Celeste

Celeste Cooper / Author, Freelancer, Advocate

Think adversity?-See opportunity!

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

Learn more about Celeste’s books here. Subscribe to posts by using the information in the upper right hand corner or use the share buttons to share with others.

All blogs and comments are based on the author's opinions and are not meant to replace medical advice.  

Sunday, January 14, 2018

Pained Slayer Series: Avoiding Lock-down

www.CelesteCooper.com


I posted the original article on my Facebook Page and I received a comment that spirited me to share it here on my blog.

“Excellent advice, I am going to rely on in 2018...
and [it] will help to organize me, starting now.”


I hadn’t thought of it as a way to start the New Year, but now I can’t think of a better way. I am reminded of the importance of taking a periodic inventory on myself. Thank you readers, you inspire me!

We can become overwhelmed because of chronic pain. It affects not just our body; it also affects our relationships, our self-talk, our energy, our ability to socialize, our pocketbook, and our self-esteem. We all need reminders to help us avoid the negativity that chronic pain and illness can sometimes create.

TIPS FOR AVOIDING THE SHACKLES OF PAIN

·        Give yourself time.
·        Solicit help from friends and family on semi-days.
·        Make a new friend.
·        Smile at a stranger.
·        Do something nice for someone else for which you are not paid.
·        Identify and manage perpetuating factors.
·        Avoid known stressors, especially during a critical period.
·        Remember, you are not alone.
·        Engrave this on your forehead-STCF
o   Some things can't be fixed.
·        When you can do something, do it.
o   Set reasonable goals.
o   Re-evaluate periodically.
o   Upgrade or downgrade goals as necessary.
o   Avoid making excuses.
o   Use up time effectively without overdoing.
·        Put your physical needs in perspective.
o   Pay attention to your posture.
o   Avoid repetitive movements.
o   How much is too much?
o   How much is not enough?
o   Set aside rest periods.
·        Practice your affirmations. 
·        Exercise your brain regularly with number or word games.

MANAGE TIME EFFECTIVELY

·        Organize.
o   Keep frequently used items in your personal space.
o   Put things back from where they came.
o   Write things down, in the same place.
o   Develop and in-out rule, something new in, something old out.
·        Get a second opinion.
·        Solicit help when needed.
·        Help others when you can, sometimes it’s just listening.
·        When the opportunity presents itself, take out the mental trash.
o   Replace no's with yes', can't with try, won't with will.
o   Remember TTT – Things Take Time.
o   Mediate.
·        Enjoy the wait.
o   Arrive at doctor appointments early-take a book you have been wanting to read but haven’t had the time.
o   Make a list of words you would like to use for a word wall like the one here on the welcome page.
·        Recognize opportunity when it knocks.
·        Know your inbox!
·        Don't be a clutter bug.
·        Don't pay tomorrow for a hamburger today.
·        Enjoy a birth every day, a flower, a baby, a friendship, a kind word.
·        Laugh out loud. 
·        When things get tough, remember… 
"This too shall pass" 


 In healing,,Celeste

Celeste Cooper / Author, Freelancer, Advocate

Think adversity?-See opportunity!

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

Learn more about Celeste’s books here. Subscribe to posts by using the information in the upper right hand corner or use the share buttons to share with others.

All blogs and comments are based on the author's opinions and are not meant to replace medical advice.  

Celeste's Website

Celeste's Website
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