Weight and See

I'm stuck in exercise limbo, or in a vicious circle, or a catch-22, however you want to describe it. I know I would probably feel better if I did some form of exercise, but I barely have enough energy to make it through the day without exercising. If I exercise, I'll be using more precious resources that I can't replenish, but possibly, in the long run, I might be increasing my energy stores. Do I chance it, or do I not?

The reason I've been thinking of exercising lately is that I've gained weight for no reason. According to the patient boards, some people experience weight gain with Tecfidera, but I'm not leaning toward that cause. I just made a doctor's appointment for Monday, because I suspect my thyroid is acting up again. I have other thyroid symptoms too, lately. My hair is coming out in the shower, my nails are breaking, I'm always cold, and lots more. If you're curious about other symptoms, here's a link to the Mayo Clinic. 

I was diagnosed with sub-clinical hypothyroidism within 6 to 8 weeks of having my daughter. The sub-clinical part is important because it means that my numbers fall within “normal” range (what is normal, anyway?), but I had so many symptoms that fell under the hypothyroidism umbrella that my doctor decided to start me on thyroid medication anyway. What prompted the conversation, you ask? Glad you asked. I'll try to condense the explanation. Maybe. I can't make any promises, but I will do my best.

Well, I'm not off to a very good start, am I?

So I gained 70 pounds while I was pregnant with my daughter. Soon after delivery, the pounds started melting away. Considering that I was nursing, I figured 2 or 3 months later I'd be back in my own clothes. Well, I lost about 30 pounds, and the rest of the weight stayed. Okay, I figured I'd give it some more time. I was already eating right and taking vitamins because I was nursing, so that wasn't the problem. Still, the rest of the weight wouldn't budge. Then I noticed how tired I was. Everyone kept telling me that it was because I was a new mom and I was sleep-deprived, but this was different. It wasn't the tired that could be fixed with sleep. Besides, my daughter was sleeping at least 6 hours at a stretch by the time she was 6 weeks old.

Anyway, a friend mentioned thyroid problems, and I started to do some research. At that time according to what I read, about 80% of postpartum women had undiagnosed thyroid problems. My blood work all came back “normal”, and so did the radioactive scan. A sonogram revealed a ton of nodules in my thyroid, but that's very common in my geographic area. In short, I was “fine”.

Luckily I have a wonderful doctor (actually a nurse practitioner) whom I just adore, and she looked beyond the numbers. She started me on thyroid medicine. Within weeks, I started feeling better and losing the weight. Periodically, we would play with the dosage, and we found a good dose for me. I've been on this current dose for years, and I'm thinking it's time for a re-evaluation.

My stay awake medicine has been having minimal success. My coffee consumption has increased greatly, but again, with only minimal success. So, I'm guessing when my blood work comes back, I'll be getting different doses of medicine.

Speaking of coffee consumption, I got my mail a little while ago, and there was a small package in the mailbox from my most favorite sister. She sent this to me. 

I love her, and I love my little gift. For any of you who questioned my love of coffee, it's official. I am the Queen of Caffeine. It says so, therefore, it MUST be true.

DISCLAIMER: Any medical information I provide pertains to me, and only me. I'm not a nurse or doctor, never played one on TV, so I'm in NO WAY dispensing medical advice, Ever.