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Shoulda Coulda Thywooda
Dear Thyroid:
I owe you an apology. I am so sorry for not taking care of you. For many years, you forewarned me about needing my help. I would brush off those symptoms and ask you to work harder for me. You kept right on trying your best. You did your job. You kept up with the symptoms trying to warn me. You never gave up hope that maybe today would be the day that I would listen to you. You caused my arms to become too weak to carry grocery bags or my purse. You gave me panic attacks and heart palpitations. You even thought to remove my eyelashes because I would definitely notice that.
I did not know it was you that was speaking to me. No one knew what was wrong. Three doctors told me that if I got a partial hysterectomy it would help. Remember that?, It just made it worse, didn’t it?, I didn’t know any better. I kept seeking help, but could not find any. Even though we had the ultrasound done and a doctor saw a multi-nodular goiter they still didn’t help us. You were exhausted by then. Darn those stupid doctors for not listening or caring.
When you started to cause my other organs to slow down and my body to crash, I could hear you crying for help. Oh, how you suffered. You counted on me to listen to you. When my legs gave out on me and I became allergic to supplements, medicines and foods you were done crying for help and were just trying to survive. , I took us to 9 different doctors after that and finally someone heard you. They told me I had Hashimoto’s, which you already knew.
So guess what?, You remember when I first gave us the Armour thyroid medicine?, Wow!, You said, “Thank you, now I don’t have to work so hard”. I want you to know that from now on I am going to educate myself so that I can take care of you. I am going to give you what you need because I now realize how important you are to my entire body.
I do have one special request though. With my next Armour increase, would you please work on the past weight gain as the next priority? I’d really appreciate it!
I love you. You are getting better and stronger and healthier every day. We are going to have a happy, healthy long life together. We want to visit Alaska, Canada, beaches, Arizona, Boston, and the Rockies, remember?, We can do this!, Hang in there!, Be strong!
Thank you,
The One in Charge
Gayle
(Bio) My name is, Gayle and I am determined to get my life back. I’m 40 and want another 50. , I loved writing my thyroid a letter. It really helped me, made me cry, but it was a good thing. I live in Georgia with my husband and cat, Smuckers.
Tags: Dear Thyroid, Dear Thyroid Patient Letters, gayle thyroid patient, hashimoto's thyroid disease, thyroid patients speaking out about their disease
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21 Responses to “Shoulda Coulda Thywooda”
Leave a Reply to Zari
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Hi Gayle I loved this article it is so me! I was diagnose a little less than a year ago, I tried using armour thyroid but I get pain in my arms and legs, does this happen to you too?
I loved your letter. I can so relate to the earlier portions of your letter and how hard your thyroid was working to warn you – before it was too late.
I had a total thyroidectomy 8 weeks ago now, mine was ignored past the point of no return, and a little cancer to boot.
Now, I struggle without it, it’s as bad if not worse when it was struggling so hard to work with me, for me.
I’m glad you have big plans and places you both will go and see.
you’ve not given up on your dreams—THAT IS SO GREAT AND POSITIVE AND DO-ABLE—it is so refreshing to be able to write these letters to ourselves but then it’s even greater getting to share them with the DT community…I hope all your dreams come true!!!!
Gayle,
Thank you for your letter, it made me cry. It reminded me of the decades of my life that were wasted and the medical issues that I have had to deal with because no one would listen and made me sad that someone else had to go through it too.
But, it also made me happy to realize that you are only 40 and are on the road to recovery and have years of good health ahead! Bravo!!
Jean
Gayle
Your letter was so near to how many of us have gone through this journey, and made me think of all those people that still walk round undiagnosed.
How it takes a near death experience or a crisis to realise the doctors didn’t have a clue what they were looking for, when it was staring them right in the face,.. the eyes with me where a dead give away and still they could not see, neither could I.
the goitre that looked like a camels hump on the front of my neck and still they were blind, the vague symptoms that could be indicative of a few diseases, but simply eliminated with one easy to do blood test.
I wish you all the best and hope that you get to a good place on journey, there maybe ups and downs, but now you have the knowledge or the means to it, you’re on the right path.
Thank you for sharing your Goals and dreams and yes you are in charge, and don’t let that sucker forget it.
Gayle that was a beautiful letter. I hope you get to enjoy the next 50
Zari