Dear Thyroid^TM

Billie and Lolly, like Natasha and Lori, had a meet up. It wasn’t in person. They met via phone. Billie is in the Southern US and Lolly is in the UK. The beauty of their meet up is that it was as poignant and significant as an in person meet up. Their voices sang to each other across oceans and their history of writing to each other via email, forums and Dear Thyroid, were a celebration of feeling less alone with respect to their thyroid diseases. Even though they have different thyroid diseases and issues, their connection, like Lori and Natasha’s was just as life affirming and vital to their healing process. In shorthand, they discussed disease. In longhand, they talked about life, just like the others do. In the end, what they shared was spectacular.

I hope their story will inspire more phone meet ups and in person meet ups because offline support, in whatever form, in person or over the phone, brings us closer to each other and hopefully makes us feel less alone—as we fight our way out of the Thyloset.

In their own words, I hope you enjoy Lolly and Billie’s account of their meeting as much as I did.

First Telethyone, Operation Chatterbrain.

LOLLY:

Well what can I say I get up early not really clock watching well maybe a little, Remember then Billie said she would email me first, well time is drawing closer I think maybe she’s forgot so I email, ask if it’s still on for a chat, no reply 12pm arrives by now I am thinking shall I just call anyway so I do.. So around 12.15pm I call…

I hear “Hello”, so I say “Hello” we say Hello again, “Hello Billie” Well Hello Lolly (now I know that’s gonna make Katie laugh cus she knows what I am thinking). Poor Billie hadn’t had a good night and wasn’t even up yet, but she still wanted to chat.

We just start chatting, we must have covered everything from thyroid to Doctors to first DX family, pets, Geography History, thank fook we didn’t go into science not one of my best subjects. I certainly didn’t want to hear the anatomy of hemorrhoids.

So like I say the conversation is just flowing, near the hour mark I tell Billie I am going to go off now and call back because I can only do an hour at a time on the plan I have, but I can put the phone down and recall. So I take a 10 minute break just to change my Tenna Ladies (remind me not to visit that urologist one of our thyrodians did; I hear they’re worse than Gyno’s) anyway where was I?

Oh yes back to chatting with Billie, she has a lovely voice, great sense of humour and is very intelligent, I could have talked to her all day, we had so much in common, and knew how to laugh and joke about anything, from dogs, funny events in our lives etc. I feel I know Billie even more, but most of all I think I know her hubby now. Did I tell you he came and spoke to me in his attempt at a posh English accent that was a cross between Aussie, London and something else in the mix I haven’t found the Geological location yet but when I do, I will be sure to add it.. Now something strange happened just at the end as we both were’ just about to say our goodbyes, hubby said he had bondage. Well I nearly pissed my pants (note to self go get your fooking ears checked girl). What he was saying was, he had vondage, which was a telephone package and that we must do this again.

It was such a hoot, but so nice to talk to Billie and would love to do it again sometime. Billie what a Gal, she is lovely. I feel I know her and yes feel we could be Sista’s. Hubby was lovely too.

Yes Billie we may have an Ocean between us, but friendship knows no distance and it is here to stay.

Lolly

–

BEE

For those of you not on FB, I’ll post something here about DTs 1st telethyone phone call, Operation Chatterbrain—and that’s exactly what Lolly and I did; chattered our brains.

We talked for almost 2 hrs. But it seemed like only 10 min went by. She’s one smart cookie when it comes to thyroid labs, so I picked her brain a bit.

But we mostly got to have that real conversation that enforced the friendship we’d developed through thyroid forums. It was great putting a voice behind the words. We sorted out our families, something you tend not to do in depth when you’re writing about in depth thyroid issues. We spoke of our geographic locations, which helped form a location in our brains that could be found on a map.

We had a chance to talk about ordinary things like our pets and the joy they bring us. We talked about our lives pre thyroid disease and both came to the conclusion that no way in hell would we be able to work as hard as we used to with the burden of this illness on our shoulders. But -as I knew we would- we LAUGHED. My long lost sister and I laughed…and laughed. We even got my husband, Archie Bunker on the phone and he laughed. He was supposed to speak southern For Lolly, but ended up speaking his made up Aussie Brit accent thrown in with a few “C’mon BAABEES” so we laughed some more. We may have an ocean between us; but this friendship is here to stay—Fookin’A

Who is next? Email katie@dearthyroid.com.

Two of our wonderful community members, one in the US (BillieB) and one in the UK (Lollylicious) very much wanted to meet up. One would think that all of the H2O between them would have hindered their gathering. Oh, no, no, no; these two birds were so determined, they came up with a new and wonderful kind of Dear Thyroid Offline Support Group – “Dear Thyroid TeleThyone Meet Ups”.

How much do we love this idea?! It’s a perfect continuation of our offline support! To recap, in addition to Dear Thyroid Offline Support Locally, we are now including “Dear Thyroid TeleThyone Meet Ups.

Via Skype, with a Username, it’s 100% free to chat with each other, regardless of where we’re located. We can even have conference calls. Other types of VOIP (voice over IP FREE services include: Oovoo and another service that offers a free trial is Maestro Conference Services. If you have any ideas for other services, please email them to Katie@dearthyroid.com.

Billie and Lolly’s first “Dear Thyroid TeleThyone Meet Up“, chatterbrain session is scheduled for Sunday, 8AM (US)/Noon (UK). They’re going to email us and let us know exactly how it went. We can’t wait to hear all about their experience of talking to another thyroidian and will post it straightaway.

If anyone is interested in participating and hosting their own “Dear Thyroid TeleThyone meet Up”, please email katie@dearthyroid.com with your Skype Username and I’ll help you get it scheduled, we’ll also calendar it in the Dear Thyroid Calendar.

Love in the Gland Canyon continues… Ah bliss.

As you know, we recently launched Dear Thyroid Meet-ups and Tweet-ups Locally. We believe so hard in the power of offline support.  So far, what we (by we, I mean all of us) have created as an online community, in my opinion, is magnificent. We share everything, the effects of our respective diseases and our lives. We don’t judge each other. We feel everything and laugh our asses off along the way. This, in its entirety has and continues to take my wig off (and I don’t wear a wig). Every day, I feel tremendous gratitude for this community and so proud of each one of you. You fucking bring it, yo! You show up and you share yourselves with unbridled candor. YOU’RE MY HEROES.

After our post “Care to Host a Dear Thyroid Meet up”, we received many wonderful emails from Thyrellas and Thyfellas eager to host and participate. Hence, “Let The Dear Thyroid Meet Ups – Tweet Ups Games Begin!” We continue to add cities. We must keep this going—offline support locally.

Our first official Dear Thyroid Meet Up was hosted by Lori Caprio Callahan in Pembroke, MA. She met with Natasha. The below is their experience of meeting in person in their words. I was in tears afterwards (happy tears), so you might want to grab some Kleenex.

Lori Caprio Callahan I am home and it was *FANTASTIK*. Natasha is awesome, a real sweetheart. One hashi and one graves’, what a duo We hit it off marvelously, of course; we are thysistah’s after all. Diseases so opposite but so alike.

We have about 50 photos of the tabletop trying to figure out how to use the time delay setting on the camera but neither of us was too enthused about our picture being taken. We are both not liking how our disease has affected us physically. (as most of us are) However, I am short and fat and Natasha is *beautiful*. I don’t know what she was talking about.

Actually this month’s flickr photo theme is “symptom”. I think the one picture we did take is perfect for that. Me struggling to get weight off and Natasha strugglign to put it on.

We are going to get together again after the holidays.

This was a small start but it was a start and that’s how all good things are born. We Will Bring Awareness About!!!! Everyone will know what the thyroid gland is and they will know how to check it (like a breast self-exam). Every exam room across the country and beyond will have a poster on their wall of the thyroid and how to check it. We need to find a celebrity spokes person!

I will torture myself and post the picture in a few minutes.

Natasha Kahn I’m home now. IT WAS SO GREAT!!!! Lori is so lovely (and sells herself very short in the write-up above!)! And Lori – thanks so much for arranging the meet-up – I have to say it was really really really cool to talk thyroids and disease and symptoms with someone who really gets it, ya know? Like we’re not so alone with everything, there’s someone real who’s out there too. The DT community is out there in the internetoshpere but there’s something amazing about meeting in the flesh. I hope this is the start of Boston-area meet-ups to come!!!!

Lori Caprio Callahan Natasha is sooooo right. Talking so “freely” knowing who you’re talking to GETS IT. It’s empowering. That was a first for me and it was wonderful. I’m so choked up my thyroid feels like it’s pulsing in my throat.

*I’m feeling the love tonight Dear Thyroid*

Natasha Kahn Aw Lori – now that I met you I am so completely going to worry about you!! Your thyroid choking you is a good thing, this time, right!?

Lori Caprio Callahan Natasha, I’d say it was a “good thing” No need to worry about me but I know what you mean; there is a bond there and I’m already worrying about you. But we’re all survivors, that’s why we found this site; we want to live good in spite of this disease and not lay down and let its misery take over.

Are you in tears? Speechless? I am and was.

Let’s do this! Let’s make this happen across the U.S. and abroad. Let’s come together to empower ourselves, and create awareness. I believe in you and in us, as a family. We can turn these meet ups into monthly gatherings that enrich our lives in ways we never dreamed possible, evidenced by Lori and Natasha’s experience.

Email Katie with your city and your email address. I will make sure everyone gets connected and help plan and orchestrate meet ups in any way I can.

Very proud of you, Lori and Natasha—great work.

Love,

Me

PS: Thyrants are live for the week — good ranting, dames! Thyventarific.