A little Medical Review

So, since the end of last year, all of my amazing health crap has been beyond out of whack... and I'm about as a-typical as they come... so here's a review:

Hyperthyroidism-  is a condition in which the thyroid gland is overactive and makes excessive amounts of thyroid hormone. The thyroid gland is an organ located in the front of your neck and releases hormones that control your metabolism (the way your body uses energy), breathing, heart rate, nervous system, weight, body temperature, and many other functions in the body. When the thyroid gland is overactive (hyperthyroidism) the body’s processes speed up and you may experience nervousness, anxiety, rapid heartbeat, hand tremor, excessive sweating, weight loss, and sleep problems, among other symptoms. 

My hyperthyroid was actually caused by Graves Disease, which sounded like something MUCH worse than it turned out to be. Graves' disease is an immune system disorder that results in the overproduction of thyroid hormones (hyperthyroidism). Although a number of disorders may result in hyperthyroidism, Graves' disease is a common cause.

Because thyroid hormones affect a number of different body systems, signs and symptoms associated with Graves' disease can be wide ranging and significantly influence your overall well-being. Although Graves' disease may affect anyone, it's more common among women and before the age of 40.

I HAD this... It was to a point that it needed taken care of, and the only way to deal with that it to kill your thyroid (radiation) or remove it (surgery), so I had it radiated. For several months it was monitored and OK, and then it dropped and I NOW have:

Hypothyroidism- Which is the opposite, meaning my thyroid gland is UNDER active. Symptoms of this are: Cold intolerance, fatigue, abnormal menstrual cycles & irritability (I threw that one in there just to give myself justification should the need arise)


Meckel's diverticulum is an outpouching or bulge in the lower part of the small intestine. The bulge is congenital (present at birth) and is a leftover of the umbilical cord. Meckel's diverticulum is the most common congenital defect of the gastrointestinal tract. It occurs in about 2-3 percent of the general population.

Meckel's diverticulum occurs in a fetus early in the pregnancy. Normally, the vitelline duct, which connects the growing fetus with the yolk sac, is absorbed into the fetus by the seventh week of the pregnancy. When the vitelline duct is not fully absorbed, a Meckel's diverticulum develops.

Though about 2-3 percent of the population get Meckel's diverticulum, it causes symptoms in only a small number of those people. People can live their whole lives without ever knowing they have Meckel's diverticulum. The condition is equally common among males and females, but males are two to three times more likely to have complications.

I had this removed laproscopically, so part of my intestine was removed where the intestine was blown out, and it was sewn back together. This was found after a year of about 6 ER visits, 2 colonoscopies, a bladder scope (MOST PAINFUL THING EVER), a small bowel follow through, several CT scans and various ultrasounds. They found it during a diagnostic surgery while looking for endometriosis. Since it is typically found in males, as they are more symptomatic, ad in children at that, my GI and the general surgeon in formed me when I came to I should be in a textbook somewhere.

PCOS is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is one of the most common hormonal endocrine disorders in women. There are many signs and symptoms that a woman may experience. Since PCOS cannot be diagnosed with one test alone and symptoms vary from woman to woman, PCOS has been known as the “Silent Killer”. PCOS is linked to an increased risk for developing several medical risks including insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Luckily I have LOW blood pressure, no diabetes issues, thus far- although they are very common in my family, and heart disease is also prevalent in my family.

Many women may experience weight gain or obesity, yet there are others who may be very lean- I obviously do not fall in the first category. Multiple cysts on ovaries in a "string of pearls” pattern is also an indicator for PCOS, which I didn't have, and these can usually be seen with an ultrasound, so this was initially ruled out. In addition, this hormonal imbalance can cause Insulin Resistance, which is also a prime indicator that you may have PCOS. Women suffering from PCOS may experience high testosterone levels, which cause other signs and symptoms such as Hirsutism (excessive hair growth), male pattern baldness and acne- thankfully, I've missed all of these things :). This high level of testosterone can also prevent the ovaries from releasing an egg each month- THIS is the problem that I have.

5-10% of women of childbearing age are affected by PCOS, with less than 50% of women diagnosed. This leaves millions of women undiagnosed. PCOS is responsible for 70% of infertility issues in women who have difficulty ovulating.

The scariest thing that I found out after discovering I had this was the lack of information- there is just so many different facets to it that there isn't a place to look. After one of the trips to the ER, I woke up and was going through my discharge paperwork and noticed that there was a star next to PCOS. 

On this particular visit, I was in the hospital and was to be monitored for 24 hours because my kidneys were not functioning properly. I have recurring UTI's, Urinary Tract Infections. In diagnosing everything with my stomach I went to a urologist and he could find no reason for this. But I almost always have an infection. If it gets bad it will travel to my bladder and kidneys and it mimics menigitis, stiff neck and back and high fever. During a few tests, my doctor saw that my kidneys appeared to be clogged, and she sent me to the ER.

After a two hour wait, it was shift change, I was in excruciating pain and finally got a room, at this point I needed medication, and my mother in law was with me, which was typical for these visits. If it was during the day she was with me if it was the middle of the night it was my husband until he had to go to work, then she would come, goes back to the prioritizing problem over the years. I was given morphine. My husband got there and I started to itch, I knew it was wrong, I told him I was having problems, and he could see that I was red and hives were appearing. He got a nurse and they tried to tell me I was just having a panic attack. I sat up, feeling my throat and face swell, and looked over at my husband and said "I can't.." and I couldn't even get "breathe" out. The nurses then gave me Benadryl (which is what you give for an allergic reaction, NOT  a panic attack) and a drug for a panic attack, I woke up on my couch, NOT in the hospital being monitored for my kidneys as my doctor instructed. I had no idea how I got there and no one told me or my husband about the mysterious star next to the PCOS on my discharge instructions.

After seeing the diagnosis, I asked my doctor and she explained it to me. In lamens terms what happens, she suspected, is that I do not produce eggs on my own. his explained all my problems growing up, which were always attributed to playing sports, or my size, birth control, etc. I asked her, will this effect me being able to have children, and she told me absolutely. I asked her, should I see a specialist then? To which she told me, yes, the sooner the better.

I went and saw RGI, the most caring and amazing office, staff, nurses, doctors office ever. After a myriad of tests and bloodwork, I was reassured that children would not be impossible, but unlikely on my own. Between my thyroid and my PCOS, I had alot of hormone problems. In order to have kids, or just have a normal functioning internal system, I had to get everything in sync. They helped do that. When it got the point of having my son, it took a more precise level of fine tuning, then specific hormones to make sure that I was in fact producing eggs. With the PCOS that I have, I take birth control just to "clear out" my body every so often- since your body naturally accumulates and thinks that there SHOULD be eggs produced. I just don't. I tried to take plain hormones and they didn't play well with my thyroid and migraines, so birth control was a more effective way to fix that. 

When reproduction is concerned, they switch to actual hormones that help my body make eggs, I was warned taht it may not work, it may take several tries, etc. Luckily, it did work. So I had to take several medications to help encourage my body to produce eggs, several ultrasounds to monitor and see if the medication is working and watch egg growth, then a shot to release eggs, and then a small (24-48 hour) window- then wait and repeat.

In addition to all the hormone stuff, I have the added bonus of Migraines. I get those courtesy of both my mother and my father. I've tried several medications, with Topamax (which sadly causes weight loss) and Botox being my best combination for relief. 

I think that is enough medical issues to have... with recent weight loss and stress, most of those have been beyond problematic recently, since all center around hormones and are very sensitive to weight and well being.  With any luck, as things start settling down and with my own sense of well being getting to a much better place these days everything will be at a normal place again soon.