Just what I needed.

I feel isolated from other people my age at times. Dealing with type 2 diabetes at age 29 does that. Dealing with hypothyroidism does that. This year has been a time of self re-evaluation – just when I thought I was on track with my life, I got the double whammy diagnoses and everything changed.

Right now, I am dealing with more hair falling out, something that can be a side effect of both high blood sugars and hypothyroidism. Right now, I am not sure which is the culprit. My blood sugars have been running on the higher side (for me) after meals. I had a dosage change on my thyroid replacement hormone in December and have been putting off blood tests to see if it needs to be increased yet again. I avoided having my picture taken at a family wedding last weekend because I had grown sick and tired of seeing myself with thinning hair.

Kerri posted today about a website that may provide some comfort called Chronic Babe. I need to check it out a bit further, but I think it is just what I needed. A reminder how I have pledged to make my 30′s healthier and happier than my 20′s. A reminder that there are other women balancing chronic health issues with an otherwise happy, well-adjusted life.

Posted on March 2, 2006, in Health. Bookmark the permalink. 3 Comments.

  1. Sandra Miller

    I don’t know if this helps at all, but a good friend of mine also has hypothyroidism– she too experienced hair fallout for a period of months, but eventually it stopped and her hair grew back.

    And I experienced this same symptom (due to a different hormonal imbalance). It’s since resolved, but I still remember how difficult that time was.

    Hang in there, Rachel.

    Given what you’ve had to cope with to date, coupled with what you’ve accomplished in terms of weight loss, I have no doubt that you can achieve your goal of making your 30s healthier and happier.

    Reply
  2. You seem lik a pretty determined person. I second what Sandra said – it seems like you’ll be sucessful at your goals.

    I have hypothryoidism, too. The hair loss thing freaked me right out before I knew what was wrong, although I did keep telling everyone that if it all fell out, I was buying a wig of red, curly hair that fell to my butt. Sometimes I don’t know if I’m glad the hair grew back or not. :D

    How can you tell if you need an increase? I get my thryoid checked whenever I get blood drawn at the OBs, but once I’m not pregnant, is there a guideline for blood draws? I do know that I’m always, always exhausted, but I just chalked that up to the unbelievable amount of stress I’m under right now. I do feel really lousy a lot of the time, though. My eyes burn and I have a constant, niggling headache. I put that down to being pregnant. Now it’s making me wonder.

    Reply
  3. Sandra – thank you for stopping by and offering encouragement. It means everything.

    Julia – Hair loss was nothing compared to the fatigue, sensitivity to cold, depression, and amenorrhea I had faced before diagnosis.

    I was able to tell the dosage was “off” in Oct/Nov/early Dec before my 6-month bloodwork following my initial stabilization. I was getting sensitive to cold, feeling more run-down, and having slightly longer cycles (though that last one wouldn’t help you right now – ha ha).

    Reply

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