Domo Arigato Hashimoto's

I started this post in February, but never got back around to finishing it. I think it is partially because in my mind the continuing saga of my thyroid could not be summed up in one post -- I would need to have a multi-part series on it. I also wanted to do a really good job, and be informative because when I google the internet for information, I can't really find anything. So, why not turn Mental Notes into your Thyroid Knowledge Center.

So, let me back up. For those of you who don't know, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis in October of 2009, about six months after Sam was born. Who knows how long I have had it, but I like to think that I caught it pretty early, because I don't want to go down the danger path of "what ifs."

Anyway, the first symptoms I noticed was that I was having heart palpitations for no reason. Like, sitting in the car, driving along, and then BAM, heart palpitations. This was a tad bit concerning. I started noticing these things at the end of my maternity leave, so I just thought that maybe I was feeling anxious about going back to work. And, let's keep in mind that right after you have a baby your hormones are wacky and your body is a foreign being to you. Nothing is really the same as it used to be. If I starting growing a flower out of my elbow, I am sure I wouldn't think much of it.

I also had the normal post-baby symptoms: extreme tiredness (DUH), and my hair was falling out. This happened with Abe, and they say it is common for your hair to fall out after you stop breastfeeding. Although, I am not sure they meant that you could weave a rug from the amount of hair that would fall out of your head. My hair was coming out at an alarming rate, and I even had bald spots around my temples (for reals).

So, into the doctor I went. I feel like I had gone to the doctor before with the same symptoms, but this time she felt my thyroid and noticed that it seemed enlarged. She then ordered an ultrasound. While I was getting my ultrasound I just knew that something wasn't right. And those ultrasound technicians are like some giant secret-keepers -- they wield around that magic wand, click away at their computer, make some noises, some faces, yet they cannot tell you a thing. However, because I am super in-tuned with all medical professionals, I knew something was up. That lady wasn't fooling me.

My hunch was right, and they found a nodule on my thyroid. Awesome. I love growing nodules. My body is super good at it. If you could get paid for growing nodules, I would be like in Oprah-status of nodule growers. I would have my own talk show and would give away hospital gowns and ultrasound machines.

Anyway, the next step to all of this was to get the nodule biopsied, or bee-bop-seed, as I like to say.

And that story, my friends, will be continued in Part Two of this story. It is like the New Moon of the Twilight Saga.

(Oh, and by the way, the title is TOTALLY being sarcastic. Aren't I a multilingual whiz!?)