What is your thyroid SUCCESS storie?

Many of us come to this site to learn about something new and scary to us. For me it was Hypothyroidism. The forum has been exceptionally helpful but most comments reflected anxiety. I wanted to start a new thread around SUCCESS STORIES.  :-)  Let's share a little sunshine and optimism to let newcomers know that all is not black.

How do you feel better after treatment?
How did your body change?
How did you life change?
Did you win your battle?
What is your thyroid SUCCESS story?

[TSH425]

I'll start us out.

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism 6 months ago. My TSH was 425. I was anemic, pale, depressed, fatigued, always wore a down jacket inside. FREEZING. My personality reflected my health and I was quiet, talked slowly, lots of anxiety.  I quit my Job because it was so terrible but I didn't know I was sick. It happened to me so slowly.

6 months later on 150mg of Synthroid My TSH has gone down.
425 - 370 - 143 - 16 - 14 - .87  

My blood levels have returned to normal.  I can actually exercise now. Before I would be so fatigued it was crazy. Now I'm running 8.5 to 6 miles every other day. I feel the fire inside and no longer cold. My hands are warm to the touch. I feel alive again.

My eyebrows have grown back.  My hair has darkened.  My leg hair has returned.
I'm a gorilla now! :-)

I lost 10 pounds.  156->146 And now instead of 5 pushups I can do 40!!!

On an emotional level, I'm happier. I laugh and smile with ease. I feel like myself again. I tell people I'm like Benjamin Button. They laugh but don't really understand the world of difference that I feel.  My quality of life has improved soooo much.

Ok enough about me.  I hope some people out there read this and understand that it's not all bad. Treatment does work and you can feel great.

Good luck getting and staying healthy!!!!

[stella5349]

I have my goorey details in a profile journal on when I was at my lowest.

Too much to write on why I came on here.

But now - I AM GREAT after the he// I had happen.

My youthful appearance is back - some say I look like I shed 10 years off my face getting well. My attitude is strong again - compared to the living DULL dead before.

Actually I feel the best I ever did - from what I remember even in my youth ages. I no longer sit and forgot the minute by minute thoughts as I did and I actually remember where I put my keys when I need to look for them!

It's a blessing to have my long term - AND short term memory back.

I hated exercising before - I still hate it. - LOL - so I am sure if I got off my butt and did that I could RAVE about the weight off too. I really only lost the HYPO BLOAT and as excessive as that was for me - I am happy  that's gone right now.

The weight WILL come off eventually people. I know it

It nice not wearing layers of close in 80 degress, It nice I am not burping up horrible acid anymore.  It's a great thing when you can SMELL and TASTE things again. - It's nice I am regulated right with my digestive track again (wanted to put that on mildly :)  )

It's nice that the sky is BLUE and BEAUTIFUL again - and I no longer have those horrible dark thoughts as I did - even on the stupid meds they said would help me - when I was ill!  

It WASN'T BIPOLAR YOU IDOIT DOCTORS - it was my thyroid!

I LIKE my energy back and that I am not crashing after 2 hours after just sitting around and just breathing. I am PAIN FREE! I no longer feel the joint pain and heaviness of my body being an issue. I CAN MOVE !  I don't have Fibromylasia as they said I did -  
( stupid)

My house is clean - I cook dinner again and run my head off all day long! The feeling of sufficating with my neck is gone too. "HOMER has finally let go of strangling me" ( in the beginning - I always expressed the sensation of feeling strangled by saying is felt like what Homer-(from the Simpon's) does to Bart on the show) Iodine did that for me!

It's awesome! I love life and want to be here a few more years again! I have friends again that want to be with me b/c I am not a dead living thing anymore! I appreciate the ones who stood behind me tremoudously!

My ZEST is back with a vengence - and I am back to being a person who will make a difference for people that face the he// I was in too!

I SLEEP AGAIN - Oh Lord, how I missed that! 4 long years of only getting a few hours of rest ( if that ) - and that was interrupted too. I wake up alive now - right after my morning cup of JO! LOL

On a sad end - I lost some of my motor skills that I think will never return. I am not as quick as I use to be. My head goes quicker than my fingers now. As you can see - my spelling and grammer is sometimes off. That is hard for me, but I am accepting that right now. I don't think the accuracy will ever return. A part of hypothyroidism will burn you out if left too long.

SEARCH - SEEK - AND SUPRISE yourself. You will find the answers to getting well!

[stella5349]

I ended my post crying./......

thanks for putting this on the board.

[Smilerdeb]

Hugs Stella...you sure deserve it! xxxx

After years of hyper he// and Graves, and atrial fibrillations, feeling cold/hot, aching so bad I couldnt stand, bloated so bad that I felt like a goldfish and looked like one!, crying, depression, agorophobia, deepest gloomiest thoughts that I didnt want to be on this Earth if this was life, writing a letter to my kids telling them I loved them the night before RAI (in case of thyroid storm and I didnt make it), existing and not living, losing all self esteem as a person and a woman.....I can now finally say after a year of RAI & TT that I love myself.
I love my life, I love who I am, I love what I stand for, I love the man in my life (who went through the hell) with me.
I actually feel like I am re-born.
That the person before RAI was NOT me.

But most of all......I stay here with this forum and community to try and help others who are at the start of their 'journey' when they feel all hope is lost.
I sometimes dont like to tell people how good I am feeling as many times I would read someones posting before RAI and feel jealous of them,,because I didnt feel good like they did.
Now I know there are people who have that same feeling towards me because they feel 'trapped' in their own bodies and see no way out.

But there is a way out of this thyroid he//.........
It comes to those who dont give up. Those who believe in themselves that no matter how hard and how tough things are...there is light at the end of the tunnel.

NEVER GIVE UP as there is a life after thyroid issues.
Hugs to all my friends and to everyone here for helping make me the person I am today.
xxxxx

[dani2776]

I can't even begin to describe what this has post has done for me.  I truely hope to see more posts like the ones above.  I am one of the beginners.  I was diagnosed with Hashi's in April and I am at the level of existing but not living as Smilerded mentioned above.  I don't see the light at the end and many days have said if this is the life I am going to live I don't want it!!  Thanks to all above for showing me that there is hope, that things will get better.  I am crying so hard right now so I better end this.  Thanks with all my heart!!  

[Jennifer1987]

I don't really know where to begin! I wouldn call mine a success story cause Im still going through it. Nearly a year now!

Sorry in advance for the amount of c r a p I will write!

It all started sept '08, I went back to college a happy person, wanting to do good and get my degree! It all started slow with me too, I think depression set in first. I spent 2 solid weeks in my room watching tv and sleeping. Would only come out for food etc. Now I wasn't crying or anything but didn't want to come out of my room. Things just kept getting worse, I was tired ALL the time, aches and pains, headaches, was ALWAYS cold, and felt like I wanted to die. Then the anxiety set in and hasn't left since.. Its not that much of a physical anxiety than a mental one, worring intrusive thoughts really!

I began to worry I was getting OCD, still think Im going mad! Anyway finally I went to the doc and asked him to check my Thyroid as my levels were slightly out before. he said i will but its only depression, change your lifestyle :o.... So results came back and I was put on 50mcg eltroxin as they were out... Eventually I changed docs as I thought I wasn't being treated right!

Now i know I have hashimotos, my thyroglobulin antibodies are elavated (cancer causing ones, yikees) Im on 100mcg of eltroxin but have no idea what to do.

My fatigue has gotten better but the anxiety is going to kill me! Im going for counselling and hope I am doing enough  to help myself.. Last night I went for a walk on the beach and just cried asking God to help me cause I can do no more!  Im crying now cause my life has flipped 360 degrees for the worst!

None of what I wrote makes any sense , not even to me. Im so desperate to get "me" back that I will do anything!

But I can honestly say that my death cert will read:
Cause of death: THYROID!!!

Cheers for thoes stories, Im glad some people are beating it!

[dani2776]

Bumping up, please keep this going.  People like myself who are struggling really need to see the positives!

[Smilerdeb]

bumping up.............

[stella5349]

hopefully with the weekend

people will jump on

[Jennifer1987]

And ya i feel trapped in my body, Im so jealous of all of ye... but ye deserve it, I would never begruge ye of what ye achieved. I hope to be like that soon, with a bit of positivity and hope!

xx

[dani2776]

Bumping again...............are there no others who have success stories??????

[ellesan]

I won't go into all the details (you can email me if you'd like) but I was induced into Hashimoto He// after my doctor gave me iodine. Never had thyroid problems or symptoms before that. A week after taking small doses of iodine I started getting a goiter, followed by extreme exhaustion, fatigue, joint and muscle pain (like I ran a marathon or something), eye problems, dizziness, tingling, numbness, burning in my arms and legs, etc.

I had no energy to exercise anymore, which freaked me out since I lost 100 pounds and became a personal trainer. I just wanted to stay in bed all day, couldn't take care of my home, family and I had to get a FMLA for work. I started having major anxiety attacks about health and finances. I work in healthcare and take care of sick people--I'm not supposed to be one of them!! The list could go on and on. I was so scared, they were also working me up for MS and a few other things. I thought it would never end. The goiter was compressive and despite several medications the swelling would not go down, felt like I was choking ALL the time except when I was sleeping...

The doctors could not tell me if/when this would end and I think surgery is the last choice, but after talking to my 3 doctors, we agreed that it would probably be best to have a thryoidectomy for the compressive goiter. I had a total TT 2 months ago and I am feeling fabulous!!!

I was put on 100mcg Synthroid after sugery. I have energy to exercise again, can take care of  my family and my house, back to working full time and feel sooooooooooo much better than before surgery. I have my life back and I feel so happy and blessed for that. :)

It can get better!

Sandra

[phillegas]

Thanks for your posts. It helps me cope with my systems and confirms I'm not going nuts or feeling sorry for myself. I've just started meds and after just two weeks I'm feeling better already but I know I have a long road to go before I start feeling great again. I can now go up a flight of stairs (sometimes) without muscle pain. The symtoms (symptoms) come and go, but I suspect they will level out and go away once I get 'balanced' on my T4 meds.

I'm going to choose to fight this by continuing my T4 meds and doing Body for Life (exercising again (as best I can) and eating 6 small healthy meals a day). I know of no other way to better improve overall health.