It was two summers ago when my husband looked at me and said;
“Baby, your left eye looks a little droopy.”
Being a pageant girl, I ran to the nearest mirror and surveyed the results: He was right, my left eyelid was definately droopy…..”Great!” I thought, “This must be what 35 looks like”
I was in a production of Lend Me a Tenor at the Mt. Hood Repertory at the time, playing Diana, the femme fatale soprano. I lost 25 pounds to fit into the now infamous red silk gown, and I paraded around the stage in my skivvies…..I couldn’t believe how easy it was for me to loose those 25 pounds. Everyone wanted to know my secret…..only even I didn’t know what forces were at work inside my body.
Now, I am a busy stay at home mom who rarely does more than walk past a mirror anymore. Most days I’m lucky to get a shower in, and makeup sends my kids into fits, because they know I only put it on when I’m about to go out with Daddy and leave them with a sitter.
So, in the dressing room applying makeup nightly led me to really assess the damage that the years have brought….where in the world did my puffy eyes come from? At first I thought it was just the camera angle of the publicity shots:
Okay, not the clearest of photos, but you get the idea……I’m the one in the red dress….
By the end of the summer, I was having difficulty sleeping and heart palpitations. When I went in to see my internist, I was diagnosed as having “stress-related anxiety”….thank goodness an intern was standing next to him, and suggested a thyroid test.
“Very well, I think it’s a waste of time and money, but if you want to order the test, order it” was his reply…..the tests came back positive for Hyperthyroid, and I’ll never see that internist again!!
Lucky you found someone who was able to diagnose so quickly. I have an enlarged thyroid and puffy eyes but my thyroid panel is normal. I saw a Occupational health MD today as part of my new job and he brought up how I should continue to pursue thyroid issues with my MD. I didn’t even tell him I had thyroid problems he assessed that just by looking at me. It’s very frustrating for me to keep having tests that come back normal but, people assuming something is wrong with me because my eyes look abnormal.
Are you sure they are ordering a full thyroid panel? It is important to have a complete screening…..here is a link for more info that describes it in full:
http://www.holtorfmed.com/article_info.php?articles_id=2
c i have a thyriod problem,i consultd da doctor.myneck is some wat bulg.plz suggest me to cure my problem.d many advised me 2 consult an ENDOCHLONILOGIST.WILL HE HELP ME
Radhika;
Yes, an endocrinologist will be able to address your health issues. But, be sure and do some research to find the best in the area. In the meantime, your doctor should prescribe some sort of beta blocker to keep your body from going into what is know as “thyroid storm”…..
An endocrinologist will most likely put you on an anti-thyroid medication like levothyroxine or armour and see how your body tolerates it. From there, you can decide to stay on the meds and hope for remission, or go the removal route.
There are many choices ahead for you to make for yourself. I suggest doing a lot of research so that you can be happy with your decision….don’t let any one doctor make the decision for you.
good luck!!
I was diagnosed in May 2009 with hyperthyroid. Also lost tons of weight but I had palpitations and profuse sweating. I felt awful. In July 2009 I had Radioactive Iodine Treatment which worked fine (no side effects except that I went hypo. I am now on synthroid which is working fine. Levels tested normal and my weight is basically maintained.
Good Luck and write anytime
Robert…
That’s what I like to hear….a no-nonesense success story! Glad you are doing so well!!