Run N Slug ’15 and Thyroid Strikes Back

Memorial Day Run and Slug 13k

This is the second time I have run this event, thought the course very familiar  as I use it as a training location because of its location and distance. I treated myself to a new shirt that will remain a thought in my head this summer and beyond, “Progress not Perfection”. My goal this year was to better my time from last year. My momma as always was there to wish me luck and off we went. The entire run was into a rather strong wind for here and I was very thankful for the water stops, at least the first lap around, they were non-existant the second time around, had I known I would have been prepared by dropping my own bottles. As I turned the corner heading up Ewing Fight Song came on and I began to cry, it’s been a really long, hard, emotional week for me and the words just pushed me. I felt pretty good, tired but I could see the stop light at the top of the hill and then I saw him. My dad. He’s never been to see me finish, and today he was there to see me finish, last again. 1:42:27, three minutes better than last year – however I think if I had, had water between miles 2.5 and 8 I would have done better. I own it. I’m good with it, it was progress and family made it perfection.

  
Thyroid Strikes Back...

When I was 22 I went through a period in life where I was thin without trying, hot all the time (99+), sleepless, a visible pounding chest, amid other symptons I didn’t give much attention to. I had to have a physical for new insurance so in I go la-tee-da and come out convinced I am going to die. Christmas Eve ’98 I learn I have Graves Disease, a hyperthyroid diagnosis. After two years of treatment I had to make the decision that I wanted to have kids and the medication I was on was on the pregnancy mom no list. So my first husband and I decided I would have I131 treatment, radioactive iodine. This was one of those things while it’s happening you think this is the stuff people fear…. a pill delivered by iron ball and a nurse wearing a hazmat suit, they open it up and hand you a plastic cup of water and expect you to take it barehanded – and then  the thought, s*** I have to swallow it.  It was too late so down the hatch. The next two weeks I avoided people like the plague – slept on cheap sheets we threw out, ate off paper plates, and even wiped the toilet clean after each use, why you ask? Because I was radiating!! That chemical was seeping out through my “secretions”. For another year I was on varying dosages of medication until I was diagnosed in remission!! With the advice that some day this would decline, as all functions do with age.

I went last year. .27-4.2 is the “normal range” mine, 4.2. I was concerned as I hadn’t been feeling my best, they didn’t do anything because it was normal, what they didn’t know is this was an increase from the previous result. Bring on fall…emotionally I begin to crumble, I want to run and can’t because I am so tired, start seeing a therapist because I feel like I am losing my mind….so last week my sister said, “how’s your thyroid?” I didn’t ever think this could have been a factor. Once a year to the Drz is a good idea anyhow, yeah I’m overweight, but my BP is normal, my RHR is lower than average, do you exercise? Ummm yeah training for a marathon and I love yoga. I mention to the Dr. the reason I am there and he orders bloodwork. Friday morning I get the results much sooner than I expected, 8.97 – WOAH right?! So what I suspected was happening happened, I now own the diagnosis of subclinical hypothyroidism. Medication for life. However in 6-8 weeks I should seee my symptoms begin to resolve. The thyroid controls all the endocrine system, it’s kinda a big deal.

 So life goes on, with a little relief that some of what I have been feeling isn’t just situational but based on a health warning issued 15 years ago.