My Story?

[LOL DROP MY NAME]

I began puberty [menstruation] at 9 years old. I gained about 20kg in that year, had oily/dry skin combination and was constantly tired.

Over the next few years, I continued to gain weight, regardless of dancing (ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop. ballroom) 5 of 7 days a week. Even though I was extremely active, I was still "chubby", which I put down to genetics. By 16 I averaged 95kg, and due to problems with my knees I had to stop dancing. I gained around 10-15kg pretty quickly and my already limited self confidence dropped some more.

I am now 19, weighing around 105kg average. My confidence has improved once I accepted my body type, and found a boyfriend who loves and respects me, regardless of weight.

After visiting him for 5 weeks earlier this year, I came home to irregular periods (7 day long, twice a month) which lasted 3 months and thankfully was my body adjusting. I also had blood tests done as my sister has Lupus, an auto immune disease.

My results came back positive, so we followed through with more tests. On August 20th, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.

 

[LOL DROP MY NAME]

WHAT IS HASHIMOTO'S THYROIDITIS?
Hashimoto's thyroiditis or chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease in which the thyroid gland is gradually destroyed by a variety of cell and antibody mediated immune processes.

Physiologically, antibodies against thyroid peroxidase and/or thyroglobulin cause gradual destruction of follicles in the thyroid gland. Accordingly, the disease can be detected clinically by looking for these antibodies in the blood. It is also characterized by invasion of the thyroid tissue by leukocytes, mainly T-lymphocytes. It is associated with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

SYMPTOMS
Symptoms of Hashimoto's thyroiditis include weight gain and trouble with weight loss, depression, mania, sensitivity to heat and cold , paresthesia, fatigue, panic attacks, bradycardia, tachycardia, high cholesterol, reactive hypoglycemia, constipation, migraines, muscle weakness, cramps, memory loss, infertility and hair loss.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis is often misdiagnosed as depression, cyclothymia, PMS, and, less frequently, as bipolar disorder or as an anxiety disorder. Testing for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and anti-thyroid antibodies can resolve any diagnostic difficulty.

TREATMENT
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is treated with thyroid hormone replacement agents such as levothyroxine or desiccated thyroid extract. A tablet taken once a day generally keeps the thyroid hormone levels normal. In most cases, the treatment needs to be taken for the rest of the patient's life. In the event that hypothyroidism is caused by Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, it is recommended that the TSH levels be kept under 3.0. As long as the patient's thyroid is active, the body will continue to attack it, and this can wreak havoc on the patient's TSH levels and symptoms.

If untreated for an extended period, Hashimoto's thyroiditis may lead to muscle failure, including possible heart failure.

 

[LOL DROP MY NAME]

If you get your 8 hours sleep, eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly and are still excessively tired, getting your thyroid checked wouldn't be a bad idea.

I don't mean to say that being tired is going to definately be this;
if you've just begun to exercise then your body will feel exhaustion.
But if you feel tired when you've done nothing all day, or once you're regularly exercising, it wouldn't hurt.

Being healthy is more than just eating and sleeping right, and exercising.