Sick In More Ways Than One

Here is a photo of a tree in the yard of the house I am renting.  The leaves are trying their best to change and give off some color, which I LOVE.

It is Fall, which means...…….I am sick.  I have been sick since last Thursday when I took the first photos of current me that I will continue to take every Thursday while I am on this journey.  After I took those photos, I went into work, but around 11:30, decided that I just could not stay there any longer, and came back to the rental and got in bed.  I pretty much stayed in bed most of the day and when I woke up on Friday, I did not feel any better, so I called in, went to the doctor for some blood work that I had put off for too long, and told them that I felt like I had a bad cold.  They asked me about my symptoms, took my BP (too high still, but getting better), took the blood to check my thyroid, which was the main reason I was there, did a throat culture to check for strep (negative---could have told them that), and ordered a chest X-ray.  Here is where it got interesting.  I have mentioned before that I don't visit doctors very often which is one reason my BP shoots up when I do go.  I have, in my lifetime of 55 years, had one chest X-ray that I can remember, and it was last Thursday.  The technician said "step in here, take your bra off, and open the door when you are ready."  This is what I heard.  "step in here, undress from the waist up, realize there is no gown to put on, proceed to do your best to cover the girls up, and THEN open the door."  When she came in, she audibly gasped, and said "you can put your shirt on!"  I immediately shot back "you could have been more clear!"  Yeah, I am pretty sure she told everyone there what happened.  I mean, I would.  Long story short, chest X-ray was clear, even if the technician was not.

The doctor saw me, decided I have a cold, prescribed some cough medicine and an anti-histamine, and then lectured me a bit on my real problem, which is my thyroid.  I have always known that my thyroid was probably out of whack, because it runs in my family.  I had been prescribed a low dose of medication, which I tried to take consistently, and then it was increased, and I did take that consistently...…..until I ran out.  I ran out because they wanted to check my levels again to make sure the meds were working, and assumed I would return for blood work.  When I did not, I found myself without meds for well over two weeks.  Needless to say, my thyroid is in the toilet right now.  I mean, I have all the symptoms, (fatigue, dry skin, irritability, difficulty losing weight, depression, hair loss) but I am just irresponsible about taking medication.  I am only on TWO pills.  One for BP and one for Thyroid.  You would think I could remember to take them.  My thyroid levels are so off that they called me again on Saturday morning to tell me that, and to remind me that I have to take the pill every day!!!

I still don't feel 100% from the cold I have, and my voice comes and goes throughout the day, but I am feeling better from just a few days of taking my meds for my thyroid.  Since I have been sick, my food choices have varied from wanting to eat all the things, to not wanting to eat anything.  It is at the point where I am not sure if my stomach is telling me to run far away from food, or to grab the nearest nourishment I can find regardless of what it is.  I am planning to embark on a new experiment on Sunday, which will last for 30 days, taking me to Thanksgiving, and will be a way to determine what kind of food my body really needs, and if it will bring the results I want.  I am not going to divulge that plan yet, because I am really good at starting something new, getting frustrated or bored, and then stopping.  I will say that beginning November 1st, Anthony and I are going to do a new workout from Beachbody together.  Since he lives in Alabaster during the week, and I live in Jacksonville, we will only be able to do it live with one another on the weekends, but I have promised to do my 20 minutes in Jacksonville, and he will do his 20 minutes in Alabaster.  I am a TERRIBLE workout partner, because I whine like nobody's business.  I am also a little oddly competitive and when I get into a zone, there is no stopping me from doing anything.  The problem comes with me getting into a zone in the first place.  I will keep you posted on how I do.  I already know he will kill it because he is a workout machine.

Without further ado, here are my photos from this morning.  Not any change, because I haven't done anything of note, but I made a commitment to post them, so I will honor that commitment.

I promise I am not that pasty white in person.  I really should have chosen a brighter colored top.  I will look for one when I am home this weekend and will wear it instead if it works.

Until next week......