people have been asking what hyperthyroidism is and it has become a habit to explain it over and over. to those who don’t know about this, here are some points about this endocrine disorder. books say that it is 2nd to diabetes mellitus in terms of prevalence.
function: thyroid gland regulates our METABOLISM
main problem: over production of the thyroid hormones (T4 and T3)
causes:
autoimmune - patient’s own immune system attacks the patient’s own thyroid gland
excessive intake of thyroid hormomes
thyroiditis - inflammation of the thyroid gland
abnormal secretion of TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) by the pituitary gland
signs and symptoms:
heat intolerance
breathlessness
palpitations
nervousness, anxiety, irritability
increased bowel movement
fatigue
amenorrhea
insomnia
weight loss
light hand tremors
muscle weakness
exophthalmus - bulging of the eyes
thinning of bones
diagnostic test result: increased t3 & t4 and normal or decreased tsh
treatment:
beta blockers - does not cure hyperthyroidism or decrease the amount of the thyroid hormones produced. rather, they prevent the symptoms from occuring
anti-thyroid drugs - examples are methimazole or PTU (propylthiuracil). they interfere with the ability of the thyroid gland to produce its hormones
radioactive iodine treatment - the thyroid gland is the only gland that absorbs iodine. so in this case, radioactive kind of iodine is given. when it is absorbed by the thyroid gland, it gives off some kind of “poison” to the gland, thus, some cells end up damaged or killed.
surgery
self care:
supplementary diet for weight loss, frequent bowel movement and muscle wasting. so people with hyperthyroidism have to eat, eat and eat
extra calcium - to prevent bone thinning and osteoporosis
cold compress, head elevation during sleep, eye lubrication and wear sunglasses - enough reason to be cool but seriously these are just ways to prevent the patient from going blind
have you ever felt that you needed to blame someone from your relatives for being who or what you are? when i was diagnosed to have hyperthyroidism, i didn’t understand it at first. when the doctor said that it is hereditary, i didn’t hesitate to look amongst our clan who had this and to whom did i inherited it from. oddly, it was the sister of my maternal grandmother. though it’s not that deadly, i hated the fact that i have it but that i didn’t ask for it or didn’t do anything to deserve such disorder. i hated the tremors, the palpitations, the sleepless nights, the weight loss, the bulging eyes and the extreme emotional rollercoaster. but then, looking at the brighter side of it, i became conscious of myself. it paved a way for me to understand it fully, thus, i became a nurse and i love it.
anyway, here’s a song entitled GALILEO by the INDIGO GIRLS that speaks or describes so much of what i felt then… to have someone to blame and to resolve to make it better for the next generation.
Galileo’s head was on the block
The crime was looking up for truth
And as the bombshells of my daily fears explode
I try to trace them to my youth
And then you had to bring up reincarnation
Over a couple of beers the other night
And now Im serving time for mistakes
Made by another in another lifetime
How long till my soul gets it right
Can any human being ever reach that kind of light
I call on the resting soul of galileo
King of night vision, king of insight
And then I think about my fear of motion
Which I never could explain
Some other fool across the ocean years ago
Must have crashed his little airplane
How long till my soul gets it right
Can any human being ever reach that kind of light
I call on the resting soul of galileo
King of night vision, king of insight
Im not making a joke, you know me
I take everything so seriously
If we wait for the time till all souls get it right
Then at least I know therell be no nuclear annihilation
In my lifetime Im still not right
I offer thanks to those before me
Thats all Ive got to say
cause maybe you squandered big bucks in your lifetime
Now I have to pay
But then again it feels like some sort of inspiration
To let the next life off the hook
But shell say look what I had to overcome from my last life
I think Ill write a book
How long till my soul gets it right
Can any human being ever reach the highest light
Except for galileo God rest his soul
(except for the resting soul of galileo)
King of night vision, king of insight
How long
(till my soul gets it right)
[til we reach the highest light]
How long
(till my soul gets it right)
[til we reach the highest light]
How long
i usually get irritated with people who tend to comment about my thin body. the comments are either noticing me being thinner than i was before or that i gained weight (but truthfully i didn’t). i have hyperthyroidism and because of that, i have a very active metabolism. for those who don’t understand about my disorder but see me eating a lot, they wonder where all the foods go. how much i eat doesn’t really move the dial in the weighing scale.
some of my friends would always comment about wanting to have this disorder to meet their obsession in losing weight. they don’t realize the symptoms that hitch with this. sleeplessness, tremors, emotional, amenorrhea, diarrhea, palpitations. bulging eyes (the worse part) and overly thin. i have never been able to reach the range of normal weight for my height. i have always strived to drink milk and eat more and more to at least gain a pound. sometimes people look at me like as if i’m really anorexic. who could blame them? i once dropped to 72 lbs and i, myself, was scared that i might break my own bones.
it’s a good thing that it is controlled now. i’m hoping to gain weight. my doctor’s aim is that too and that i get to eat nutritious food as much as i can.
i don’t experience the tremors anymore but when there is change, i do get the palpations. stress is one factor for that which i think is normal when change happens. sleeplessness has been address. i can sleep 8 hours a day now compared to the 2 to 4 hours. i’m stuck to 90 lbs but i’m hopeful that i’ll be able to make it to 105 lbs at least. my menstruation is back to its normal cycle. i have normal bowel movement too. well, i’m still emotional but i think that’s really me.
