I'm trying to do a little less swearing in my posts so that when I do let one loose it has an impact. Today I had one of those "you've-gottabe-fuckin-kiddin-me" moments!
You'll remember that I went to the doctors on Wednesday and he talked about a potential heart block issue. He scheduled a bunch of cardio testing, but also had me donate a little blood to the lab.
The last 24 hours have been just a wee bit stressful because yesterday I got a call that I needed to go in to review the blood tests. They had an appointment for me the very next day, which seemed significant since it took me two weeks to get in to see him originally!
At first I just shrugged it off as most likely some routine issue, but I admit to not sleeping that well last night. With my history my mind tends to wander a bit despite my best intentions. I remember all too well that phone call I got back in 2007, that I also thought was gonna be routine.
I knew for sure something was up or he would have waited for the cardiology stuff to be completed before seeing me, and so it was with a bit of trepidation that I waited in the examining room. I was prepared for anything, and so when he told me I had a thyroid problem I almost started laughing. No freakin way!!! And it seems it's fairly significant.
My first thought was that my wife was never gonna let me live this down. She is always on my case to have my thyroid tested, and indeed I have humoured her before. I had it checked back in 2008 after my cancer treatments, and then again in 2010. In both cases although a wee bit out of the accepted norm, it was nothing to worry about, as I didn't have other symptoms.
The way they measure your thyroid activity is by testing for something called Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). The high limit according to the lab is supposed to be 4.0 units per litre of blood, and my previous tests were around 5. Today it sits at 18.5!
And while that level is not immediately alarming, it is significant enough to be a major problem for an endurance athlete....especially an old one. He was very clear that not just was he impressed that I managed what I did on Ironman day, he was even more impressed that I could train consistently leading up to it. I might add that he's a bit of an amateur triathlete/runner himself, and so he 's familiar with the requirements.
I know there's a few readers out there (sisters, and extra sisters) that are all too familiar with the challenges of hypothyroidism, but for those who aren't please know that amongst the common symptoms of this illness are things like, fatigue, muscle weakness, slow heart rate, sensitivity to cold, and depression. While I can't say I regularly feel all of those things, I can assure you I felt every one of them on Aug 17th. And as an aside hypothyroidism is much more common in women with about 80% of the cases.
And although I don't know why I now have this problem, my previous radiation could be a factor. I don't know if there is a genetic factor either, but I am pretty sure that several of my sisters battle the problem. He will also schedule an ultrasound to have a look at my actual thyroid gland, and of course we will still do the ECG and the stress test. It's good to have the time to do all this stuff!
I tell you I m flabbergasted!
But not my wife! As a matter of fact she was just a wee bit smug about it. Roo also takes medication for this condition, and that helps take the edge off her gloating. Although it didn't take the grin off her face, she did express admiration for my efforts over the last 6 months. She still remembers what she felt like prior to treatment, and my levels of TSH are quite a bit higher.
And back to the symptoms once more, I think the one that has stood out for me more than any other is the sensitivity to cold. For the last 6 months I have noticed an ever increasing frustration with the temperature in the house and the car. I chalked it up to a loss of body fat, although not really believing it at the time!
And the whole cold thing also attests to the strength of our marriage. My lovely bride is 50 something and suffers from regular bouts of the over temp condition that comes with that age. Picture a dual temp zone vehicle, where the one side has the air conditioning on, and the other side the heat! Or in bed at night burrowed under the covers while my wife lays there naked, with the wind blowing in the patio door! And yet we survive. Love you hon!
The blood tests also showed that I'm a wee bit anemic, which bears watching. We're gonna see how things go with the drugs he prescribed, and then test everything again in 2 months. I asked him how long I would have to be on this stuff....and he just smiled. I guess it don't get better by itself! But he said he would be very surprised if I don't feel quite a bit more energetic quite quickly, and that sounds good to me!
I think I'm gonna sign up for the 25 km trail run next month. Game on!
You'll remember that I went to the doctors on Wednesday and he talked about a potential heart block issue. He scheduled a bunch of cardio testing, but also had me donate a little blood to the lab.
The last 24 hours have been just a wee bit stressful because yesterday I got a call that I needed to go in to review the blood tests. They had an appointment for me the very next day, which seemed significant since it took me two weeks to get in to see him originally!
At first I just shrugged it off as most likely some routine issue, but I admit to not sleeping that well last night. With my history my mind tends to wander a bit despite my best intentions. I remember all too well that phone call I got back in 2007, that I also thought was gonna be routine.
I knew for sure something was up or he would have waited for the cardiology stuff to be completed before seeing me, and so it was with a bit of trepidation that I waited in the examining room. I was prepared for anything, and so when he told me I had a thyroid problem I almost started laughing. No freakin way!!! And it seems it's fairly significant.
My first thought was that my wife was never gonna let me live this down. She is always on my case to have my thyroid tested, and indeed I have humoured her before. I had it checked back in 2008 after my cancer treatments, and then again in 2010. In both cases although a wee bit out of the accepted norm, it was nothing to worry about, as I didn't have other symptoms.
The way they measure your thyroid activity is by testing for something called Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). The high limit according to the lab is supposed to be 4.0 units per litre of blood, and my previous tests were around 5. Today it sits at 18.5!
And while that level is not immediately alarming, it is significant enough to be a major problem for an endurance athlete....especially an old one. He was very clear that not just was he impressed that I managed what I did on Ironman day, he was even more impressed that I could train consistently leading up to it. I might add that he's a bit of an amateur triathlete/runner himself, and so he 's familiar with the requirements.
I know there's a few readers out there (sisters, and extra sisters) that are all too familiar with the challenges of hypothyroidism, but for those who aren't please know that amongst the common symptoms of this illness are things like, fatigue, muscle weakness, slow heart rate, sensitivity to cold, and depression. While I can't say I regularly feel all of those things, I can assure you I felt every one of them on Aug 17th. And as an aside hypothyroidism is much more common in women with about 80% of the cases.
And although I don't know why I now have this problem, my previous radiation could be a factor. I don't know if there is a genetic factor either, but I am pretty sure that several of my sisters battle the problem. He will also schedule an ultrasound to have a look at my actual thyroid gland, and of course we will still do the ECG and the stress test. It's good to have the time to do all this stuff!
I tell you I m flabbergasted!
But not my wife! As a matter of fact she was just a wee bit smug about it. Roo also takes medication for this condition, and that helps take the edge off her gloating. Although it didn't take the grin off her face, she did express admiration for my efforts over the last 6 months. She still remembers what she felt like prior to treatment, and my levels of TSH are quite a bit higher.
And back to the symptoms once more, I think the one that has stood out for me more than any other is the sensitivity to cold. For the last 6 months I have noticed an ever increasing frustration with the temperature in the house and the car. I chalked it up to a loss of body fat, although not really believing it at the time!
And the whole cold thing also attests to the strength of our marriage. My lovely bride is 50 something and suffers from regular bouts of the over temp condition that comes with that age. Picture a dual temp zone vehicle, where the one side has the air conditioning on, and the other side the heat! Or in bed at night burrowed under the covers while my wife lays there naked, with the wind blowing in the patio door! And yet we survive. Love you hon!
The blood tests also showed that I'm a wee bit anemic, which bears watching. We're gonna see how things go with the drugs he prescribed, and then test everything again in 2 months. I asked him how long I would have to be on this stuff....and he just smiled. I guess it don't get better by itself! But he said he would be very surprised if I don't feel quite a bit more energetic quite quickly, and that sounds good to me!
I think I'm gonna sign up for the 25 km trail run next month. Game on!
"Expect the best, plan for the worst, and prepare to be surprised."---Dennis Waitley
Love
Peter
Surprised indeed!! Glad that it wasn't a bad surprise. AND also glad that you went to the doc. After all, August 16 will be here before you know it!!
ReplyDeleteLove, gail
Not only several of your sisters, but your mom too!
ReplyDeleteI had to admit, as I was first reading your blog through (before it got to the details), I was starting to think the news was that cancer was back, and I was starting to get worried and then upset at you that I was going to find this out in a blog post and not through a personal phone call!!
ReplyDeleteI'm incredibly relieved to hear what it actually is, and I'm actually so glad for you in the sense that this explains a lot!! I hope that this comforts you knowing that this was likely the cause of your race dace problems, and I love that the doctor was even amazed you could continue training and even do what you did on race day! That should make you feel pretty damn awesome, if I may say so!
I look forward to your future reports on how the drugs are working, and I hope it makes you feel that more energetic and ready to rock and roll with your further training! Game on!! :D
Love,
Michael
PS. This should make it clear to you that going to the doctor, just in case, is always the right course of action! The next time I hear you refuse to go see a doctor, I'm going to remind you of this. They get paid craploads for a reason... :)
ReplyDelete