Restless Leg Syndrome

I've had this in the past for maybe an hour here, an hour there, but now I've had it for 24 hours straight and worse than ever before. Last night was brutal as it's worst when you are relaxed. I'm trying to edit photos here and my legs are just bouncing around trying to get comfortable. Obviously I assumed that this is related to my thyroid and several sources say that it is connected to hypothyroidism. No idea if I'm hypo right now but that would explain my ridiculously fragile nails and my `healthy looking' belly:) Regardless, it's driving me CRAZY.

100% Normal Louise

Saw my endocrinologist today. I even took the boys with me which would have been an impossible feat 1.5 years ago:) Anyway, she said I can now come off my medication. I was a little afraid of that idea as I am still jittery before I take my meds in the morning. So, we decided a month of weaning me off would be good. Just take my 25mg PTU (which is virtually nothing) every other day and see how it goes. She asked about my energy level and I let her know that I am 100%. So awesome. I seriously feel 100% normal. The old Louise. It took so long to get my thyroid under control and then have my body recover from how much it messed it up.

The only things that are still `off' is that my hair continues to fall out at a much higher rate and I have insomnia. The melatonin totally helps with the sleep.

My BP was super wonderful (90 something over 60 something) and my heart rate was a good old 66 bpm. So awesome. I love being healthy and am so thankful for it. I know things could always change but for now, I'm so happy! My next appointment isn't for 5 months! Wow.

Three Months!

On just 0.25mg PTU/day I have managed for 3 months to keep my TSH and free T4 in the normal range!!! Latest blood test:

TSH: 2.5

free T4: 12

Hip hip hooray.

I have to say that the only symptoms I am dealing with are the following:

1. Jittery in the morning, before I take my meds

2. Inability to fall asleep before 1am

3. Hair loss (a lot in the past few months)

4. Jumpy (you know how your heart kind of `jumps' when you hear a loud noise? I get that way with even small noises).

Not bad eh? Life is good. So thankful for where I am.

Two Months!

I have a blood test at the beginning of each month and apparently I"m still in the normal range (for TSH and free T4). This is incredible to me. To be `normal' for two months!!! Thank you body for sorting yourself out....for now! I'm not expecting to be in the clear now but I do hope that things settle down for a bit. One of the good things is that I can eat normally and exercise normally and my body responds like a normal person. Does that make sense? Any weight loss is `deserved'..I worked for it, it wasn't just my thyroid being wild.

Not sure why I'm not able to fall asleep but if that's the worst of it, I'm okay. I always get about 6 hours which is good enough for me (although I would love 8).

Grrrrr

Carpet cleaning and steam mopping at midnight. Insomnia. What's up?! Had a blood test and hopefully get the results back soon. I was sooooooo good last week. I felt normal. So frustrating to feel jittery again.

I'm Normal

Woohoo! For the first time in 14 months, both my TSH and free T4 are in the NORMAL range! Hip hip hooray! I'm still on the lowest end of free T4 which makes me slightly hypo but ya, I'm normal and have a feeling I will continue to feel better and better and if I can stay here for 6 months, I will be med free! Yippee!

Latest Endocrinologist Visit

Saw my endo yesterday. She cut my PTU dosage in half again. I don't feel ready for it but oh well! I was originally on 150mg/day a year ago, now, I'm on jut 25mg/day. I have a feeling I will lose at least 5lbs this week due to the decrease in PTU. She couldn't explain my migraines, she said it could be the PTU (hence trying to get me off it) or just not being hydrated enough. Dehydration? I don't know, sounds like the easy answer.

We talked a lot about what to do if I accidentally get pregnant. Now, we are not planning on it at all but Gary has not had a vasectomy (I was trying to think of a cooler word for it...sorry) yet because we want to for sure have a third child and if it doesn't happen through adoption,we may try for a biological child. Apparently, my Graves' Disease would be less noticeable throughout pregnancy but would likely flare up afterwards. However, mine is a `strange case' so who knows what would actually happen. The greater concern is that my antibodies would cross to the fetus possibly causing neo natal Graves which would last 6 months (until all of my antibodies were out of him/her). The baby would be jittery, irritable, have a lower birth weight etc. It would likely feel how I did last year...wow, that is not good. The baby could be treated with very small doses of PTU and would be constantly monitored with blood tests.

We talked about my muscle weakness. She said that I likely lost a whole lot more muscle than I thought and it will take twice as long to gain it as it took to lose it. She did say, however, that I could return to `normal'. Hmmmmm...that would be freakin awesome. When I exercise, I hit a wall way faster than I ever did but she says it will get better and better. Slow and steady is not really my motto but I guess it is for me now.