Hi Ginny here,

My success with thyroid disease may seem to many to be very small but in fact is BIG. I developed Hypothyroidism 23 years ago in 1976 after the birth of my son... for the second time in my life.

As a child in the 50's I was hypothyroid and for reasons not understood after a few years I needed less and less medication till I one day needed none. I thought I was alone in this aspect, yet jst the other day Iwas talking to my mother and she said "oh no Ginny it was the same with me"! She at the age of five until puberty was also on thyroid replacement therapy also. It reared its ugly head for her also after three children.

When I developed my TD I was so ill, I had a new baby and all I was able to do was feed and bathe him. When I finally got dx'd I was off their scales and no T3 in my system. Amazingly the Armour I was given right off the start turned it all around in a fast time frame and I felt good as new. The weight fel off without any change in my diet or any exercise other then housework and tending to my son. But it didn't last, I was later given Synthroid and tried all the T4 drugs over the years. I put on the weight and much much more. I would swim every day, played raquetball for 2 hours a day with my husband, lifted free weights every other day and dieted. I continued to gain more weight, the muscle got lean, firm and hard but fat mounted on. I felt like hell for years.

Then I 1997 I found the thyroid bulletin board and discovered that I knew absolutely nothing about thyroid disease. I discovered so many wonderful people who made me laugh and cry, admire and to cheer for. A lot of them are no longer on the BB, they no longer need the support. Godspeed to them and hopefully they will remain as healthy as when they left. They won! They are now enjoying life once more, full lives and I do not envy them... I applaud them, they have their lives back and their families do also! I miss them and hope to never see them have to return for suport again.

My health has not taken the same road though, more serious medical problems have erupted, sometimes life threatening to me, but so far I've come through each one of them. I have my days that are my "Oh Woe Is Me", and my pity parties of one. But I've also been Blessed time over time. i'm still looking for my optimum level of wellness and suspect I always will, and who knows this right now may be it!

My success I have gained from my thyroid disease has come from this BB. it has given me a chance to step outside of myself and see the pain of others, to develope a comassion for others in their illness and other losses in life. I'm no saint and my mistakes I make are legion, but over the past two years I've learned to look at everyone I see and meet and see the essential goodness of each person, to cry with them when they need a shoulder, to listen for the 90th time as they tell me the same story of pain and not become bored. this may seem stupid to many and some may not think of this as any kind of success... but for me it is HUGE! Sharing others sorrows and losses for me has been a gift to me.

Illness can defeat us or it can make us strong. It has defeated my body and has begun to replace good health of long ago with something far more precious to me. Caring for others pain and suffering. I gained a lot more than I lost...

Ginny

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