Hypothyroidism ~ The Silent Disease

 How does it make you feel to know you look amazing on the outside and kind of crummy and tired on the inside? Let me rephrase that. What’s it like to live with a silent disease?

I love flossing my new duds, fabulous locks and toting around my favorite designer bag of the moment, only to keep up with friends and attend various charity events or the rodeo like I did this past weekend (pics to come soon!). But at the end of the evening, most nights or afternoons even, but not all, I run home and take that long nap at night that most people consider good sleep, in which they hit stage for 4 during the sleep phase and reach REM. I normally have some disturbances, like the sudden urge to wake up and start my day, or just restless sleep in general, which can lead to not really getting a good night’s rest. Living with Hypothyroidism, it’s often difficult to get good quality sleep. When you don’t get a good night’s rest, it can mean having a disastrous day.

Mary Shomon, the author of The Thyroid Diet, addresses sleep disturbances with thyroid diseases in Living Well With Hypothyroidism. If you haven’t read either of the two and you are battling a thyroid disease, I recommend you run out and read them both, not just once but twice, or as many times as you need to. They have been a great resource to me and I know they will be of a benefit to you too.

I tend to take naps, daily. Sometimes I’ll take a power nap before I go to the gym, right after work. My close friends know that I’m the queen of taking naps. I take power naps, long naps and short. I once spent a year sleeping, NO JOKE! But, life goes on. There are places we all want to be, want to be seen and events and destinations we want to attend and travel to. Make a conscious effort to get good sleep by  sticking to a sleep schedule, avoiding stimulants close to bedtime, developing a good workout routine and listening to relaxing music before bed. All of these have helped me to battle the restless nights. Also, read read read and educate yourself on what’s working for those who share your trials!

Let’s make this week a good one. Lights out!

HAVlife Martini Shake Off

Last Thursday I attended the HAVlife Martini Shake Off at St. Ambrose University after my visit at the Great River Brewery. HAVlife helps young students pursue their interests and enjoy their lives. HAVlife also provides scholarships to students to help them with their sports, music and summer camp expenses. A group of friends and I attended the Martini Shake Off last year and not only enjoyed ourselves, but supported a great charity. We eagerly anticipated the return of this event, at which we truly enjoyed ourselves again this year.

I’d like to say thank you to all of the volunteers and sponsors who made the event a success. I look forward to attending again next year! There are other events taking place that HAVlife hosts, so get involvedhttp://havlifefoundation.org/get_involved.html!

Tap That Keg!!

Last week was a busy one for me. I’ll be writing about the events I attended in addition to sharing a few highlights from a conversation I had with a girlfriend of mine while visiting at a party we attended at a winery in Iowa, about living with silent diseases. I think that particular blog post shall be of interest to my friends living with thyroid diseases. It’s Monday, I hope the day is good to you and this finds you all doing you, and doing it well.

On Thursday, February 17^th, Great River Brewery introduced the Quad-Cities to Aaah BOCK. I surely had myself a pint.

The crew at Great River Brewery is always serving up some cool, refreshing goodness. From the Dirty Blonde – an amazing brew with chocolaty goodness, to the La Jefa, my fav, I enjoy my visits to this QC brewery. I made a stop at the tapping just before attending a martini shake-off event, for charity, which I will write about soon, I promise! My taste buds have been on a tasting frenzy.  If you were to take a trip to Great River Brewery, in Davenport, Iowa, you would find Paul Krutzfeldt and Scott Lehnert, my favorite brew masters, brewing up some tasty goodness, socializing with locals and possibly tapping a keg in the Brewers Lounge.

It was the end of 2008 when Great River Brewery moved its operations from Iowa City to Davenport.  They have a good selection of brews, check them out! Wednesday nights at the brewery are really a good time to see area musicians, who perform in the Brewers Lounge. They are a riot! Hope to see you there soon!

Love Stories, The Ballet

Hello everyone! I hope your week is going well. Over the weekend I saw Love Stories, put on my the Quad Cities Ballet. I love the ballet. I’m a huge fan of the performing arts and literary, of course. Love Stories  showcased romantic moves, songs and the language of love through ballet. I am really glad I got to see the performance with my sister Marissa and our dear friend Cameo. Support the arts in your local area.

My First Concert of the Year

Last night I was introduced to Fitz and the Tantrums by a few of my dear friends. Their sounds are soulful and jazzy with a splash of indie rock. They literally had everyone on their feet during their entire concert. It was great. It was one of those concerts you could go to blind, and leave feeling like you’ve been listening to them forever. I love the variety of instruments played, smooth vocals and swanky style. Check them out online, run to the nearest concert, and start grooving today!

Snapshot!

I like taking pictures of my food. My mom and dad are amazing cooks, I do ALL RIGHT for the few things I do love to make, and I like to try new things. I think salads, sushi and soups look amazing when captured digitally. I am going to share more pics within my blog of dishes I make, eat or find delicious in appearance for you, my readers.

One thing I’ve learned about myself, living with hypothyroidism, is that a diet rich in food closest to its most natural state is beneficial to me and my digestive track. I’m sure most of the general population shares this sentiment. I try to eat a lot of salads, with protein, consisting of that good stuff that is found within the perimeters of our supermarkets.

Pay attention to your body. It knows what’s best. I’ve a lot of allergies, so if I’ve carb-loaded on simple carbs as opposed to complex carbs, my body tells me. I read a lot of books, magazines and articles on health and dieting, especially since I’ve developed hypothyroidism, because I want to know what works best for those of you struggling with this condition, and what could work best for me. I will share with you what some of my favorite feel good meals are and maybe you’ll enjoy them too!

Bon appétit!

Me & My Hypothyroid Self ~

Sometimes I miss the “former” version of me. The version of me prior to having my thyroid removed. I’m still in fact the same person that I was before I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, but sometimes I miss the following:

1. AMAZING Zzzzzz’s. I used to sleep like “normal” people. I’d put my head on the pillow, fall asleep within minutes, wake up when the alarm went off (with a snooze from time to time) and begin my day rested. Now, I can sleep almost anywhere, but it’s not really sleeping that I do. I nap. I nap anywhere, whenever. And when my head hits the pillow now, it’s not for a peaceful nights rest, it’s for an additional nap, similar to the one I’ll have this afternoon at home after work, but a little longer, since it’s going to be dark outside. And when I wake, I’ll feel like I need about an additional one or two hours to feel like a star. I miss amazing sleep! However, my relationship with coffee has grown stronger.

2. Metabolism -  I miss my old metabolism. It was  the bomb. It existed. Now I feel like it’s technically non-existent. But, it will suffice.

3. Short-term Memory Loss – I cannot remember what I ate at lunch, and it was mere moments ago, I think. I forget what I’m looking for when I step into my office, open the refrigerator door, who I’m going to text when I pick up my iPhone, and which side of the building I’ve parked my car on when I leave work every day. Once I was totally convinced it had been towed away, before I realized I’d parked on the opposite side that day. My short-term memory is lame, but I still have my long-term memory to be proud of. WOOT WOOT!

4. A Clear Mind…Gone, Thanks to Brain Fog – Brain fog is a terrible thing. I know there are people who experience it who aren’t living with a thyroid condition, but I tell you what, for those of us who developed one later in life, we can tell the difference. Brain fog can be episodic. Sometimes, I’m not as sharp as I could be, I can’t focus, I feel distracted and feel like I’m talking in slow motion. With hypothyroidism, in my body has slowed way down. Brain fog is terribly annoying when it hits.

The list could go on, but these are a few of the things that I’ve experienced issues with, and I’m sure those of you living with this condition have stories of your own. Maybe you fell asleep during a meeting like I did…or spent a year sleeping. The year I spent sleeping is a chapter in my book that I’m working on. I’m so glad I woke up! Now I continue my journey with thyroid balance, as it is commonly referred to, much like work-life balance. I’ll be blogging more about symptoms, and how I’ve overcome some and struggle with others, in addition to a host of other things like the color pink, what’s in my purse and umm, umm, a few other things I’ve forgotten about at this time. Stay tuned!

Xo,
S;)