Did you just have a baby? Are you are always tired, achy, depressed, just don’t feel like yourself? It may not be what you think!

During my pregnancy I was very tired… GO FIGURE!

And after I had the babies, I was still very  tired… go figure!

4 months after I had the babies, I was still very tired, and the babies had been sleeping through the night for about 1 month now. I started to notice other side effects, but all or almost all of them, are listed as common side effects of postpartum, so I tackled each day the best I could.

6 months after I had the babies, I was still very tired, and started making a list of other issues I was having and as the list got longer and longer, I decided to head to the doctor.

• lightheaded/dizzy when turning my head
• eye sight a bit fuzzy, and out-of-focus, I felt like I had to constantly blink to see things clearly
• horrible headaches
• cough/soar throat
• trouble sleeping (even though the babies were sleeping)
• back issue – pinpointed location at my ribs
• brittle nails
• hair loss

I brought the list to the doctor, so I wouldn’t forget to mention anything, and I was prepared for him to state the obvious… You just had triplets! Your body needs time to recover… you’re an idiot!

But that isn’t what happened. He listened to my issues, asked questions, and decided to check my thyroid. I remember thinking… my thyroid… but I haven’t gained any weight, or lost weight for that matter. That is really the only thing I new about thyroid disease, it causes weight issues, right!?

Well No, that isn’t the only thing your thyroid does, as a matter of fact, it regulates so many things, I’m surprised I didn’t know more about it, heck, it really deserves an award!

Now…. I am not a doctor, or thyroid specialist, but I think that it’s something women need to know about, and ask their doctor about, if they aren’t feeling right. After a simple blood test, I was diagnosed with thyroid disease, hypothyroidism to be more specific. Yes, it’s the one that is usually associated with weight gain, and I hadn’t even gained any weight… go figure!

There is a ton of information about thyroid disease, but I found the most basic info on webMD’s website.
http://women.webmd.com/guide/understanding-thyroid-problems-basics.

So as stated on webMD:

“The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck. It makes hormones that control the way your body uses energy by influencing almost all of the metabolic processes in your body.

Thyroid disorders can range from a small, harmless goiter (enlarged gland) that needs no treatment to life-threatening cancer. The most common thyroid problems involve abnormal production of thyroid hormones. Too much thyroid hormone results in a condition known as hyperthyroidism. Insufficient hormone production leads to hypothyroidism.”

As I mentioned, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, and some signs and symptoms may include:

• Fatigue
• Sluggishness
• Increased sensitivity to cold
• Constipation
• Pale, dry skin
• A puffy face
• Hoarse voice
• An elevated blood cholesterol level
• Unexplained weight gain
• Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness
• Pain, stiffness or swelling in your joints
• Muscle weakness
• Heavier than normal menstrual periods
• Brittle fingernails and hair
• Depression
• Infertility
• Memory problems or having trouble thinking clearly

It’s important to know that you don’t have to have ALL of these symptoms, and also good to know that I even had some that were listed under hyperthyroidism.

So what’s next? I was sent to an endocrinologist, and he treated me with Synthroid, a synthetic form of thyroxine (thyroid hormone). It comes in a very small pill, and after a few adjustments, I’m back to normal and feel great! For me, it was a magic pill! Seriously… M-A-G-I-C! It fixed me, it fixed things that I didn’t know it would fix, or that I hadn’t really noticed were wrong.

The 2 things that the endocrinologist told me:

1. You are very lucky that your doctor thought to run a thyroid test, because all your symptoms are common for someone who just had a baby. So thank you Dr. Seymour!
2. Tell all the females in your family, because it runs in family, heck, tell all the females you know… thyroid disease affects so many people, and so many are never diagnosed.

So here I am, feeling great, letting you know, that maybe you can feel better too. Maybe all those aches and pains aren’t because your getting older. Maybe you can get back your energy and start working out again, have less headaches, and loose the weight that you swear you didn’t eat more food to gain. If you just aren’t feeling like yourself, mention it to your doctor, and ask him to test your thyroid function.

Best of Luck!

Sue