5 things only a person suffering from thyroid would understand!

By: Chandra Goswami

Source: Internet

How many of you have thyroid, raise your hand?

Put it down silly, I can’t see you.

But, if you did raise your hand, blame it on your thyroid which gets you dazed most of the time.

The World cannot understand the trauma that a person suffering from thyroid goes through.  Just because there’s very little physical manifestation as compared to other disorders, thyroid is hardly taken seriously even by the patient (see how weird it sounds when we use the word 'patient' with thyroid?).

Mostly, thyroid takes your hormones for a ride. The chemical mess creates an emotional and cognitive mayhem.  Raise your hand if your mind goes blank so often that you have started writing a diary to remember everything.

So, have you raised your hand?

I can’t see you even now!

If you are getting what I am talking about, you are on the right page. However, if you think this is nothing more than a mumbo-jumbo, buddy, just read me through because you may not experience any of the given symptoms and yet have the condition.

Word of advice... Get your TSH checked!

So, what am I going to write about thyroid that you may not know already?

Frankly, there are tons of articles that deal with every thing related to thyroid. And I am not a physician to tell you what should be done or should not be done to relieve this condition. However, as a writer, I wish to share my experience with you.

Though there’s a lot that you can read about thyroid, yet there’s very little that has been understood about it. Mostly because it is a mystic disease that often affects women. Call me a feminazi, but I guess its tendency to occur mostly among women has stopped it from getting labeled as an epidemic, even though 60% of Indians suffer from thyroid disorder. 

And yet, our society adopts a very naive attitude towards this rapidly growing ailment. So here’s my take on 5 things that only a thyroid patient would understand and how people react to it.

1.    You have thyroid… So what?

Thyroid doesn't kill, but it definitely kills your chance of live a fulfilling life. The effects are mostly internal, so you can’t even explain others what you actually go through. There are restlessness, forgetfulness and heaviness with extra dose of sadness and bitterness.

Your doctor will prescribe the one medicine ever invented for the condition. For any type of thyroid, the bottle of Thyronorm is your constant companion. Every morning you need to pop two or three pills to feel good about yourself. And then you somehow manage to live through the day. To add to the drama there is laziness too.

You pull yourself together to complete a simple task and yet you need to put herculean effort to accomplish it.

But, can you expect others to cut some slack since you have thyroid?

NOPE!

2.    Days when you experience Meenakumari Complex

For past few years, whenever I have heard a news of suicide, I couldn't stop wondering whether the victim was suffering from a thyroid condition! I am no scientist to pin point any theory, but my personal experience tells me that thyroid can cause some serious spell of depression.

I get really low when my TSH balance is at mess. These mood swings do not occur on days when I am on medication.

But are you free to throw tantrums and shed tears just because you have thyroid?

Try staying back at home with that grumpy face, and your mum will give you thousand reasons why you should accompany her to the relative’s wedding.

To add to this injury, dare you explain her the cause of your sadness. She’ll probably tell you why you need to change your lifestyle and visit a yoga camp. And then she’ll drag you to the wedding.

So, can you escape social engagements due to thyroid?

NOPE!

Source: Internet

3.    Fluctuating weight & changing wardrobe

I have never been a skinny person, but thanks to thyroid my wardrobe has accommodated outfits of various sizes. From size M to XL, I have seen my body shrink and swell at its own will. So every season I spend half of my fortune to buy well-fitted clothes.

While others may easily reduce their weight visiting the gym 3 times a week, with my condition I usually start living in a gym to see even a microscopic change in my waistline.

To make the situation worse, I am not allowed to eat soy bean, soy products, cabbage and many other vegetables which can help target weight loss faster.

In such a situation, will I have the freedom to attend party looking as miserable, without being judged?

NOPE!

4.    The heavy heavy world

Someone who has thyroid will definitely know how weight lifting feels like (except those who lose their weight, the lucky ones). You may weigh sixty, but your body will feel as heavy as 180 kilos.

It is as if your body has been cursed to endure intense manual labour. There is a perpetual bag of rocks (invisible, of course) attached to you. Nobody really notices how you drag yourself throughout the day. It takes extra amount of effort to finish manual chores at home.

Mostly, it is a test of your will power especially on those days when your maid decides to take an unexpected holiday!

Can you say no to your home chores?

NOPE!

5.    The ugly thing about it

Where should I start?

Should I talk about the receding hairline or dull skin? Should I start with the unusual weight gain or the bony structure that thyroid brings?

Oh wait! Do you know it also gives you an added feature? Your very own Adam's apple, as the throat swells to accommodate the swelling of the thyroid gland.

Thyroid takes away your beauty. It distorts your figure as you grow thinner than a twig or bloat like a balloon. But more than your body it muddles up your confidence.

But will you just sit back and do nothing about it?

NOPE!

Those who fight thyroid know how gloomy the world can turn without any warning. For us, thyroid is a challenge that we face every day. We survive and fight against the heaviness, the gloom and the tediousness along with every ugly bit of it.

And we will continue to do so until someone really finds a magic wand to set our hormones right!