Thyroid Issues

Some of you know that I was recently diagnosed with hyperthyroidism.  This means that my thyroid is making too much hormones and my system is way screwed up.  If left untreated it can lead to heart defects, coma, or even death.  So, not too happy about that.  The three treatment options are medicine, radiation, and surgery.  We ruled out surgery because I don't want to be out of commission that long; and I only approve of surgery that gets me a baby :)  While medicine sounds nice, it's not safe for pregnancy or nursing.  Although we aren't planning to get pregnant, it would suck if we were surprised and the medication caused birth defects.  So, we decided to go the radiation route.  This meant that I would go in on President's day for a small dose of radiation and then a scan to see how my thyroid was working.  Tuesday afternoon we got the report:  my thyroid isn't working AT ALL.  Maybe the pregnancy caused my hormones to go crazy, we're not sure what happened.  However, my thyroid stopped working and dumped all of the hormone into my system.  Meaning that I was having symptoms of hyperthyroidism but I don't actually have it.  YAY!  I don't have to get radiation, I can go back to breastfeeding Kaitlyn, and I don't have to spend 4-5 days locked in my old bedroom at my parents' house with minimal human contact.  I have now been diagnosed with thyroiditis, and I will have to go in for more blood tests to figure out treatment options.  The good news, though, is that once all the hormones have left my system, I'll probably go on medication to replace the thyroid hormone and it's safe for pregnancy and nursing.  Thank you so much to everyone who has offered love or support at this time.  Especially to those of you who offered to take Kaitlyn while Jared was in classes.  It is so great to know that we have caring friends and family to turn to in our times of need.

My Sister's Keeper

I promise Halloween pictures, but they're on my dad's camera so I don't have them right now. In the meantime: I recently read My Sister's Keeper. It's been on my list for a while now, even before the movie came out. It's just that I have time to read now - mainly while Kaitlyn's eating. Anyway, I really liked the way this book was written from the different viewpoints of all the characters. It was kind of fun learning the backstory at the same time that you were reading the main story. There is some swearing in this book, and it is sad - but then it deals with a very political and fiery subject. Either way, it is well written and I would recommend it to anyone who likes stories about families in tough situations. We'll have to see how the movie is...I've heard it's different from the book.