I’ve been thinking about blogging for a while. A long while. Then today I got in from work and decided today is the day. We're going to keep it simple and start with the basics. My name is Sarah. I'm 22. I'm at university in the UK. I love cheerleading. I have medical problems. 5 facts, that ought to be enough to be getting on with. The main reason for my starting this blog is to openly discuss my medical problems, and also my life. I have yet to decide if I am going to share this with people I know personally, or if I'm merely going to release it to the internet in the off chance of someone taking an interest in my story and reading along. I guess we shall see. Seven and a half years ago I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. I had been attending the doctors frequently for over a year because I felt there was something wrong with me and those closest to me could see changes within me. By the time I got diagnosed I showed signs of all 12 symptoms of an overactive thyroid. I was put on medication to reduce the activity of my thyroid which I had an allergic reaction to. I got severe arthritis and gained a vast amount of weight, going from a UK size 8 to a size 14 in a week. I took two and a half weeks out of school, used crutches to get around and had my mum wash and dress me. Every fifteen year old girls dream. Luckily the arthritis was only temporary and I recovered once I'd switched medication. The doctors spent several months finding a stable dose of medication for me and once they did I remained on that dosage until I had finished my GCSEs in June 2008. They took me off all medication in the hopes that my thyroid function would return to normal in the summer of 2008 (wishful thinking anyone?) and I was okay for a few months, but relapsed early in 2009. I went back on medication in order to be stable for my AS Levels. After my exams I had a dose of radioactive iodine but relapsed two months later. Straight back on medication, they offered me another dose of iodine, however they didn't think it would work effectively until the third dose, and as I was only able to take it in the summer holidays due to the radioactive levels, I opted to have it removed as I was planning on going to university. And that's exactly what I did, on July 22nd 2010 I had my thyroid removed. It's one of the best decisions I have ever made. So I plodded along to university, minus a thyroid, ready to face the world. Well, Manchester at least. And I did okay for a while. I really did. Admittedly I spend more time at the doctors than most people, fresher's flu makes me sick for two months not two days and I feel like I have a hangover after a night out even when I've not been drinking. But there were no major issues. Or so I thought.
Fast forward to April 2013 and the doctors are telling me I need to see a specialist at the hospital. I didn't understand, I only went to see them because I was feeling really rundown all the time and wanted to get my iron levels checked in case it had dropped - last time they were checked I was on the verge of being anaemic. It all got rather confusing what with me going home for summer but basically I found out there was a problem with my kidneys, one of my hormone levels was out and because of that they wanted me to see a Rheumatology specialist because they believed I had an autoimmune disease. Because of the delay in me getting referred and more recent blood tests in September 2013 I was referred to see both a Kidney specialist and an Autoimmune disease specialist. They did lots of tests between them (the record is currently 10 vials of blood for 25 tests) and firstly concluded that I am hypermobile. They were hugely interested in this fact. I felt like a monkey in a zoo. I don't think they come across "my kind" very often because they made me feel like a separate species! I should also mention at this point that I have chronic migraines which I'm on medication for and have been on and off since I was fifteen. They've gotten worse since I was nineteen though, and they think they're tied in with whatever autoimmune disease I have. Between October 2013 and December 2013, as well as trying to be a good student (fourth year Dentistry isn't easy, it's very hands on and attendance has to be 100%, plus you do at least as many hours studying outside as you have scheduled in order to know anything - that's what's it's like for me anyway) I had at least four hospital appointments, a kidney ultrasound, a CT brain scan, an MRI brain scan, a kidney biopsy which meant taking a week out of uni to recover, and countless doctors appointments. Plus my parents had separated earlier in the year and were acting like children, trying to play piggy in the middle with their three kids and my stress levels were through the roof. I was seeing a councillor once a week and would just cry my way through our sessions. All in all it was a truly low point in my life. Without a certain few people I would have been incredibly miserable. I decided I had had enough stress and needed a break. I couldn't take a break from my health. I couldn't take a break from my parents (trust me, I'd tried). There was only one thing left. University. I was home for the Christmas and New Year break when I made the decision. I was cleaning a mirror at work. It all kicked off at home because my mum didn't like the fact I'd told my dad before her. She didn't like that he'd supported me. She thought I was dropping out without admitting it. I can understand her worry (now) but at the time I just wanted support. Referrals took a long time but being away from university was a good break, I felt relaxed for the first time in months. When I eventually saw a specialist he told me I was hypermobile. Shocking. He did however tell me something new. He thought I had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. He said he'd see me again in two months. I saw him at the beginning of May. I haven't seen him since. The kidney guy was better. I saw him in July, then again in August. He did some tests and said my kidneys, for whatever reason, seem to be normal again. I still have one hormone that's odd but it's not changing and none of the kidney examinations or the biopsy have turned up anything suspicious so he has said for my Autoimmune specialist in Manchester to keep an eye on me and do a blood test annually. So as it stands they believe I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, commonly known as ME. It is not something that can be treated, rather something to be managed. I have also researched hypermobility and am quite convinced I have hypermobility syndrome as I have the headaches, nausea, bruising easily and other symptoms that go along with it. All things to be discussed with my specialist back in Manchester when I get referred back up. This has been a long introduction but I wanted to get it all out there, and now you know. Despite the obstacles in my life I still try to live an active, healthy lifestyle. I enjoy working out and I eat healthy food most of the time - the fact I've had two chocolate cupcakes today is neither here nor there at this point. I believe in balance, especially given how my life has changed in the last few years. I physically cannot run myself into the ground the way I used to, my body cannot cope with it. I'm just one of the crowd wanting to share my story, and in a way, a part of my life. So here is my blog, dedicated to my fit life and ME. S xo ps. I am more than a little bit special with technology so forgive me if it takes me a while to get my blog looking pretty :) |