TOO COLD OR TOO HOT

Global warming-will we ever resolve this debate? Will one side say to the other, “Hmmmm maybe you are right.” Or will it go on and on for more decades, perhaps centuries?

Before this worldly debate fueled by temperature was another taking place on a much smaller scale, primarily happening at work establishments offering inadequate heating and cooling.

This discussion starts with a co-worker’s complaints about the office temperature and then BAM-here comes the question leading up to the debate: Would you prefer to be too hot or too cold?

The popularity of this dispute (especially for those who live in erratic weather climates) is in the same league as “the chicken/egg argument OR nature vs. nurture”.

Each party trying to convince the other, that one is better than the other and this clash can sometime become heated (Sorry, I could not resist)

This debate can occasionally turn into a severe power struggle resulting in that little ol’ tiny thermostat getting placed on 24-hour maximum security lockdown with armed guards and a pit bull…AKA-“Management”.

Here are the basic points to this insignificant debate:

Cold–It is much better to be too cold because you can always add layers…extra sweaters, gloves, etc…

Hot-It is better to be too hot because then you can take layers off.

So ridiculous and the disagreement is probably a moot one because thyroid cancer, autoimmune thyroid diseases and postpartum thyroiditis is becoming more and more prevalent worldwide. So chances are, you are arguing with a thyroid sufferer…if that is the case than it is a relative issue. Before I was aware of the popularity of thyroid disease, those who would try to debate this with me, would usually receive the cold shoulder (OK I’ll stop)

The thyroid, among other things, controls your body’s internal thermostat. Those with thyroid disorders are either going to be hyper or hypo. Hyperthyroid folks are the hot ones and hypothyroid folks are the cold ones.

When I say hot, I mean, you are fearful that…at any moment, you will spontaneously combust. Now that is hot!

Cold, to a thyroid sufferer means you feel like your skeletal system is made of icicles. When you are freezing to the bone like this…honey there aren’t enough layers in the world. This cold is painful!

And some reports say there are roughly 300 million of us WORLDWIDE who have been diagnosed, and probably millions more who have not been, so this disagreement is futile, to say the least. If someone wants to battle it out with you on this subject just say “You are probably right.” Keeping workplace harmony is more important and being agreeable garners a (just one more) warm response.

Crazy Thyroid Lady

DONT FORGET THE SURVEY, CLICK ON ONE OF THE LINKS IN THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER, IF YOU HAVE NOT TAKEN IT...IT ENDS IN THREE DAYS!

GIVE SOME THYROID LOVE AND SUPPORT

Hello Family,

As Thyroid Awareness month draws to a close. I want to thank those who participated in the Crazy Thyroid Lady Survey…thanks so much. If you haven’t filled out the brief survey please do so before it ends on January 31st. (Survey links are on the top right corner of this page)

Also, I want to encourage everyone to support each other. Thyroid disease is very difficult. Give a fellow thyroid sufferer a hug, (real or cyber) tell him/her it will be OK. Support thyroid blogs, become facebook and twitter pals. We are all in this together and I know we can make a difference!

THYROID BLOGS

http://thyroid.blogspot.com/
http://hypoman-lifetherapy.blogspot.com/
http://sjccfthynet.blogspot.com/
http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/blog/
http://thyroid-hope.blogspot.com/
http://thyroidplague.blogspot.com/
http://hypothyroidathleteskitchen.blogspot.com/

THYROID WEBSITES

http://outsmartdisease.com/
http://dearthyroid.org/
http://www.sjccfthynet.org/
http://thyroid.about.com/
http://gdcoffeebreak.weebly.com/
http://eyesee.typepad.com/
www.crazythyroidlady.com (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

If I missed a website or blog let me know.

Thanks

BE STRONG

Crazy Thyroid Lady

Blood Work - Mission Impossible

Have you ever noticed when getting blood drawn at a lab or a doctor’s office, the entire process is like a Tom Cruise/Mission Impossible-type event? What is the reason for the serious stealth?

Here is how it goes…

Already knowing what lies ahead, timidly you arrive. They usher you into a room, where you must rest into a deceitful seat reminiscent of an amusement park ride. Next, the bloodletting bandit, with an interrogative tone, confirms your date of birth and name, which you must spell out for them.

Then, they are all like, “Put your eyes in this retinal scanner”… Just kidding--I always wanted to use a retinal scanner; they really should use a retinal scanner…WHY AREN’T THEY USING RETINAL SCANNERS!!

Anyway, the “technician” sticks the long, sharp blade in your arm expelling those pumping platelets keeping you alive.

Afterwards, they place your precious life force in those cheap fifty cent vials. The number of vials needed depends on the amount of codes marked by the doctor on that top secret, cryptic, lab request form.

Meanwhile, CIA operatives in Langley, Virginia are the recipients of your blood and the clandestine lab order with those codes. These codes can only be deciphered after many years of operative training. They must know ICD-9 codes, diagnosis codes, CPT codes, Morse code and all the Xbox 360 cheat codes. At least this is what I believe, because when I view my own lab order, I haven’t a clue-- am I being tested for my thyroid disorder or to somehow help me with Call of Duty?

The key part of this whole covert operation is when it’s over; you are then given a band-aid, which contains a fluid that seeps subcutaneously causing the reluctant donor to become passive. This passive state is needed for a very important purpose. Why? Because the reason you went to get blood drawn in the first place was because, you were experiencing the following:

Chronic fatigue, migraines, moodiness, anxiety, depression, excessive weight gain, hair loss, blurred vision, joint pain and brain fog…UGH!! This is no way to live!

But, when you call for your results a nurse comes on and says, “Oh yes, let me get your chart,” she comes back on the phone and states quickly, without hesitation …”Everything is normal.” At that moment the passive poison kicks in and you say simply, “OK”…Click, you both hang up.

It is your chronic suffering that brought you to the doctor in the first place. They take your blood, from your arm, it is your results, so for the life of me, I can’t understand the secrecy. Unknown answers filed away in your elusive “chart.” And what about that nurse who gave you your normal blood results, then dismisses you like an insubordinate employee. “Ummm, what about my current symptoms, did you think I was making it up.” It does not seem to matter to them though…as long as “Mission Is Accomplished!”

Crazy Thyroid Lady's Book Intro Part Two

“Mom, mom.”

“What honey?”

“Can me and Zach get some ice cream from the ice cream man?”

“I don’t have any money, babe.”

“I do, mom.”

Of course you do, you always have money, more than me, I thought. I walked to his room to get his piggy bank, mainly filled with green than metal. While walking back to the screen door, I noticed both little boys were looking so enthusiastic. You could just see it in their eyes, both visualizing the tasty ice cream treat, which will soon be a melting mess for me to clean up later. In an instant, I realized, playing a prank on them was an opportunity I could not pass up. Approaching the screen door, clutching the giant pink pig in my hands.

I roared:

“Muuwaahhhhh, you think you boys are getting some ice cream? (Gnashing my teeth, trying to do my best Peter Lorre impression) No way, the money’s all mine, all mine I tell you! Muwaaahhhh.”

The eerie crinkling noise produced by my lemony Pledge-filled hands was perhaps a little too theatrical for someone else’s child. My son was used to my behavior, but Zach’s mouth dropped to the ground. Tyler stared at his mother with no interest…both were just cute as buttons. Even though, there was a screen door between me and Zach, he still looked terrified. He looked at me with this perplexing, yet frightened gaze, then looked over at Tyler and said:

“Wow, Tyler you were right, your mom really is crazy!”

When Zach said this, I immediately started laughing hysterically, that this little guy was afraid of his best friend’s mommy? Then laughter promptly shifted to panic. Suddenly, a quick glimpse into my future of everyone knowing the real me was a scary notion. You see, the hard work and dedication Zach’s mom puts forth into her gossip telling is unlike anything I have ever seen. My crazy paranoia (this time) was valid. I firmly believe she has a secret passage way behind her washer and dryer. This is where she clandestinely slips into her secret underground bunker sending out gossip via Morse code. This “news” is then distributed throughout the neighborhood, surrounding counties, the state, the country and parts of Europe, all before sundown. The message will say: There is a crazy woman living at 725 Meadow Lake Drive in Carmel, IN. I will be outed, the jig is up.

“Oh well,” I thought to myself, “I might as well face the music.” The transition from laughter, to panic, soon gave way to relief. One of the best things about being crazy: a massive emotional shift can happen in seconds. Little known fact - when a dramatic actor in a movie instantaneously goes from laughing deliriously to crying, they are portraying someone with a thyroid disease.

After being outed, from that moment forward our yard was…well, let’s just say, we would certainly lose the Best Kept Yard award. My fake smiles ended and instead of playing ball with the brats, they received snarls. Looking back on it all, it was silly to hide my true self… but, when you are sick and you don’t know you are sick, you try to act well, Conversely, when you are sick and you know you are sick, you say, “What the hell.”


Thanks for reading my entire intro - I hope to have this Crazy book out sometime in 2012

Love ya - Don't forget to fill out the survey!

Crazy Thyroid Lady