A helper in London who have been means tested by the British Thyroid Foundation, has been Underactive for about twelve years. It has taken seven years to get the correct dosage of Thyroxine for her, now she takes 100 mcg daily. Before her diagnoses, no Doctor could pin point exactly was wrong with her, but she was initially diagnosed as neurotic. She had cardiology for her irregular heartbeat, Physiotherapy for her rheumatic limbs and even saliva tests for a possible tropical disease! After a change of G.P. she finally got that simple blood test that confirmed that she had Hypothyroidism and like me, knew nothing about it apart from feeling dreadful. She has also had weight problems with the changes of medication and has accepted that she will always be overweight. She has lost her self-confidence, is absent minded and finds it difficult to get on in life. I know exactly how she feels.

I was over the moon to receive a copy of Coping with Thyroid problems by Patsy Westcott, after a request in the British Thyroid Foundation to write to her about our Thyroid problems for her new book. I was also pleased that I was amongst the fourteen to be sent this book as it is one of the most informative I have ever read to date, but am unaware if she has written a new book. I was very interested to read about other people and their own accounts of their illnesses and felt happy that I might be able to reach out to people in time and make contacts, or a small support group with more knowledge.

Whilst driving out in the car, during the time when the medication was lowered, I drove on the wrong side of the road- perfectly acceptable if driving abroad but having lived here all my life, it was something that should not have happened and any oncoming car might have caused a serious accident. On another occasion, got completely baffled as to why I was in my local town and could not remember where the car was parked and where my home was. On another occasion, I told my daughter to get out of the car while it was still moving and it was just as well, she was old enough to know this was the wrong thing to do! I tried to open the door of a different car thinking it was mine. I even forgot where I lived on more than one occasion! Just generally confused and forgetful, but at this stage begun to laugh at the ludicrous mistakes.

I also have vague memories and recollections of places that I have stayed or visited just before being diagnosed and often think I have just dreamt things up! All very frustrating looking back and thinking if it ever happened. I also feel that I have ‘lost years’ where I have been told such and such happened, but cannot remember! I struggle to remember the hazy memories or finding places where I might have been.

There was a time when the Thyroxine was lowered too much and lost the motivation to be sociable and felt downtrodden yet again. Once more, the medication was altered back to 100 mcg daily only to go overactive yet again and the medication to be loweded once more. During this time again, I stared to write more poetry and prose as I did from the beginning of the illness. My sleep pattern was awful again like it was before the diagnoses. It seems obvious now, that the ‘perfect balance’ was between 100 mcg and 75 mcg.

The beginning of September, my blood test was NORMAL! The first time ever it has been normal since the diagnoses. My weight is a constant battle and it feels I will be on a permanent diet for the rest of my life. I have to maintain a low fat diet most of the time and the sight of anything fatty and I would gain weight so easily.

There have been many an interesting case history featured in the quarterly issues from the British Thyroid Foundation and one that was so accurate to what I have felt over the years and could have been me that wrote it, as it described exactly how I feel most of the time. Even though this members’ medication is balanced, he still finds it, at times, difficult to get through the day, especially at his workplace. He is on 100 mcg daily and has changed his life completely. He has to write things down in order otherwise things get overlooked. He mentions that his attitude to life is more serious now and that his sense of humour is no more. Even though my medication is balanced, there are at times I feel out of sorts, confused, dizzy or unable to concentrate. I do not feel quite so ill like the beginning of the illness, but still get tired quickly.

I still get confused when presented with any one problem and can only deal with one thing at a time. I still get tired quickly and occasionally get symptoms of Thyroid disease. The close friends that I know well now understand how ridiculous I act at times and regardless of the Hypothyroidism, seem to always be the excuse I need. In fact, if I do anything or say anything stupid now, I immediately blame my Thyroid! However, my confidence still at a low, but managed to take a computer course (and passed) and met some new parents at my sons’ school and feel at ease with them, something I had not been able to do for a long time.

For the next Four years I remained balanced and the yearly blood tests were within the normal reading.