June 5, 2012

In Retrospect

One of the hardest parts about healing my thyroid and adrenals has been having patience.  It's not a fast-moving process and I'm not a particularly patient person. 

So today I'm utilizing a little retrospect to remind myself how far I've come.  While I use my symptom list on a regular basis, I thought this warrants a little more than a check-list.  

Right now things still aren't ideal.  I'm a-waitin' for that T3 to arrive in the mail.  I've got all kinds of hopes pinned on it.  I keep reminding myself that it's going to take a lot of work and, surely, a few bumps in the road. 

But despite the fact that I'm not getting ideal amounts of thyroid hormones, I'm feeling much better. 
  • Sometimes I wake up tired, but I'm not exhausted. 
  • When I sit in my chair, it's only to take my blood pressure, pulse and temperature.  
  • I drink coffee in the mornings, but I'm not dependent on it.  I can go without it easily.  

  • My eyes aren't as dry as they used to be. 
  • I'm ovulating.  
  • I'm singing again!
  • I'm cooking meals again, especially breakfast. 
  • I can go to the grocery store without being completely out of commission for 24 hours.
  • (In other words, my stamina and low energy are getting better!)
  • I'm eating a nearly gluten-free diet and working toward more nutritional changes.
  •  Making decisions doesn't throw me into a tail-spin.
  • I'm no longer having those awful flu-like aches.
  •  I'm no longer having constant aches and pains, especially constant low back ache and hip pain.
  • That chronic depression I dealt with for 12 years?  GONE. 
  • My carpal tunnel for which I even had surgery?  Much better. 
  • My dry, crooked, wonky eye lashes are growing in soft and curled again.  

Here's a big one: a few weeks ago, my mom and I took my little girls strawberry picking.  We had so much fun!  My older daughter wandered up and down the rows of plants, singing and picking.  My little one out-picked her older sister.  The image of her with strawberry juice dripping down her chin will stay with me for a very long time. 

The following day, the girls and I made strawberry jam with no refined sugar - just white grape juice and no-sugar pectin.  It has just the perfect amount of sweetness. 

I could NOT have done all that in January, February or March.  The general stress of the whole day - the short walk to the field; bending over, squatting to pick the berries; the poop explosion of my youngest, who is potty training; going to lunch afterwards (Two little ones in a restaurant? Talk about stress!); and, the following day, making the jam - would have been too much. 

 
All in all, I can't believe how differently I feel now than I did a few months ago.  And I can't wait to feel even better!