Thursday, April 16, 2009

Waking up Tired

I feel like I have been tired since Nov 12, 2007.

That was my first day of chemo, it seems like a lifetime ago. Since then I have been diagnosed with Hashimotos thryroiditis which is defined by wikipedia as "an autoimmune disease where the body's own T-cells attack the cells of the thyroid." That was last summer, in June or July, so I missed all of last summer's activities, in addition to not being able to play soccer, because of the port, I couldn't ride my bike, because I was too tired and was worried that I would be just stuck where I biked to and wouldn't be able to get back home, so my bike sat, sadly on my patio deck, unused on nice cool summer nights when a ride on the bike path would be just the thing to clear my head.

Now I am still tired. I just had a blood test because I am still freaking tired, its not the same kind of tired. I know its not from the thyroid, because that is a different kind of tired. I find it fascinating that different things can make you tired in different ways. Fascinated, but wish it was something that I would be reading about on the web or happening to someone else, but not to me, actually scratch that I wouldn't want anything that happened to me to happen to someone else.

So I got a blood test. I think I have given so much blood for tests since I have been diagnosed I could have saved quite a few lives if it was donated to the Red Cross (of course I wouldn't donate blood since I have been diagnosed with cancer, let me make that quite clear) besides the fact that I hate needles. Let me change that I really hate needles, I will give you an example, I was talking to my doctor about something and she was doing something across the room with some syringes, loading them with meds, who knows, there were four or six of them on a tray and I really have no idea what my doc said but all I saw were the needles. Did I mention they were all the way across the room? I had to leave the office quickly, I almost started hyperventilating. So the point of that? I guess I hate needles.

Back to the blood test. Got the results today. I need more vitamin D. They said because Ilive in Northern Michigan I don't get enough sunlight or drink enough milk or eat enough broccoli to get vitamin d, yes I need cruciferous veggies, one of the things I need to eat to combat cancer, but I would have to eat a lot of broccoli for that to happen. So lets see we will add that to the list of pills I take, right now the pill count is at 15, more or less, depending upon side effects like neuropathy or anxiety. So I guess the pill count will be up to 16. Once that kicks in I hope I wont be waking up tired.

Mel is the producer of The Vic McCarty Show. Listen to me Monday through Friday 10am to noon on wmktthetalkstation.com.

2 comments:

  1. Wow, this has been the story of my life lately...tired. No matter how much sleep, doesn't help. To the point that I have done some research on cancer-related fatigue, which is a real thing. Plus, my diagnosis is thyroid cancer, which is already trippin' with my fatigue and tiredness since I don't actually have a thyroid anymore and depend on medication for that. And my doctor says my levels "are fine."

    Interesting about the Vitamin B. Glad you got that checked out!

    About the pills...yep, I got another one added with my last round of blood tests a few weeks ago. Geez! :)

    Great post!

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  2. So glad I found your blog!!!!! I've been so tired lately, thinking it's from the radiation and the whole collection of treatments since last August. Trying to take the vitamins, etc., to get the extra boost I need.

    I HATE needles, too, and have given my fair share of blood through all of this!

    Cora

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