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Jul. 27, 2009 - More than you really want to know about...

A little background info...

I had never heard of Thyroiditis, postpartum or otherwise, before all this.  I have had a very thorough unit study on the thyroid and hormones in general over the last eight months. More than I need to know. Ever.

Thyroiditis, according to Wikipedia.."

Thyroiditis is the inflammation of the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is located on the front of the neck below the laryngeal prominence, and makes hormones that control metabolism.

There are many different types of thyroiditis, with the most common being Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Other forms of the disease are postpartum thyroiditis, subacute thyroiditis, silent thyroiditis, drug-induced thyroiditis, radiation-induced thyroiditis, and acute thyroiditis.[1]

Each different type of this disease has its own causes, clinical features, diagnoses, durations, resolutions, conditions and risks.

There are many different symptoms for thyroiditis, none of which are exclusively limited to this disease. Many of the signs imitate symptoms of other diseases, so thyroiditis can sometimes be difficult to diagnose. Common symptoms may include fatigue, weight gain, feeling "fuzzy headed," depression and constipation. Other, rarer symptoms include swelling of the legs, vague aches and pains, decreased concentration and so on. When conditions become more severe, depending on the type of thyroiditis, one may start to see puffiness around the eyes, slowing of the heart rate, a drop in body temperature, or even future heart failure.[2]

Thyroiditis is generally caused by an attack on the thyroid, resulting in inflammation and damage to the thyroid cells. This disease is often considered a malfunction of the immune system. Antibodies that attack the thyroid are what causes most types of thyroiditis. It can also be caused by an infection, like a virus or bacteria, which works in the same way as antibodies to cause inflammation in the glands.[3] Certain people make thyroid antibodies, and thyroiditis can be considered an autoimmune disease, because the body acts as if the thyroid gland is foreign tissue.[4] Some drugs, such as interferon and amiodarone, can also cause thyroiditis because they have a tendency to damage thyroid cells.

Postpartum thyroiditis is a phenomenon observed following pregnancy[1] and may

involve hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism or the two sequentially. It affects about 5% of all women within a year after giving birth. The first phase is typically hyperthyroidism. Then, the thyroid either returns to normal or a woman develops hypothyroidism. Of those women who experience hypothyroidism associated with postpartum thyroiditis, one in five will develop permanent hypothyroidism requiring life-long treatment.

Postpartum thyroiditis is believed to result from the modifications to the immune system necessary in pregnancy, and histologically is a lymphocytic thyroiditis. The process is normally self-limiting, but when conventional antibodies are found there is a high chance of this proceeding to permanent hypothyroidism. Postpartum thyroiditis is a member of the group of thyroiditis conditions known as resolving thyroiditis.

That's it in a nut shell.  Of course, I couldn't just have a mild bout with it.  Nope, I went for the full deal.  Looking back it appears that I was having problems starting around my 7th month of pregnancy, but obviously had no idea at the time what was wrong. Symptoms were : debilitating morning tiredness after breakfast, great difficulty breathing for a few hours in the morning - not like the usual "baby pushing on the lungs and I feel winded" , severe pain and achiness in the hips, knees and ankles, also in the hands and lower arms, heart palpitations, unable to relax.  Being a 7th pregnancy and being so busy I really wrote alot off as "par for the course".  I did keep saying to my Midwife, I feel further along, why do I feel so bad?  She also thought it was just "normal".

The morning I was heading to the hospital for the IV antibiotics (I tested Group B Strep positive - first time- that may be a piece to the puzzle) I sat staring at the empty cradle and I was just praying, "Lord, I don't know what is wrong.  Everyone tells me everything is fine, but I don't feel like everything is fine.  I don't know why I feel so scared and have this sense that something isn't going to go right.  Please just let everything be alright." 

Everything went fairly well at the hospital.  I could not relax though and ended up having an epidural.  Keller was healthy and big and I seemed to be fine, but I was very anxious to get home.  Every little thing seemed like a hurtle to get over to get home.   After that all was pretty normal postpartum stuff - except I was totally unwilling to re-engage at home.  All I wanted to do was sit in the baby room with him or outside by the pond. By one month I was doing better, but still very foggy headed.  Again, I thought well, this is just life with a family of 9!

When Keller was 8 weeks old, about mid Nov. , we all went to the Pedatrician to get flu mist/shots.  Normally we do not, but we were going to be travelling and staying with multiple families and having a new baby and two other children with asthma, we thought it best to take precautions.  That may have been my undoing. 

If you're still awake and not drooling on the keyboard from boredom, I'll say at this point that just as much as this has been a physical journey it has been a very difficult spiritual journey as well. Physical ailments can either bring out the saint , or the wretched sinner.  Unfortunately, in this case, I have not been a saint.  Far from it.  But seeing ourselves for who and what we are, does us good.  When the refiner's fire brings more and more impurities to the surface it can be painful to see and deal with. It is easy to get discouraged.  But , like Peter, when I stop every once in awhile and look at Christ instead of the waves, I stop drowning in all that despair.

~Cindy

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