Today, Tomorrow and Always

My friend asks this question about my recent posts.

"Is this your medical situation now or are you writing of a past event?"



I have been writing about some past events that led to my medical situation now. I will always have this medical situation because the cure for the medical problem during those past events included the "killing" of my thyroid gland.


It had gotten so out of control there were only two reasonable possibilities: have surgery to remove the offending gland or drink the poisoned iodine and kill the thing.


Either of these had the same result in the end that I would have no thyroid function. I drank the poisoned iodine. Therefore, I must depend on an artificial means of getting the hormone that controls so much of my body. I must take a small blue pill every day for the rest of my life. Otherwise I will suffer hypothyroidism and a decade and a half ago I did have hypo, resulting in often occurring extremely painful muscle cramps all over my body and an increasing difficulty in walking a straight line. Of course, going with no thyroid hormone would be the ultimate in hypothyroidism and lead to many grave problems, such as death.


Now when I say I must take this pill every day, I really mean I should. I admit I am not a good patient, although I have been pretty good at remembering to take my synthetic thyroid boost. It is easier to remember than my high blood pressure pills and they are actually made harder to remember because of the thyroid medication.


Let me try to explain that. First thing I do when I get to the kitchen in the morning, after feeding the cats and putting the coffee on, is take my thyroid pill. It is medication that doesn't adsorb easily into the body, so it doesn't want any competition. You can't take any other medication at the same time and you need to take it on an empty stomach. Therefore, I take it first thing in the morning before anything else gets into the belly.


This means I can't take my high blood pressure medication in the morning. I let that go to later in the day. Of course, then I keep forgetting to take it at all.


However, I do sometimes not take my thyroid medication either. This often happens when I run out. I neglect getting the prescription renewed right away and then I end up skipping my dosages.  Obviously I don't drop dead, but if I go too long I begin to feel the effects in my body or my mind. 

Earlier in the year, as I related, my current medication was not working. I was beginning to have repercussions in my daily activities as a result, but this new medicine is working and I am doing fine.


Anyway, the answer to the question is, "Yes."  I was talking about past events, but also a current medical situation, one that I will always have.