Healthy Me

I should have posted this sooner. I've lost ten pounds after switching my thyroid medication. After a couple of years of being so frustrated with my weight, my thyroid, and the doctors, I changed my medication myself. That's one goal down, two more weight goals to go.

I've also found a new doctor and have my first appointment in a month. In the interim, I am feeling better emotionally on the natural desiccated thyroid medication (over Synthroid) and the weight loss is awesome! I am hoping the doctor will switch me to Naturethroid next month (I'm on Thyroid-S right now).

What do medical doctors have against doctors some consider "alternative" (like chiropractors)? If it isn't the "stick a drug down their throat for the pharmaceutical company" routine, they don't think it's right or safe? I've seen it with my former Endocrinologist who wouldn't do anything but synthetic medication when there were natural treatments that had been around for 100 years that worked for people.

Today my daughter came home and told me that her best friend's pediatrician told her that chiropractors (who her best friend has been seeing for a pinched nerve) give strokes to children. I was thinking about taking my daughter to a chiropractor for her back pain (from a fall) so I looked it up. There is a big debate between chiropractors and neurologists about the risk of stroke with a chiropractic neck adjustment.

From what I found here:

“Even if neck adjustments cause strokes (and no one can say for sure that they do) the risk is low— 1 per 100,000 chiropractic patients who receive multiple adjustments,” says chiropractor William Lauretti, an assistant professor at New York Chiropractic College, and a spokesman for the American Chiropractic Association.

I've heard the possible side effects on those commercials for a pharmaceutical drug. They go on and on and your jaw just drops listening to them. Sometimes you wonder if the side effect is worse than what it's treating. So what is the bigger risk? I'd seriously like to know the answer to that.

How do you know who to trust? How can you give your blind trust to any medical professional? It doesn't matter if they're wearing lab coats - they don't always know what is best for you and you're left wondering if you can find a medical professional (mainstream or alternative) who you can literally trust your life to.

I have some good and bad news. The good news is that the weight I lost after switching my thyroid medications is still holding. One milestone reached! The bad news is that it's been at a stand still. I'm going to give it a little push to reach my next milestone. For this past month, I'm still losing hair and am cold more often than not so I will increase my thyroid medication slightly.

I've broken the weight loss into smaller milestones to keep me encouraged. My next milestone is the next ten pounds. Once I reach that, I'll have the last weight milestone to do.

Maybe I'll be planning wedding favors for our vow renewal after all! I refuse to spend money on a dress and party until I feel better. The weight has been a big issue in terms of self-image the last few years but it is one I hope to conquer! I'd love to say my vows again in a way that we both would love!

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists are changing their guidelines for women for all those embarrassing tests women don't like to get but must. Here's the rundown:

• Pap smears every two years instead of annually (surprising given the HPV rates in this country).
• Routine paps at age 21. They used to say within three years of sexual intercourse. Now it's age 21. (I'll still take my daughters when they becomes sexually active for exams and paps, whatever age that is.)
• If you are 30 and over and have three consecutive clear pap tests, you can wait three years for your next one.
• If you have HIV or cervical abnormalities, you might need more frequent screening (ya think?).

I wonder if that means insurance will stop covering them annually now?