Hello my beautiful sistas,

I have missed everyone so much! I have been so sick with pneumonia. I had been struggling with crackling lungs since sometime in early October, but things continued to get progressively worse as the months rolled on. As each day passed, my breathing got more difficult, my energy levels fell further and depression was in full force. I was not in a good way! Most of my time has been spent in bed unless I have to be up to care for Simmi. Things took a turn for the worse on Dec. 24th and 25th. Dare I say that I ruined Christmas for anyone? Yup. I tried to get up to make Christmas dinner and passed out. I could hardly breathe and had to stay in bed. On Dec. 26th we attempted to go to urgent care, but it was so packed that there was no way I could sit up and even wait the three hours to be seen. We went home and came back in the next day. The doctor didn't do a chest film on me, even though I knew that I probably had pneumonia. The doctor gave me some steriods and sent me on my way. I felt a little better on the prednesone, Advair and Abuterol, but I still was feeling so horrible and my cough was worse than ever. That doctor wouldn't even give me a pneumonia shot! I need a shot every five years or the chances are good that I would get it again. The five years are up this Feb. but he wouldn't acknowledge that I needed one. He was willing to give me a flu shot though. LOL I didn't need a flu shot...I never get the flu! I needed a pneumonia shot! Geez!

After not getting better, I made a few different appointments. Our health insurance kicked in and I was ready to get checked for everything under the sun. I set up my endocrinology appointment, primary care appointments, dental and I was feeling hopeful that I would not only get my pneumonia shot, but get on some antibiotics as well. About a week and a half ago I got in to see my primary care doctor. He listened to my lungs and confirmed that I did indeed have pneumonia. He ordered the script for my antibiotic, and also gave me a pneumonia shot. Yay! Even though I had an appointment set up to see an endo, I asked if he would run some blood work on me to see where my thyroid levels were. The last time my levels were checked I had a low thyroid, but not low enough to treat. So...he ordered the labs and my levels were low. But according to the lab results, it "looks" like they are still within range. After reading up on low thyroid and all the problems that exist, I knew that if this doctor wasn't going to help me, that I would need to actually do something that I am normally opposed to...self treating my thyroid. I did as much research as I could and ordered some stuff. I could feel the affects of what I ordered working right away. It wasn't like all my problems disappeared, but for the first time in a long time, my hands and feet were no longer cold, I felt warm inside, I had some energy and I felt optimistic that I was on the right track. In the back of my mind, I still have these panged feelings of "don't self dose, don't self treat" because hormones are not something I believe I should be messing with...but it was working! Now, usually when I have pneumonia it takes months and months to feel normal after finishing my antibiotics. Right now I still have four days left and I am up and about, feel good, and I can actually think again! What a concept huh?

My daughter Hannah is currently in school and one of the classes she takes is taught by an endocrinologist. She knew what my thyroid levels were and decided to ask some questions after class. The endocrinologist asked what my levels were, and when Hannah told her, she said the doctor was shocked that the doctor I was seeing wasn't willing to put me on proper thyroid medication. She asked if Hannah could bring in my labs, and she told her that she would be willing to write a script out for me to treat my hypothyroid. Yay! I don't have to go this alone, and now I'll have an endocrinologist to monitor me. I cancelled my other appointments (I had two) for different endocrinologists and now I'll be going to the one that is willing to help me. If I feel good right now on what I'm taking, I can't imagine how good I'll feel on a stronger proper dose of thyroid.

That's an update on my health.

I hope you all had a great holiday season and a very Happy New Year!