Happy Independence Day!
Happy 4th to all my US readers! For my family, it’s an occasion to enjoy some good old fashioned family fun. We’re spending a quiet day together and will join our neighbors late this afternoon at our local neighborhood park where we’ll enjoy a picnic while listening to a concert band play patriotic favorites. After dark we have a good view from our grassy knoll in the park of the fireworks display organized by the Denver Country Club. That said, today is as good a day as any to wander off topic…
When I lived in Maine, gardening seemed easy – an abundance of rain and acidic soil allowed me to grow my garden favorites with minimal effort. Here in the arid west, gardening isn’t quite as easy. We have alkaline soil which means a lot of my east coast faves don’t grow here well past one season such as azaleas, rhododendrons and astilbes and we don’t get much in the way of precipitation.
We do get an abundance of sunshine which certainly helps, but lack of water is tricky. In fact, I think here in Denver, we’re going on about day 30 with no rain. The storm clouds swell every afternoon, but any precipitation evaporates before hitting the ground. These magnificent thunderhead clouds move towards the mid-west where they have received more than their fair share of rain. Being fairly environmentally conscious, I’ve decided to use plants that are rugged and that tolerate harsher conditions. I’ve xeriscaped our backyard and hell strip (that little section of ground between the road and sidewalk) in front of our home. Did you know that it’s illegal to capture rain water in Colorado? Apparently it is considered stealing by the folks who own the water rights in our arid lands.
My little veggie patch
So where am I going with this? Yesterday morning when I got back from my little jog in the park around 6am, it was nice and cool. I started doing a little weeding and before you know it I’m full fledged all out dividing, tending and rearranging my yard. It didn’t hurt that I’m on drugs and had the stamina and single mindedness to keep on going. They are prescription drugs lest you become alarmed, and are my dirty little secret – which I guess isn’t so secret now afterall.
Here’s the back story on the drugs…. I was diagnosed with hypo-thyroidism after having my daughter 10 years ago. The symptoms of an under active thyroid are decreased metabolic activity which results in weight gain, fatigue, depression, infertility, anemia and heart disease. These were my symptoms – weight gain, fatigue, infertility, anemia and high cholesterol. I’m fully medicated now with Synthroid and Cytomel which is a combination of T4 and T3 (thryroid hormone) replacements to make me feel well.
For the most part all is well except that I never managed to lose the 25 pounds that I gained after being diagnosed. I’ve tried severe calorie restricted diets: low carb, low sugar, vegetarian, grape fruit, cabbage soup, even ran and trained for 2 half marathons. Weight loss – nada zip. And, I might add to all this, that I’m not a good dieter – it’s no fun and sucks the fun right out of life. Now, I’m not aiming for super model thin – I just want to feel better and lower my cholesterol. Both my father and paternal grandmother died of heart attacks – my dad at age 44 (only 2 years older than I am now).
Every 6 months I go to one of the top endocrinologists in Denver for lab work to check all my levels. About a year ago, the nurse practioner suggested phentermine to help lose the weight. In between last year and this, I visited a nutritionist and kept on trying to lose the weight myself drug free to no avail. Now, I’m not a huge fan of drugs – especially since it’s humbling to know that I will be on prescription drugs for the rest of my life. Yes – I have one of those little day of the week pill cases to keep it all organized!
After stepping on the scale at my bi-annual appointment on Wednesday, I decided what the hell, give me the phentermine! OMG – this must be what speed feels like. I haven’t felt this energetic in years, not to mention I’m not hungry and am not really interested in food right now. Weird feeling. I am feeling some side effects, mainly I have a really dry mouth – though it’s making me drink more water * bonus here in arid Colorado. I hope this works in the weight loss department and I’ll keep you updated as time goes on. One note about phentermine, you have to have good blood pressure and not be pregnant and it might cause your arm to fall off (okay not true about the last bit).
Thanks for taking my tangent with me… backtracking to yesterday morning’s garden binge – I could have kept going and going. I felt terrific – I haven’t felt this good in years. Meanwhile, I think I pulled a muscle in one of my little toes and I got sun burned after spending 7 hours in the garden working in a tank top and shorts.
The photo above is my little veggie patch. It’s not much to brag about, but I have 2 tomato plants, a zucchini plant and lots of herbs. It saves me a lot of money in the summer and it really yoinks my chain to pay $4.00 for a little packet of fresh basil. As an added bonus, they’re organic since I don’t use any chemicals in my garden. See that dinky little bamboo stake and jute fence around the veggies? That actually keeps my 2 big dogs out of the veggies.
Egyptian onions also known as tree or walking onions
I divided my Egyptian onions too. I originally planted them in my hell strip (see above) last year and they’ve gone wild. I thought that they were ornamentals, but it turns out that the little bulblets that grow on the top are edible. Next time my recipe calls for onions, I’m going to give them a try. They are purportedly stronger than regular onions.
Well, if this wasn’t a TMI post, I’ll be a monkey’s aunt! But, just maybe someone out in blogland will benefit if they stumble upon my site.
I’m off to the guild to mix some glazes after spending some quality time with Hopper, Roy and Hesselberth the past couple of days before heading to the park for today’s 4th of July festivities.
Have a great weekend,
~Cynthia
LB
July 4, 2008 at 12:40 pm //
Happy 4th of July to you, too!
Mary T.
July 4, 2008 at 2:31 pm //
Well, you little druggie, you! My mom gave me samples of Speed back when I was in college. I was taking 3 a day and working several hours a week in the cafeteria and the Student Union counter, besides doing an overload, all of my classes but two had extra labs, and keeping up a busy social life and getting thinner. Then she couldn’t (wouldn’t?) get them any more and the bottom fell out for me. It is not fun working two jobs and carrying an overload class in college without anything else. Boy, did I pay for that one. And I’m still not skinny as you know. I wish you luck, as who knows what goes with the body. It is weird, don’t you know?!
andrea
July 4, 2008 at 5:02 pm //
Really interesting post, Cynthia, and yes — I read the whole thing! At the gym today I discvered I’d actually lost a few lbs — a huge thing when you’re past 45, believe me! Must be all that shuttlecock playing (though paddling a coanoe might put it back on in miscle mass
. Looking forward to updates. How long will you continue with the speed do you think? Until you get to the weight you want or … forever! 
Undaunted
July 4, 2008 at 6:30 pm //
I agree, I thought this was a very interesting post too – and I also read to the end!
Well, I could do with losing *cough* a few pounds myself, but I’m definitely interested in the side effect of having more energy! After reading through the side effects and contra-indications I’m not sure if I would be able to take it though. I wish you well on it, let us know how it goes!
Cynthia
July 4, 2008 at 9:40 pm //
Hey LB!
Mary – I know… the little side adage to the medication is that it’s addicting. I am being medically supervised, however and depending on how I feel, I can skip 2 days during the week. It’s a weird thing about body image – I can tell you that I do want to feel better and have more energy naturally. But, I would be lying to you if I didn’t tell you that I also want to wear a smaller size pant. I already have 3 different sizes in my closet and don’t feel like adding another – plus that gets expensive.
Andrea – sounds like the gym is treating you well! I’ll be on the drug for 3-9 months depending on progress. From what the doctor told me there is initially weight loss followed by a plateau. The speed *sic* loses its effect. Sigh… My hope is that if I get down to a healthier weight, I will have more energy and won’t need the drugs anymore.
Undaunted –
I sort of laugh at the side effects listed in the literature and get a real kick out of the ads on TV – not sure if you have prescription drug ads on the tele in the UK? Picture the woman running in a field of flowers with hair flowing behind her and beautiful music in the background, followed by a fast staccato soft male voice telling everyone that side effects include dying, loss of erectile functions etc. etc. They really make me laugh – but I suppose it wouldn’t if I were the .01% that is affected by the drug in question.
Undaunted
July 5, 2008 at 5:34 am //
Hahaha, no we don’t have adverts like that in the UK, they only advertise what you can buy over the counter. Sometimes the leaflets inside a box of medication make you laugh though – a side effect of death is pretty drastic, and it would be difficult to report it to your doctor!
The thing about phentermine is that I already suffer some of the things that are listed as side effects, and the contra-indications are against me – I take one of the drugs that is listed not to take with phentermine.
janvangogh
July 5, 2008 at 7:14 am //
Curious if your thyroid levels were low or in the normal range. I have been reading that even tho in normal range, with the above symptoms, medication might be called for.
Cynthia
July 5, 2008 at 7:41 am //
Undaunted – totally understand and I really don’t advocate drugs. Such a personal choice. Plus, as I mentioned, I’m being monitored. One of the things that the doc checked before giving me the meds are my liver functions and to make sure I wasn’t pregnant. (At 42 – I really don’t want a child at this point unless it’s a furry one.)
When I was initially diagnosed Janet, my TSH levels were out of normal range. Normal range is .5 – approximately 5. I think I was up around 8. I was so exhausted, gaining weight even though I wasn’t eating differently and while I always wanted more than one child I only got pregnant once. Now, the doctor I see tries to keep my TSH levels between 1-2 where I feel best. It’s also where most people who don’t have thyroid issues fall. What that means is every 6 months I get rechecked and if my levels fall or rise my meds get readjusted. I’ve been on the same prescription level for about a year now which is good. We’ve found my zone. Now, if I lose weight, I will probably need a lower strength of meds since weight loss/gain affects the need for a different dosage.
My doctor also says that even though normal is up to 5, a lab result of 4 could make someone hypo-thyroid since it’s really a personal response to the point where our bodies feel the best.
Many general practitioners don’t know enough about thyroid function, so if your levels fall in the “normal” range they won’t prescribe thyroid hormones or investigate further – thinking that our complaints and symptoms are psychological instead.
When I lived in Maine, I was so grumpy to be diagnosed with a condition that would require drugs the rest of my life that I tried lots of alternative therapies and even saw a naturopathic doctor and paid out of pocket. We tried all sorts of things and I finally realized that this was my fate.
When we moved to Denver and my hormone levels were all over the place, I researched endocrinologists and found Dr. Rees-Jones and made an appointment (though, being a popular dr. I had to wait a few months before getting in). I bypassed my GP and went straight to the person who I thought would be my best resource for better health.
One of the books in my library which has been really helpful is Living Well with Hypothyroidism by Mary Shomon.
There are even foods that I have to avoid because they’re thyroid agitators such as soy, and much of the cabbage family. (so much for being a vegetarian!)
Okay, that’s probably way more info than you wanted on thyroid disease.
Linda
July 5, 2008 at 2:22 pm //
I am in an arid climate here and have to keep things well watered during the summer. As time goes by and our population grows, water will become an even more scarce commmodity. I’ve landscaped here with drought tolerant plants such as herbs, lavender and shrubs and use a ground cover cloth and bark mulch. I have a raised bin vegetable garden and some grapes, citrus and fruit trees. Homegrown food is so much better than store bought.
Here’s my (long) TMI doozy of a story about my thyroid. Over 10 years ago, I went to 7 different doctors over a period of a couple of years because I kept gaining weight (told the doctors I only had a hard boiled egg for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and one piece of chicken and one vegetable for dinner, and was still gaining weight – they didn’t believe me), I couldn’t think straight, my arm and leg muscles were aching all day and night, my hair was thinning at the crown (I have really thick hair and the doctor’s looked at me like they thought I was crazy). I got so tired and my legs hurt so bad I couldn’t even walk from my car to the grocery store door – had to go back to the car and drive home. I kept telling the doctors something was wrong with me and they said I was “just going through the change of life”. I told each doctor something was really wrong with me and if they didn’t find out I was going to die (they said I was overly dramatic).
Finally one doctor I went to near my mom’s house, (I was visiting there for thanksgiving and couldn’t even stand at the sink for 5 minutes before I had to go lie on the couch to rest – so my mom said I should try going to this doctor near her) tested my thyroid (none of the other six doctors I went to thought to test my thyroid). My TSH was 169 – the doctor said he had never seen a TSH that high and not have the person slip into a coma and die. Then over a period of 5 years the doctor had to try and regulate my thyroid starting out with the lowest dose (they can’t give too high a dose because it can damage muscle including the heart muscle) and gradually increasing it and then finally decreasing it. (I am taking levoxyl (generic) and am now at the lowest dose.
Now I tell everyone I meet to get their thyroid checked; it is a simple test and the thyroid regulates the other hormomes in our bodies, so low thyroid can wreck havoc in so many ways. Needless to say I haven’t been able to loose the weight either. I was always thin, but not now. But at least I have my energy back and I am alive. I was able to loose some weight on a low carb diet, but still eat next to nothing and don’t loose and sometimes gain weight.
I guess thyroid drugs help but aren’t the same as our natural thyroid. I really hate taking any drugs, but have to take the thyroid drug. Most drugs have so many side effects nowadays; I try to stay away from them if I can. I was thinking the levoxyl was enough but perhaps I need to do a little more research. I’ll have to pick up that book you mentioned on thyroid, I don’t eat soy because I don’t think it’s good for us there have been some studies on that too. Plus most soy beans are genetically engineered now and sprayed with lots of herbicides. The cabbage I didn’t know about. I am so glad you brought the thyroid topic up – hopefully more folks will be helped by your story. Thanks for a great post and good luck with your diet.
Undaunted
July 5, 2008 at 2:24 pm //
I find it really interesting. It’s so true what you say about GP’s not picking up on problems if your levels are within the “normal” range. This happened to a friend of mine who had been ill since her teens and who turned out to have Graves disease and had to have her thyroid removed. She was ill for many years with no explanation.
In this country you need a referral from a GP to see a specialist, and if you ask for one GP’s can sometimes get grumpy – like you’re questioning their abilities.
I’m so glad that you’ve found someone who monitors your health well.
Nancy
July 6, 2008 at 7:21 am //
Hope all goes well with this med for weight loss. I can only imagine your frustration at the weight not coming off with the normal ways. I have a hard time getting off weight with no medical condition, I’ll keep my fingers crossed that the meds work for you and you keep feeling like you have some energy.
dinahmow
July 11, 2008 at 10:11 pm //
What a bummer! No fairs when “good” people get sand-bagged with lousy health issues. I try to do the right thing and eat low-cholesterol food, but I don’t seem to be any slimmer! Oh well, I can hack the chubbiness if the cholesterol doesn’t rise.
^6 glazes wnt ‘waaay over my head, but I was intrigued, even enraged, at your prohibiton on water collection. What the heck???Everyone should be collecting rain water, surely?
Anyway, I’ll continue to pop in from time to time and I hope you’ll stop by my new blog.