Hypothyroidism (the fat & lazy disease)

When you have a thyroid condition, explaining how you feel is impossible. People just look at you like you have 15 heads. You can list your symptoms and their responses prove their lack of understanding:


 

Me: I’m exhausted.

People: You should get more sleep.

Me: I slept 10 hours last night.

People: Oh, maybe you should sleep less.

Me: Okay, nice seeing you.


 

Me: I can’t do anything off the couch. My house is a mess, bills are unpaid, and my kids run free throughout the house making bigger messes.

People: Have you tried exercising?

Me: Okay, nice seeing you.


 

Me: My skin itches.

People: Have you tried ________ (fill in the blank with an expensive lotion).

Me: I have Aveeno… it’s not working

People: Well, you have to spend money to get something that works. My lotion is $30 a bottle, that’s how I know it works.

Me: Okay, nice seeing you.


 

Me: My hair is falling out.

People: That’s weird.

Me: Okay, nice seeing you.


 

Me: My brain isn’t working. I can’t even formulate thoughts together.

People: Oh, I know what you mean. The other day I put my keys in the fridge!

Me: It took me 3 minutes yesterday to remember my kid’s name.

People: Oh I mix my kids up all the time!

Me: Well, I couldn’t remember any of my kids’ names.

People: Oh?

Me: I also couldn’t remember the word…. oh shit. I forgot what I was saying? Oh yeah, I kept calling a rag a napkin. My 3 year old got me a napkin and I said, “No, that’s not what I want!” She was confused… because I had told her a napkin. Then I said tissue… this went on for a while. Until she gave up on me.

People: I know what you’re going through!

Me: Okay, nice seeing you.


 

Me: I gained 6 pounds last week.

People: You should watch your calories.

Me: I always eat between 1200 & 1600.

People: You should try cutting out sweets.

Me: I don’t eat gluten.

People: You should stop eating fried foods.

Me: I don’t eat gluten, so that’s pretty much all fried foods.

People: You should try going low carb?

Me: I don’t eat gluten.

People: Have you tried exercising?

Me: Okay, nice seeing you.


 

Me: I’m so constipated.

People: Do you take __________?

Me: It doesn’t work.

People: You should drink more water.

Me: More than 80 ounces a day?

People: You should eat more vegetables.

Me: More than 4 cups a day?

People: Have you tried exercising?

Me: Okay, nice seeing you.


People are always well intentioned, including my poor husband. People want to help! They (sometimes) try to understand. But when your thyroid is out of whack, there is NOTHING that helps. Yes, you could exercise, but it’s hard to even breathe. You seem depressed, but you’re not. You gain weight, uncontrollably, when you’re not overeating. You seem lazy, but can’t seem to just get up to do the smallest things- doing a load of dishes seems like a mammoth undertaking. And watching everyone around you do things for you frustrates you because (while they are nice to help) you should be able to do it yourself.

Just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there. Remember, you don’t really know what people are battling on the inside. Anyway- Doc just upped my meds, so I had the energy to write this. Thanks, Doc.

Claire Pelletier

About Claire Pelletier

I'm 30. Boy am I 30. I have three children: Shelby (almost 8), Harper (3), and Aidan (1). I work full time as an English teacher, full time as a mom, part time as a wife, part time as a cook at a Diner (this is actually a paid position), and a per diem house cleaner. Basically, I do it all. Oh and I like to write (revert back to my full time teaching position). This life is crazy, people are even crazier, and online blogging has given me a voice. Some may think it's a loud and obnoxious voice, but I kind of like it. I do my best to write about things that interest people, mainly about myself. Sometimes I verge into the political land, but that place scares me, so I mostly write about every day things that make me laugh, cry, or scream. Thanks for reading!