Thyroiditis

I went and saw an endocrinologist on Thursday afternoon. He told me that I have what appears to be a simple inflammation of my thyroid. I guess this is not uncommon, and he made it seem like my kidney disease may have been the cause, though they could never tell for sure what caused it.

You might be asking, what does the thyroid gland do? Well, I went and searched for that answer, and found it at: http://www.bestdoctors.com/en/askadoctor/b/blum/mblum_061200_q1.htm
The gland produces a hormone -- thyroid hormone -- that regulates the metabolism of the body. That is, it influences the ways oxygen is utilized at a cellular level and in many of the body's organs.

This in turn is expressed in various ways, including effects on a person's body temperature, excitability and mood, pulse rate, digestive function and other processes which are required for the support of life.

So, my thyroid is sick (or, was sick). It got inflamed and spit out all of the hormone that it was holding. A normal thyroid gland will produce hormone, and store it until the body needs it. Then, it releases that hormone in a timely manner, and produces more to always have a full store. When the thyroid gets inflamed, it releases all of the hormone that it was storing into your blood stream. That causes your thyroid hormone level to be too high, and then the thyroid stops producing hormone. That is where I am right now. My level of hormone is too high, and my thyroid is producing almost no hormone to refill its stores, as it does not think that I need any more in my body. Once the levels in my blood stream go down, the thyroid will have to play catch-up to get my levels back to normal. This may involve my thyroid hormone level going up and down around the normal level for about one year until it is settled out.

I am supposed to get blood work done in January and February to check my hormone levels, and then go back to the endocrinologist to see if everything is working out the way he thought it would and to see if I will need any medication (in case my levels get too far out of sync).

I have received two comments recently that I would like to share with everyone:


http://nmccart.blogspot.com/2005/12/pre-transplant-orientation.html
At 6:18 AM, Joeski said...
I too have PKD, and found your site thru google's blog search. I went thru dialysis via the chest catheter for 10 months before I was transplanted. That was almost 4 years ago- yet your words make is seem like yesterday. This is the first post I have ready, so I will look back to see more of your story before I comment further.
At 11:17 AM, Joeski said...
I have just read your entire blog since yesterday. Your situation is very much like what I went thru before my transplant almost 4 years ago. I too have PKD. I had one kidney removed in 1995 that was as large as the ones you posted. My other one limped along until 2001, when it had to be removed also. Same size. I was only on dialysis for 10 months before a match came up. My blood type is B+. I live in the Richmond, VA area. The transplant is well worth the time and testing involved. I did not like dialysis at all. I was constantly fighting to get my dry weight increased, as I lost a lot of weight in the hospital while they tried to save my last kidney. I just want to wish you good luck, and you will be added to my prayers. Remember to thank your wife every day for the support. I would never have made it thru everything as well as I did without my wife's love.

It is good to hear from someone that also has PKD and has had a successful transplant. I have only been in dialysis for about five months, and I would love to be able to get a transplant that quickly. I am guessing that Joeski had a living donor (which is the best way to get a transplant, as far as I can tell). I’ve had the fights with getting my dry weight increased just 1.5 kg since I started at the clinic. I am also waiting for my fistula to heal so that they can go back to using it for dialysis. Thank you for your prayers, they are much appreciated. And, I am also very thankful for my wife. She provides me with physical and moral support on a daily basis. I do not know how I would be coping in all of this without her.


http://nmccart.blogspot.com/2005/12/perm-cath-placed.html
At 8:44 PM, Anonymous said...

I am 24 and have ESRD. I also have a catheter in my chest and have a fistula. I've had problems every dialysis session with the fistula, so I've been using the catheter for four months, which is how long I've been on dialysis. Good luck with everything.

For me, the dialysis in my fistula was going great (as far as I was concerned). My nephrologist was the one that said I needed to get it revised so that I could receive a better dialysis treatment. I am only hoping that once my fistula heals, it will work even better than before. I know that since this second surgery, I have been able to feel the thrill in my arm above my elbow, which is new for me. I do not enjoy my catheter, as it makes it hard to shower and to sleep. I imagine that they will leave it in for a while even after they start using my fistula, just so it will be there in case of any problems. Thank you for writing and for coming by to read my blog. I hope that my experiences have been helpful to you. Hopefully your dialysis will get better soon.


Okay, everyone, thank you for coming by to read today. I know that today’s post was a little longer than normal, but that just makes up for the last two posts which were really short. Thank you all for reading and for continuing to pray. Merry Christmas!! (though, I will probably post again between now and the 25th).