Confession #2: Who Knew I Had So Much In Common With Oprah?

Elizabeth Drewett

During my journey back to good health, I have discovered there are many others taking the journey with me. Oprah and I go way back. Just kidding. Oprah and I do have two things in common: we were both born in southern states (she in Mississippi, me in Louisiana), and we both have a condition called hypothyroidism. And, it turns out, we are on the same journey.

You may have heard about hypothyroidism on recent episodes of Oprah (you can watch episodes on her website). Oprah has sought treatment for her hypothyroidism with bioidentical hormones, just like me. My condition was diagnosed in December of 2007 and I have been treated with bioidentical thyroid since that time. Because we have the same condition, I thought I would share with you some of the symptoms I experienced.

I had symptoms but didn’t even know they were symptoms. That’s one of the main reasons I am bearing my soul to you. I want you to know what I didn’t. If you have symptoms, my guess is you probably don’t know you have symptoms either.

Hair falling out. I have long hair (bra strap length). And when your long hair falls out, it just seems normal. In fact, when Dr. Goodyear asked me if my hair was falling out, I said no. After I began treatment with bioidentical thyroid, my hair stopped falling out. It was shocking. If you are pulling handfuls of hair out each time you wash, it might not be normal. I had handfuls while blow drying as well.

Lack of energy. I have two young children, ages 10 and 4. My four-year-old didn’t sleep through the night on a regular basis until she was 2 ½. (No, I don’t need parenting classes. She had chronic ear infections and difficulty cutting teeth.) I assumed that my chronic exhaustion was due to my chronic lack of sleep. And I assumed that when I did get a couple of good nights of sleep and still felt tired, that I just needed more time to get “back to normal.” That never happened. Even after she began sleeping through the night, I remained chronically tired. I finally agreed with my husband that something just wasn’t right.

Weight gain/depression. For me, this was the worst symptom of all. Even on a diet, I gained weight. What’s up with that? Humiliation. Guilt. Frustration. I made great efforts to eat right and exercise but with no results. (Oprah’s battle with this is well-documented!) This led me, frustrated, back to the pantry to eat myself to happiness. After diagnosis and treatment, I learned that with hypothyroidism your body chemistry is working against you. You will gain weight…spontaneously, but because of your abnormal body chemistry, not because you overate.

Cold feet. No, not the scared to do something kind of cold feet. For me, socks every night was a must. Even in the summer.

Dry skin. I am the original oily-skinned girl. Shiny nose at noon. You know my type! My skin became dry but I didn’t notice it. My aesthetician made a comment to me following a facial about how my skin had changed. It was her comment that made me realize that my skin had become dry (as had my hair).

Fuzzy thinking/poor memory. I found myself unable to remember a list of a few items at the grocery store. I had to write EVERYTHING down. And I mean everything. Couldn’t even remember to return a phone call. (Anyone reading this who I forgot to call, now you know why! So sorry!) I couldn’t even concentrate to make the grocery list and counted on my husband to do that with me.

After Dr. Goodyear diagnosed me, I began taking bioidentical thyroid made by our local compounding pharmacist. Bioidentical thyroid takes a little longer to produce results than the synthetic variety. But my patience was rewarded with a return to normal thyroid levels. Within two weeks, my hair stopped falling out. Within three months, I could tell a substantial difference in my energy level and my ability to think clearly. Now, after 15 months of therapy, I am working again. It would have been impossible for me to have a normal job 15 months ago.

If you have questions about hypothyroidism and its symptoms, please send your comments.

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