crash into you
My day started off with a bang… literally.
I made the awful mistake of stopping for an emergency vehicle with lights and sirens going…. and the car behind me ploughed into me.
Don’t worry, I’m fine (although a little stiff and achy in the neck and shoulders) and my car is mostly as well. The lady who hit me was pissed that I stopped (horrors! how dare I obey the law!). I in turn was pretty upset with her as well, as I ended up spending my morning trying to track down police stations (I was in a different city than I thought. Don’t ask. It’s confusing), and then the afternoon calling my insurance. Not a pleasant start. I’m just so excited about the increased insurance premiums! And spending all of my free time getting estimates and filing traffic accidents.
Suffice it to say, it was a learning experience.
The rest of the day was pretty good. Well, seeing as three patients died (mostly expected, and it’s a good thing in all cases, to help the families say goodbye), probably good wouldn’t be the word you’d use to describe it, but I had a good time. It was my last day, though, the end of my ICU rotations, at least for a while and it was hard to say goodbye. My attending, the one I’ve worked the most with, and who I really admire for, told me I did an excellent job, and when I suggested that I was interested in doing ICU as a career, he did not heavily hint that I should pursue other ambitions. 🙂
Now I think I’m going to take some ibuprofen, heat up my nice lavendar and flax heating bag and get some sleep.
Warning: file_get_contents(http://donnazita.livejournal.com/profile): failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 403 Forbidden in /home/lotrinkl/www/redheadsnippet/wp-content/plugins/also-lj-avatar/also-lj-avatar.php on line 118
I’m glad to hear from you!
I’ve been rear-ended twice because I slowed down, then stopped, because the car in front of me stopped. Wow! Funny how that should work.
I don’t know how it is where you are, but I’ve noticed something terribly alarming here: that a lot of drive predicting what they think I will do…I am constantly watching my mirror.
Warning: file_get_contents(http://donnazita.livejournal.com/profile): failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 403 Forbidden in /home/lotrinkl/www/redheadsnippet/wp-content/plugins/also-lj-avatar/also-lj-avatar.php on line 118
Btw…it just occurred to me to ask: how often have you seen thyroid problems? I have numerous symptoms besides my uh, hair…and while my doctor admitted a couple of weeks ago that my thyroid level is low, he hasn’t said that it might be causing all of my symptoms.
Warning: file_get_contents(http://bjorks_defender.livejournal.com/profile): failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 403 Forbidden in /home/lotrinkl/www/redheadsnippet/wp-content/plugins/also-lj-avatar/also-lj-avatar.php on line 118
Hi! You don’t know me, but I’m a friend of Julia’s. My name’s Becka. I don’t usually jump in and answer people’s posts when they aren’t directed at me, but I’ve seen a few of your posts about your hair, and I’ve always wanted to say something. So at the risk of looking like a butinski… 😉
It is possible that your condition could be thyroid-related. I know several people who have thyroid conditions; they are actually quite common. My mom was diagnosed with Grave’s Disease in her thirties. It’s a form of hyperthyroidism where your thyroid is working TOOOO well. Some of the symptoms are: hair loss, weight loss; tremors, especially in the hands, and they can be subtle. A good test for the tremors is to completely stretch your arm out in front of you while holding a piece of paper under your middle finger. If the paper is shaking like crazy, you may have tremors. The other common symptom is a goiter, which is a lump towards the bottom of the front of your neck. My dad was diagnosed with the same disease in his fifties (I know, crazy, right?). If you have any family members with a thyroid condition, that could mean something too, as they do think it can be hereditary. (I pretty much have a 1 in 3 or 4 chance of getting it.)
But aside from Grave’s Disease, there are many other thyroid conditions. In any case, one’s thyroid levels shouldn’t be out of range, or there’s a problem. I would ask your doctor specifically what your thyroid level is, and then seek out the normal range. If the numbers differ, tell him you want more tests.
My mom had symptoms of a thyroid condition for over a year before a doctor finally got his head out of his you-know-what and diagnosed it. Doctors can overlook it, and people’s symptoms can differ (as with any disorder).
As for your hair loss, I just want to extend my sympathies. Julia can tell you I’ve been experiencing similar problems for the past few years, and the only diagnosis anyone could give me was “telogen effluvium”, which ultimately is just a nice way of telling me to ignore it.
I hope you figure out what’s going on finally. Hair loss is an excruciating, stressful experience.
-hug-
Warning: file_get_contents(http://donnazita.livejournal.com/profile): failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 403 Forbidden in /home/lotrinkl/www/redheadsnippet/wp-content/plugins/also-lj-avatar/also-lj-avatar.php on line 118
Hi Becka!
(Just tested–no tremors).
As Julia knows, I’ve been struggling now for over 3 years, when my long, thick, luxurious hair began to fall out. I went to several different interns and dermatologists right off the bat who told me immediately it was “stress” without bothering to ask any further questions or do tests. In the meantime, my hair length (in order to administer volume, I had it cut) went from my waist in Feb. to a few inches below my shoulder in early summer and then above my shoulder in August).
I found a different intern who did more tests but said my thyroid was fine, and wouldn’t *he* do all the tests necessary? I saw him on a fairly regular basis and each time I’d go in, he’d say my hair looked better. In fact, my hair was getting shorter and shorter due to its volumizing requirement and I now had to use volumizing mousse and hairspray. So my ability to do my hair well made it look similar, but I could no longer simply wash it and brush it. It took more and more maintenance.
I am now, 3 years later, at a new holistic doctor who did more tests and does admit that my thyroid is a bit low, but has ignored, so far, my comments on possible hypothroidism (he said it’s not that low enough to have symptoms). I have also had ankles which bother me on occasion and my short term memory hasn’t been especially good. These are other symptoms of hypothyroidism but he just said “Hmm” when I told him recently. I also mentioned I’ve read of numerous cases where the thyroid is fine or just a bit low on tests, and it turns out to be hypothyroidism (the most recent case was something in the paper wherein the mother said her daughter was going bald [as I am] and while her thyroid was tested fine, it did turn out to be her thyroid).
He has now prescribed Rogaine (I was on it before and it made my hair worse, but he says I was probably allergic to an ingredient, and am going to get the Rogaine without the ingredient), which I am getting soon.
This is indeed the most excruciating experience I’ve gone thru. In terms of self-esteem it’s awful. My hair is very short now (I don’t have enough for bangs) and it’s become quite apparent on the sides, so I got a wig (you can see it in my LJ), but still, I am only watching myself deteriorate. Plus, I have seen how utterly insensitive people can be, both doctors and so-called “friends.” Doctors have dismissed me by saying it’s “stress” and that “women don’t go bald” but…here I am.
I do extend my sympathies to you, as well, Becka, and no, I don’t mind you replying. Thank-you!
Donna
Warning: file_get_contents(http://bjorks_defender.livejournal.com/profile): failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 403 Forbidden in /home/lotrinkl/www/redheadsnippet/wp-content/plugins/also-lj-avatar/also-lj-avatar.php on line 118
It makes total sense to me that someone could have a thyroid score within the “normal” range and still display signs of hyper- or hypothyroidism. Because it could all be relative. The thing about these tests is that there is so rarely a “baseline” measure. No one gets their thyroid tested when they feel fine and have no problems. It’s when things start going wacky that people get tests done. So it seems possible to me that your thyroid productivity could have changed dramatically and still be within range. What if your score was towards the high end of the scale and no falls on the low end? Perhaps that would be enough to cause your symptoms. I just wish all doctors would take their patients completely seriously. Very rarely do people want to think there’s something wrong with them – we go because there’s a reason. Because we don’t feel right about something. It doesn’t mean we’re crazy. It means we know our bodies better than anyone else.
I, too, used to have extremely thick hair. To the point where random people would comment on it. I remember that I used to have a certain barrette that I could barely squeeze closed. Now, it’s a cinch to get it closed. *I* know I’ve lost a lot of hair, and bless my mother for acknowledging it too. But because I now have as much hair as most people, no one takes me seriously. Mostly because they didn’t know what it was like before.
Women can go bald. It happens more often than anyone probably thinks, and any doctor who would suggest otherwise should have their license revoked. I wish there was more I could do to help. Just hang in there and know that you are beautiful no matter what. I know it’s hard to believe that – believe me, I know – but it’s true.
-Becka
Warning: file_get_contents(http://donnazita.livejournal.com/profile): failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 403 Forbidden in /home/lotrinkl/www/redheadsnippet/wp-content/plugins/also-lj-avatar/also-lj-avatar.php on line 118
I too used to have that situation with even the largest barrettes!
Yeah, that’s another thing that would happen—the doctors would say “Well, now you have the amount of hair that most people do” and I would say, “But it’s not stopping” and they wouldn’t listen. And now it’s very apparent.
Warning: file_get_contents(http://donnazita.livejournal.com/profile): failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 403 Forbidden in /home/lotrinkl/www/redheadsnippet/wp-content/plugins/also-lj-avatar/also-lj-avatar.php on line 118
…and might I say, you are very sweet.
Warning: file_get_contents(http://juno_magic.livejournal.com/profile): failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 403 Forbidden in /home/lotrinkl/www/redheadsnippet/wp-content/plugins/also-lj-avatar/also-lj-avatar.php on line 118
I’m glad you are ok!
I can’t believe how dumb people can be – driving like idiots and than acting as if it’s your fault. 🙁
But at least the rest of your day was good.
I understand about the not good “good”. *sigh*
And last but not least, yay, about your ICU. You care so much, how could you do less than an excellent job!
*huggles*
I hope you feel better today!
Warning: file_get_contents(http://claidheamhmor.livejournal.com/profile): failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 403 Forbidden in /home/lotrinkl/www/redheadsnippet/wp-content/plugins/also-lj-avatar/also-lj-avatar.php on line 118
Ooh, nasty. Glad to hear you’re OK!
Warning: file_get_contents(http://watcher_junior.livejournal.com/profile): failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 403 Forbidden in /home/lotrinkl/www/redheadsnippet/wp-content/plugins/also-lj-avatar/also-lj-avatar.php on line 118
Ugh! I’m so glad you’re okay, even if you did have to deal with insurance stuff all day (insurance stuff sucks when you only have to deal with it for a few minutes. So… ick.)