Sunday Weigh In November 7, 2021

[Barb135]

Good morning... how is everyone this morning?  I hope everyone remembered to turn their clocks back an hour this morning (wherever Daylight Saving Time is practiced).  It's a bright sunny day, here, after a couple of days of dark, dreary rain, but it's definitely chillied off and beginning to feel like winter.  Of course, it's not as cold here as some other areas, but we're not used to being this cold so early.

Anyway, it's been another relatively calm week, with not much going on - except rain, of course!!  I'm still working on things for my calligraphy presentation... that's coming up in a hurry, so I have to come up photos and information for a flyer and handouts.  Ughh!!

I did manage to make it out a couple of evenings for a walk before we had our couple days of rain.   I don't walk in the rain, even when I'm well, so considering that I've just gotten over a cold, I didn't even think about it; therefore, exercise hasn't been a priority the past couple of days.  I have been trying to cut back on the amount of food I'm eating, but all things considered, it's not very helpful.

Since my thyroid hormone dosage was increased earlier this year, I've noticed several things about my body that have improved.  I'm very happy that my hair has stopped falling out, the bags under my eyes have gone down, my fingernails are losing the deep ridges and becoming strong and smooth again - AND, they're actually growing!!  The body, typically, heals the most important things first, so hopefully, the weight will start changing, as well.

That was the long way around saying that I'm the same weight I was last week, though I did do some fluctuating over the week.  Sometimes, that's okay, sometimes not so good because it means I'm retaining fluid more.  Anyway, I'm beginning to feel less tired and more energetic, so that's a good thing as long as it continues.  Of course, the time change always causes havoc for me, so we'll have to see how I weather it this year.

So that's my story - how about y'all?  I hope you've had a good week and were able to reach whatever goals you set for yourself.  

~~Wishing everyone a wonderful, successful week~~

**Stay safe and wash your hands**

[AnnieBrooke]

Let's see. I'm down .8 of a pound, so "about" a pound, which is a little bit of a surprise because I had some sweets in the last three days. Guess they weren't enough to counteract generally limiting my dinner intake. I haven't been starving myself, but have been eating less for at least three or four weeks, and it seems to be working at a manageable pace.

So, Barb, if one's fingernails are getting ridges, is that always a hint that it's time to check one's thyroid? I thought that fingernail thing just happened with the years. My doctor has several times resisted me getting any but the most general of thyroid tests. Wondering if I should insist.

Weather here is typical Pacific Northwest fall -- a few sunny days or sunny parts of days, but generally cool or cold and rainy. Most of the leaves have blown out of the trees by now, creating big puddles at all the storm drains, which are blocked with leaves that don't let the water through. Kind of fun to watch cars drive through this but not fun if you get splashed. Also, the sidewalks are slippery with wet leaves lying on top of each other. I watched a dog on a leash slip on leaves and fall on his cute little face.

Though the cats don't like the rain, they do still insist on going outside. They meow to go out, get wet, can't stand it and come in, then can't stand being in and meow to go out. (And since two out of three of them have loud, Siamese voices, you can appreciate that their constant loud "rrowl-rrowl-rrowl" is no fun to listen to.) In summer, they go out and don't come back until evening, and in the coldest stretches of winter they don't go out. This in-and-out stuff is reserved for the change of seasons.

This week is the time for me to set up with all the jobbers we'll need for the new house and selling the old one, from an electrician to a carpenter to a painter for the high ceiling (hope he has a scaffold!) to the fence guy. (I have already begun with the fence guy but then we got a survey, and now we need a new location for the fence.) Everyone is booked so far out right now that if I don't get with them this upcoming week, I won't get their help before spring.

Anyway, that's my week. Hope everyone is doing well!

[Barb135]

It sounds like you're staying busy with getting ready to move.  Have you already switched your son to his new school or does he have to wait until you actually get moved?   I certainly don't envy you having to move again, but it could be a good way to weed out things you don't need any longer.  

You're doing really well with the weight - I'd love it if I could lose 0.8 lbs every week.  I just keep bouncing back and forth, gaining/losing the same couple of pounds week after week.

No - one mistake too many people make is thinking that age does all these horrible things to us.  Although our body does change as we get older, a lot of the things we put down to age are actually due to other causes.   Because almost every cell in the body requires thyroid hormones, a lot of our body changes can be thyroid related because that's one thing that does, often decline with age - thyroid output.   Although there are other things that can affect fingernails (such as vitamin/mineral deficiencies, certain heart conditions, among others), lack of thyroid hormones is one of the first things I'd test for, especially, if you have any other possible symptoms.   I'm not sure what you're considering "basic" thyroid tests - many doctors only test TSH instead of doing the panel that contains actual thyroid hormones, Free T4 and Free T3.   In addition, for older people (not saying you are one), many doctors also won't treat a thyroid condition until TSH reaches 10 or higher but many people have quite a few symptoms by the time TSH gets to 10.  

All of that said - I'd push for testing Free T4, Free T3 and TSH.  If FT4 and FT3 are low or low range, I'd push for antibody testing.   The tests aren't that expensive and insurance should pay for them.  You can also buy the tests online for < $100 if your doctor refuses.

[AnnieBrooke]

Thanks for the input. I think my doc just runs a TSH test every couple of years. Will do what I can to get the Free T4, Free T3 (and if necessary, antibody testing). My HMO obviously doesn't have it on the list for people in my bracket, and they always go by their standard list. Doctors don't want to get into trouble by ordering things that are not "called for." I might look up thyroid symptoms (besides the fingernails) and see if there are any I can claim, so the doctor has justification for ordering the tests. :-)