January - Thyroid Awareness Month - Fundraiser

Thyroid awareness is very important to me because I suffer from hypothyroidism. I was diagnosed about 3yrs ago and I don't know what's worse - not knowing what was wrong with me, or now knowing and struggling to get it under control.

Some signs I had (that I thought were just depression)-
*sleeping ALL THE TIME (like 18hrs a day)
*not eating
*freezing (think 90s in Texas and I'm wearing sweatshirts)
*really bad dry skin
*puffy face
*weight gain
*thinning hair
*brittle nails
*very low blood pressure
*low body temp

I didn't know that your thyroid controls every thing in your body. When my thyroid shut down, my body began to shut down with it.

To learn more about hypothyroidism (also search hyperthyroidism, the other spectrum) go here ---> Hypothyroidism, WebMD

Now, since I sell Scentsy, I'm going to use this to donate to the American Thyroid Association ---> American Thyroid Association

All of the money I make from the "Jan Thyroid Awareness Party" party I'm going to donate to the American Thyroid Association.

What's Scentsy you ask?
Basically, Scentsy is a wickless, flameless "candle". We have warmers in several sizes and designs to fit anyone and any decor with scented wax that is warmed in the top. We also have stick perfume, that I personally love, and Stuffed animals called Scentsy Buddies that kids love, including my own. So, if you love Scentsy and want to help the cause, now is a good time to order =) Plus we have the Bring Back my Bar this month for some awesome discontinued scents.

If you are interested in helping me raise money for thyroid awareness, order here:
LINK CLOSED

If you would like to help but aren't interested in buying Scentsy, you can donate directly at - American Thyroid Association

Or...If you'd like the donation to go under my army wives site when I do the donation next month when I get paid, you can pay pal me personally with "purplelynnie629@yahoo.com"

I will keep records and keep track of everything and show proof of it all when I make the donation so that everyone can see what I did and know it was legit. =)

When I felt Overwhelmed (The Art of Caring)

The journal entry says:

"Think back to a time you felt overwhelmed or exhausted, most likely you lost compassion for yourself and others. Most of us do when we feel too tired or too overwhelmed. Most likely it wasn't your proudest moment and you might not want to think back to that time...but try. As you write about feeling overwhelmed, describe what happened."

One of my overwhelming moments happened over 2yrs ago and it was something that had building over time, yet I didn't know it. When I "hit bottom" it definitely wasn't my proudest moment, however I don't mind thinking back b/c I'm grateful it happened, even if it is something I have to deal with for the rest of my life.

My husband was on his third deployment and I was tired. Tired of everything...the housework, the dog, the kids, cooking, friends.... just life in general. Our house just feel apart. I didn't clean or care to. My kids were the only thing I took time to force myself to handle and I did that half-assed. You know how some houses you can tell they have a dog b/c of the smell? Well, that was my house. (For the record, I had never ever been like this before!)

So, I knew something was wrong with me... my neighbor and some others could tell too. I was sad all the time, no energy, wanted to sleep constantly, and cared for nothing. We all assumed I was depressed but I looked at that as a sign of weakness and didn't want to seek help. Soon I kinda had no other choice but to get help. I was getting worse and everything seemed to crumbling on me. I was definitely feeling overwhelmed.

I called Military OneSource (1.800.342.9647) and I got myself set up with counseling. The woman I went to said I had all the signs of being depressed and on the extreme side. Since she couldn't prescribe me anything, she sent me to my regular doctor to get put on depression medication. I kind of felt stupid about it until I realized depression is a chemical imbalance the medication helps you get your "balance" back. And with continued therapy you can be helped a lot.

I went to my regular doctor and prescribed me something but he also took one look at me and told me he was running bloodwork ASAP! I was just like, "okay, whatever". Two days later my doctor called me and told me he needed me in office right away. Apparently, my thyroid had totally shut down on me. No wonder I was tired and sleeping all the time... most times, people confuse thyroid problems with depression. My TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) was so high that my doctor was surprised I wasn't in a coma. My doctor got me started on a low dose of thyroid medication so my body didn't go into shock right away and gradually upped my dosage. We are still working on the correct dosage for me, lol. I feel much better now.

So, while it is embarrassing that my house was like that and I didn't care about myself or my kids or anyone, I am not ashamed b/c it couldn't be helped. I had no idea something was medically wrong with me. I am so glad I had that overwhelming moment b/c now my life is saved.

For more info on hypothyroidism check out:
Hypothyroidism, MayoClinic.com
Hypothyroidism, medicinenet.com




REF*The Art of Caring*

My progress with my weight loss =)

I use to be a thin girl but not so much anymore. Last year I found out I have a thyroid problem and that explains the extreme weight gain over the past 3 yrs. I’ve been on thyroid meds for about a year and a half. They are still being tweaked until I get to my correct dose and will continue to be tweaked over the years for the rest of my life.

To help me with my weight loss, I decided to see a weight loss doctor. I had my first appointment on 4/20/2010. I was weighed and my body fat percentage was calculated too. We also took a "before pic". Here is one I have from Feb 2009 at the ball:



So, on 4/21/2010 I started my "diet". For the past 2 months I have been counting my calories and keeping a food journal. I write down EVERYTHING I eat and I measure everything too. I go walking, which I need to do more, and I've started adding more exercises too, including: weights and resistance bands, my wave/step, and my exercise ball. June 21st will officially be 2 months and I have lost over 20 pounds so far.

Here's a picture of us this year, Feb 2010, on our way to Disney:



Here are some progress pics from the last 2 months:





Well, this is my progress so far! Yay me!!