Did you know that when your hair starts suddenly starts to fall out, rapidly fall out — like whole clumps clogging the drain with each shower until 5 weeks later when barrettes that used to not hold even half of your hair fall out because there isn’t enough hair on your entire head to hold them in place — that it is a sign that your body is under stress or crisis and is shutting down hair cells in order to redirect energy elsewhere to places where it is needed?
Stress or crisis. Of course THIS is when I have stress or crisis. When we are waiting to find out if that Blue Cross Blue Shield family health insurance plan is going to start on August 1st. Although I may have COBRA now, if I see a doctor and then discover that BCBS has denied us, I feel pretty certain I will never be able to buy a health insurance policy in the United States again.
Looking at the full picture… extreme fatigue, vertigo, dizziness, depression, inability to loose weight (and unexplained weight gain), heavy heavy heavy long long long monthlies, and now rapid hair loss… this is starting to look like an underactive thyroid.
I put a call into the primary care doctor I saw back in March, when I thought that my fatigue and blues were caused by anemia. Labs showed I was healthy and fine (just slightly anemic, which she called ‘probably menstrual’ and not to worry). When my hair started to fall out after we got back from Peru, I figured it was anemia again and started taking iron. I was patient, but it hasn’t gone away. Now when I reach back and feel my hair, I have to fight back tears. My hair is almost gone.
So what are my choices? What can my doctor really do? Nothing unless I see her, which I can’t do until we know we have insurance. The way I see it, I have two options: do nothing and get sicker, or, research thyroid meds and find a way to get them myself and do my best to figure out if/how they work. I can do a lot of stuff to myself that is harmful without infringing on any laws or endangering anyone’s profession. So what is so bad about getting medications, which may help the problem? Just trying to consider the big picture and remember that I (hopefully) won’t feel this way forever.
eli | 15-Jul-08 at 8:53 am | Permalink
I don’t know if this will help in anyway but I was strongly encouraged when my thyroid was going wonky for a time to up the soy intake as well as up my B vitamins. Have no idea if it worked or not but I did start feeling less exhausted and my hair stopped falling out as much.
Have you looked into getting individual health plans? I know it sounds odd but have one for the KIDS, one for Paul, and one for you. It does mean for a short while you will have higher premiums but it should be worth it to have the insurance. Also, might be scary but look into the clinical trials that are out there for thryoid issues. You might be able to get into one!
chrissieroux | 15-Jul-08 at 6:19 pm | Permalink
You might try acupuncture/chinese herbalist. I’ve gone for various things and always had success. I have a friend who had serious thyroid issues a few years back and didn’t want to do the synthroid thing–she went to an acupuncturist and the problem was resolved. Just a thought.
Sorry to hear you’re going through this!
admin | 15-Jul-08 at 7:04 pm | Permalink
What a great idea, Chrissie, thanks. I did acupuncture trying to turn Will when he was breech. Thanks!
elisa | 16-Jul-08 at 7:30 pm | Permalink
hey holly!! did you get my email message?