I found myself staring at a sink filled with dark red hair. There was also hair scattered on the floor and clogging the shower drain. It wasn’t clumps, but it was noticeable—and alarming. This was happening every single day for weeks. My hair, usually thick and shiny, was becoming dull and lifeless, thinning out gradually. I swept it up and tossed it in the trash, convincing myself it was just seasonal shedding—nothing major.
But when I looked in the mirror, I hardly recognized the person staring back at me. My face was swollen; my eyes were sunken, and my skin was pale. Summer had long passed, so perhaps I had simply lost my glow. Maybe I was retaining water due to my high blood pressure. Yet, that didn’t explain why my clothes felt tighter even though I was hardly eating anything.
Alongside the thinning hair and puffy face, my skin was constantly dry and itchy. I developed eczema on my knuckles, which cracked, bled, and burned. I blamed it on the cold, dry air. I scratched until my skin flaked off, but there were no bumps, bites, or rashes—just relentless itchiness. Surely, it was nothing serious. My partner, however, was less convinced.
Soon, fatigue took over. With two young boys—one just two years old and the other under a year—I was working full time and felt exhausted every evening. I would cook dinner, put the kids to bed, and fall into bed myself. I was neglecting my partner, craving only my pillow. I eventually started napping daily after work, which concerned him even more.
“Could I be pregnant again?” I wondered. A negative test put that theory to rest. I had battled an eating disorder and depression in my youth, so my partner thought it was a recurrence of those issues. I insisted I felt fine—not sad, upset, or angry—just strange. No, I felt insane.
He believed I was losing my mind. With all these symptoms, I was at a loss to explain them. I felt awful, like a bad mother and an even worse partner. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t pull myself together. Finally, one morning, everything came to a head. He insisted I see a therapist, convinced I was grappling with severe depression. I knew I wasn’t, and I understood that my symptoms were real. But I didn’t want to argue, so I agreed to go. I was out of options.
I scheduled an appointment with a psychiatrist for the very next day. I filled out countless forms and briefly discussed my medical history and feelings. The doctor suggested it could be depression, but he wanted to conduct blood tests to rule out other possibilities. Fine, I thought. But what could he uncover? I considered myself a relatively healthy 31-year-old woman.
Just an hour after my lab appointment, my phone buzzed. It was the doctor, informing me my TSH and T4 Free tests were alarmingly abnormal. What did that even mean? It turned out it was my thyroid. To be honest, I had heard of the thyroid but had no idea what it did. He recommended I see an endocrinologist immediately for treatment.
My brother, who has diabetes, had been seeing the same endocrinologist for years, so I managed to get an appointment quickly. When we reviewed my results, the doctor expressed astonishment—my numbers were the highest he had ever seen, and he couldn’t understand how I was functioning at all. He expected me to be bedridden. What did this mean for me? More importantly, how could I improve my situation?
I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism, a condition where the thyroid gland fails to produce necessary hormones. The thyroid regulates numerous bodily processes, including metabolism, heart function, muscle and digestive operations, and even brain and bone development. When it isn’t working properly, it leaves you feeling like a complete zombie. It’s dreadful—but treatment is usually straightforward and can begin right away.
My doctor prescribed a high dose of Synthroid, a synthetic thyroid hormone that helps the body function as if it were producing its own hormones. Relief began within weeks. Gradually, my body returned to normal. I lost weight, my face became less puffy, and my hair and skin improved. I looked like myself again. It took several months, but my TSH and T4 Free levels eventually normalized. Over time, my medication dosage decreased, and I’m now on a maintenance dose. I will need to take this medication for the rest of my life, but the beauty of it is that once my levels are stabilized, I’m good to go. Just one pill a day works wonders for me.
I am incredibly grateful to my partner for encouraging me to seek help and to the doctor for his diligence in exploring every avenue before arriving at a diagnosis. Eleven years later, I still take my little blue magic pill and feel great each day. I knew I wasn’t crazy; my symptoms were valid. But I had to learn to trust myself and listen to my body. If something feels off, it probably is. Don’t get so lost in your mind that you neglect your own health.
For more insights on health and wellness, you can check out some of our other articles, including this one on pregnancy and home insemination.
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Summary:
In this personal account, Jenna Parker shares her journey of grappling with undiagnosed hypothyroidism, which led to alarming symptoms such as hair loss, fatigue, and swelling. After persistent encouragement from her partner, she sought medical help and was diagnosed, leading to effective treatment with Synthroid. This experience highlights the importance of trusting one’s instincts about health and the need for supportive partners in navigating medical challenges.
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