So I finally went last week and was retested to see if the medicine I've been on to treat my hypothyroidism has had any effect.

Well, most certainly.

My TSH levels, when I was originally tested, clocked in at 6.682, which made them waaaaay over the accepted limit. This was the number that clued my doctor in to my condition. Now? Now that number is 3.34. This means they're still on the high end of acceptable, something I'll go over with my doctor. Can we get those levels lower? I don't know. Here's to hoping. I'd like to see it lower as I know that some people test in this number range before treatment and are eventually diagnosed as hypothyroid, even though their condition isn't as severe as mine.

But there is another number that concerns me much more. My cholesterol. One of the things that hypothyroid causes is a really high cholesterol. Heart disease doesn't run in my family (to my knowledge, anyway), but I'd really hate to be the one to start that trend. Especially since it does run in my boyfriend's family and we do want to have kids together some day.

When I was tested in May, my total cholesterol came in at 245. According to the American Heart Association, this puts me at "more than twice the risk of coronary heart disease as someone whose cholesterol is below 200 mg/dL." Do you know what it is now?

242.

That's right. Still dangerously high.

When you break down my HDL (good) and LDL (bad) cholesterol numbers, the numbers are more encouraging. In May, my HDL test came in at 82. The preferred number for that is anything greater than 40. So, right there, I'm an overachiever. Last week's results showed they've gotten even higher, coming in at 96. My LDL, both back in May and now - at 116 and 117, respectively - are still OK, falling in under the acceptable level of less than 130.

My triglycerides also showed a major improvement - in May? In May the number was 232. Now? 152. A HUGE improvement. And, according to the accepted levels, just two points shy of the normal range.

Still, that total cholesterol number worries me. I'm encouraged by the small numbers, but it's worth discussing with my doctor this week what I need to do to address that high number. What can I do? I feel like I already eat one of the most controlled diets imaginable. Would the month of Christmas eating caused that number? Do I need to monitor more of my foods? Lord, do I really need to regularly take those stupid Omega-3's?

(Don't answer that. I know the answer myself. Sigh.)

So that's it for now. I'm certainly encouraged, and I can't stress enough how important preventative care is. Had I not gone in last year for just a plain ol' physical I would have never have learned all of this. I'll admit that I'm luckier than most because not only do I have good insurance, but also a doctor who thinks to test for these things - you would be shocked by how many women are refused thyroid testing. It's almost criminal. My doctor tested me for it without even telling me; I had no idea to even ask.

Like I said, lucky.

That said, you need to take charge of your own health. Be your own advocate. The best thing you can possibly do for yourself is to learn as much as you can about your body, about its current state, and what you can do to be as healthy as you can both mentally and physically. In know it's not always easy to gain access to this information without paying through the nose, but many communities have clinics and programs you can take advantage of for much smaller fees than a traditional doctor's office might if you don't have the right insurance.

Posted by Erin at 04:31 PM | filed under: Random