My second son is born.

Hi guys long time no posts, sorry for the delay in writing a new post, been very busy. My wife gave me another child in March , his name Leo. Not bad for someone who was told they were sterile by a doctors receptionist hehe.

Thyroid 2010

So my thyroid problems, are still here, my weight is still not under control. fatigue although not a massive problem anymore is still a problem, and still drives my wife crazy.
I'm taking an unbelievable 700 yes 700mcg thyroxine, I'm not taking any Armour or T3.

I'm still suffering from a self diagnosed fatigued Adrenal gland, although still haven't done anything about it. I know i need too, but its expensive and takes alot of energy which I do not have with 2 children one a toddler and another 30 day old.
The stress of my wife expecting another child and money problems etc, as well as working exessively trying to avoid bank managers, has definetly left me more fatigued and craving salty foods among many other symptoms of adrenal fatigue.

I'm still taking vitamin B12 which I know helps me immensley, when I came of it I felt the withdrawal. not good!

I hope your all well, I will post again soon, and hopefully get another video on youtube soon too!!

Stay well my Thyroid buddies, as well as can be anyways lol!!

Ric

Hi guys, I have added a new video update at youtube, it will be on here soon, but they take a while to sync. check it out http://www.youtube.com/user/f1ameboy007

Hope your all well

Ric

Is this the road to recovery?

Since the beginning of December 2008, I have been taking high potency B12 tablets 5000mcg, had a few increases in Armour, and an increase in Thyroxine. The reason why I did this was in November I was getting very down, depressed maybe, feeling very sorry for myself, as well as increased fatigue and generally feeling crap. So I decided to increase my Armour first going from 3 to 4 grains, first I felt a definite boost in my health.
Next came the B12 tablets, I started taking them, and then the beginning of January I started taking an extra 50mcg of Thyroxine..
End of January, and things seem to be looking up, Im doing alot more, whether its because I have No choice with being a father, or whether the meds are working, somethings working for me!
My wife has even noticed things seem to be happening, asking 'whats come over you' and 'whoa, you seem happy' which if she is saying that means Im doing well. I still have bad days, I think everyone does, but things as of right now are good! I know that tomorrow with me could be the opposite, and I could be moaning that I'm feeling rubbish...So I will take it as it comes, and enjoy the good days, and try and be happy!!
Hope your all well

Ric

Well my year hasnt been great I have spent the first 10 days either taking my son up hospital due to suspicous rashes or being flashed by speed cameras or breaking mobile phones. However despite all this I refuse to give up and think of them as minor set backs in the grand scheme of things!
The B12 tablets dont seem to of made much of a difference apart from my weight has stabilised. My fatigue is still there, so I have decided to increase my Thyroxine from 250mcg to 300mcg. So far so good still early days though.
This year 2009 is going to my year Im going to make myself happy!

The best thing is there is hope, without it we have nothing. So wooo Im gonna be happy!! Positive thinking and all that!! lol

Hope your 2009 has started better than mine!

Be well

Happy New Year!

Since Christmas eve I have had the flu! Not good at all! So I cant say whether these B12 tablets are working. However, I have stopped trying to lose weight over the Christmas period and normally with the amount of chocolate, turkey and beer I have been shovelling down my throat, I would expect to of gained at least a stone. I have not gained a single oz. So thats good.

My main goals this year is to keep this Blog updated for my own benefit, and also my loyal fans (lol), read my progress and see that getting better is an option. Also losing weight is high on things to do, after my very overweight cousin lost so much weight through Weightwatchers, Im feeling motivated to shift some weight too. That and I dont want to be called Big Ric no more, even though I think thats got something to do with my huge frame than anything else lol. Also with this credit crunch I need to lose extra pounds even more, £££ I owe way to much and that is going to change this year!

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and I hope this Year is your best year ever, I hope its mine, I really need a good year! Even though my little boy was born, who is my little ray of sunshine, and watching him grow and learn has warmed my heart so much. I still need a better year, even though I cant top the moment he was born.
I'll keep you updated

Take care

Ric www.thyroidhelp.org

Hi there, I have now started taking B12 tablets, started them today, so haven't seen any improvement yet. I was prescribed them a few years ago, after I was getting really nasty mouth ulcers, but I wasn't continued on them just a few weeks worth.

I bought them from Iherb.com. got stung with import duty by customs, which wasnt great. but I have them now. Im quite excited about them to be honest, (I get excited by silly things lol) my blood tests shows that my B12 is low but not low enough that my GP will do anything about it. I get alot of the symptoms too, but that can be associated with Thyroid disease.

One thing I have learnt is, if you really want to improve you health you cant just rely on Armour or Thyroxine, you have to improve your lifestyle too. Which is what Im trying to do. Obviously I fall off the wagon from time to time, but none of us are perfect! One thing I have done to improve my health is give up Pepsi Max, I was drinking absolutely loads of it, upto 4 litres a day. I was addicted to it, I didnt want it, I needed it. I drank so much the other month, I thought to myself, this cant go on, I have to give it up. I did, and feel alot better for it!!

A quick mention to my pal Mike, who runs www.Thyroidhelp.org thank you very much for organising my new banner, I love it. And Homer Simpson with a bottle of Armour is Genius!! If you havent signed up there, I recommend you do, as it really is a great place to learn and make friends with people who have Thyroid disease and or Adrenal problems!!

Merry Christmas to all, and Happy new year, I will let you know if I get any benefit from the B12!!

Adios!

Ric

A whole year since experimenting with Armour, and regaining my health!

December has come around and again, and Christmas is upon us again!!! And its my first Christmas with my little boy Joel..

Since my last Blog, I have been doing better and better! After seeing Dr Skinner, I have gone from stength to strength! Dont get my wrong it hasnt been an easy ride, there has been some low points!!

Depression is what I have been battling with, but since an increase in Armour, it has been a little better.

Dr Skinner has been golden, he has supported me and advised me so much on what dose to get too, I cant believe how much my body can cope with in terms of Armour and Thyroxine! Last year when I decided to self prescribe with Armour, I started of with 2 grains of armour with 100mcg Thyroxine, eventually going up to 6 grains of Armour without Thyroxine. This sent my T4 very low as low a 9.9, you can understand why I was sufferring with Hypo symptoms!!!! I'm now on 4 grains of Armour and 250mcg of Thyroxine, which is a massive dose. My latest bloot test suggests my T4 is now at the higher end of the reference range with my T3 and TSH also on the healthy side! Im finally starting to feel better.

Weight gain has always been a problem ever since I was around 16, going up from a healthy 15 stone to at my heaviest 25 stone. People are always shocked when I say that, but people say I carry it well, as Im 6 foot 4 ins. After a few years I lost 4 stone. which was great, and I maintained that weightloss for a few years. When I experimented with Armour, and sending myself Hypo, I put on 2 stone again. Which increased my depression. Well, I have lost 2 stone now, and feeling better again, I am aiming to lose a lot more weight though this time!! I want to be healthier than I ve even been ever!!! I see know reason why I cant achieve this!!

My motivation is also up, I put this new found feeling down to my Thyroid health, as before, the only thing I aspired to be was asleep!!!! Now I want to be a healthy weight, eating right and being more energetic!

Guys, believe me, I have felt so down over the last 10 years, this is all brand new to me, and I am happier than I have been since childhood!!

I will do another video soon, and hopefully you will see the me in all my glory!!!!

One more thing, I have joined a fantastic new community for people with Thyroid disease! Check it out http://www.thyroidhelp.org, its run by a guy called Sid and he is just as passionate as me when it comes to helping and sharing! Its a very imformative helpful site. My must see of the day!!

Well there you go my 2008!! Thanks for all your support and kind words, they all help!!

And Merry Christmas I hope you all have a great time! And I hope your 2009 is much better than your 2008!!

Take care

Ric

Hi all. Long time since my last post and update but I havent been to well to be truthful. I have gained weight my fatigue is bad and I just could nt be bothered, perk of having a thyroid disease I s`pose!!

Anyways last time I posted I said i was seeing Professor Franklyn well I went to see her and she didnt disappoint. She agreed that my symptoms were just that symptoms but apart from that and an endocrine MOT that was it!! She didnt care that I was on Armour that was the problem really she didnt care at all!!

Anyways after all that I had had enough and decided to go and see Dr Skinner. I was seen after 3 days of booking the appointment. I got there on the day and was welcomed and treated like a king a far throws away from the NHS department! I was ushered in and offered a cup of tea which was nice.

In the appointment I was given a warm welcome. I expressed my fatigue and weight gain. I told him what meds I was on and my new blood test results.

He did a very thorough check of my skin, my pulse, blood pressure, eyes, and made me feel at ease and that I was nt mad! which other Endos have made me feel in the past!

He suggested that I reduced the amount of Armour I was taking by half and added some thyroxine 100mcg to my daily meds routine.

He said, if I didnt feel well in 30 days to drop him a line and he would add some T3 as well.

Well that was 2 weeks ago and although Im not feeling red hot Im feeling better, even been to work full time this week which I havent done for over a year.

Dr Skinner wasnt cheap costing just under two hundred pounds to see but my Armour bill has been cut in half and that was getting very expensive!

So Im on a bit of a high for the first time in years, and with a baby on the way, Im feeling great!!

Only time will tell....

Happy new year guys!! Im not doing as well as I had hoped my fatigue is back and my weight has increased bad news!!!

Im thinking that the multi vitamins might have something to do with this as they have Iodine in them which can have an affect on the Meds. So I have had some bloods done to see how my progress is, and I have now stopped the multi vitamins.

Ive upped my Armour from 2 and half grains to 3 grains to how it goes. I will get my blood results back maybe this week maybe early next week. Ive had my Cholesteral checked and also my B12 checked as if these are to low this also causes fatigue. Im sure the results will be interesting! Hehe!

12 days till I see Professor Franklyn the Thyroid specialist, I have heard she is not pro anything other than Thyroxine so Im sure I will have something to say about that. I will be telling her that I disagree with her practice and I would urge her to accept that us sufferers know our own body and our concerns and symptoms should be her number one priority!
I will let you all know how I get on anyways!!

15 hours later

So wow I have been up since 8am and have been shopping and done a little bit of houswork..Not much mind you but still if I was teling you my story 4 weeks ago I would be saying ha ha ha no chance!!!
Its now 11pm so thats about 15 hours on the go..with a nap and that is Huge! Im normally have an hours or 3 in the afternoon...not this time though!!
Things seem to be getting better daily!! Lets hope it continues!!

Please sign up at my new thyroid forum!! http://www.thyroidhelp.co.uk We need to fight for our health!!!!

3 weeks on Armour and I seem to have my libido back

It seems more alive than it has been. I have the urge where as I never before...Before I could of gone the rest of my life without having sex, now I need to have it every other day...I know....to much information but thats me...Mr inappropriate LOL...My wife is happy as am I.....I feel like a teenager again!!

I went to see my GP and had a surprise!

I went to see my GP yesterday and told him I was on Armour and I was not happy with my currrent Endocrinologist!! I told him that I thought he was a great doctor and his bedside manner was great and I respected him etc...the he said, "but"...I laughed and said you sensed it huh!! Well I told him I didnt think I was recieving the appropriate care and I wanted to feel well!
I told him I wanted to see a new specialist. I had one in mind through after looking up thyroid specialists on the internet.. Dr Franklyn I have heard good things about her and I am very keen to meet with her!
And this is why I know I have a good GP he thought it was a good idea that and made it happen. He is so very supportive. I just wish he had the balls to trial me on Armour or something else with out having to go through a specialist! Oh well
So on the 14th of January 2008, I have an appointment with her and hopefully will start to feel better after!

My thyroid progress

2 weeks on my new thyroid meds and Im staring to feel better. More Energy, more motivation. And a better outlook!! Its what you need isnt it.
All we ever want is to want to feel well. If someone or something took your health away from you, you would be pretty upset too! Especially when some fatcats have the power to give you your health back.
Im doing well. I am really taking positive huge steps. Im making videos to paste my face all over the net (you lucky people), I have made a website which will, when its complete be like a bible to us thyroid sufferers!
Dont worry Im not going anywhere Im here to fight for us all!

http://www.thyroidhelp.co.uk/

Well I said in my Video that I was going to wake up at 8:30am to phone my Doctor. Guess what? I never, I woke up at 2pm instead! I know, I know.. WHAT!!!! Yes 2pm thats ummm 6 hours after I had planned.

Waking up at a reasonable hour is getting quite difficult for me. I just cant do it at the moment.

I still plan on going to see my Doctor and asking for a second opinion but I will have to wait till next week now!

Yet another Saturday without much to do other than sleep and maybe work!

Today Im thinking about changing my Endocrinologist! He doesnt seem very interested in my condition.

Im thinking about getting a second opinion!! I want a doctor who is going to give me the time of day and who isnt afraid to trial me on other meds which may or may not help me!

I am a 26 year old guy who suffers with Hypothyroidsism, I am not getting the treatment I need off the NHS and Im sick and tired of being fobbed off!!
If you have not felt well since starting a thyroid replacement then this is the place for you!
I want to make everyone an "expert patient" and make the Doctors understand they dont know everything!
We need the correct treatment and we deserve to get it too!