Getting older is challenging but doable

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Since 2017, I’m longer sick and tired of being sick and tired. The turn-around came in the form of a tiny tablet of thyroid medication called Levatroxin aka Synthroid. It began after I was relieved of a few vials of blood, needed to run a battery of tests; a follow-up with my doctor revealed I had hypothyroidism. It was then that I joined the ranks of men and women of a certain age, mostly women, who are given the news that there is hope for a litany of complaints and concerns that they found quite worrisome. For some, the route to wellness is circuitous as the disorder is often missed. An important clue not to be ignored is that the disease is often found in other family members, so make sure to share that information with your own doctor.

According to Dr. Zoltan P. Rona, it is estimated that over 200 million people globally (about 35 million people in North America) suffer from at least one of the many forms of thyroid disease. In fact, thyroid problems are increasing so much in frequency that scientists are calling it an epidemic. The incidence of thyroid illness occurs about seven times more frequently in women than men, and it is thought that at least 50% of the cases are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.

Symptoms of hypothyroidism, several of which I do not have, include: fatigue; increased sensitivity to cold; dry skin, muscle weakness, elevated blood cholesterol level; muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness; pain, stiffness, swelling in joints; thinning hair; slowed heart rate; depression; impaired memory — these are but a few. Be assured, it’s not all in your head, so don’t settle for a prescription for anti-depressants or sleeping pills. Proper/full testing is critical.

The gold standard to determine thyroid problems is a blood test to measure how much thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) the pituitary gland excretes into the bloodstream. Most doctors typically don’t run a full thyroid blood panel nor do they investigate fully the patient history, symptoms, family history and thorough physical exam. I’ve often wondered why. Make sure to ask for Free T3 and Free T4, reverse T3 and thyroid antibodies to be checked. It is your right to ask for any and all tests that provide complete answers.

Several years ago, under the care of my previous physician, I had appropriate and complete bloodwork done as I asked for it; nothing remarkable. I attributed my fatigue to aging with cerebral palsy and the long-standing quirk with my heart.

When subsequently contacted by my current doctor and asked to come in for bloodwork, I decided that since I’ve been officially an ‘old gal with attitude’ for a few years now, I should just get over myself and do it. Unless there’s a gaping wound with bleeding, or a dislocation, I stay well away from doctors’ offices and hospitals. I feel for those who know that something is wrong and their doctor essentially dismisses them. Yes, they do. Thankfully, my doctor lined up all the ducks and ordered all the right tests and the truth of my health status was revealed. If you’re not sure what’s going on, ask!

The thyroid is said to be the most vulnerable component of the endocrine system, and when its function is put at risk all manner of things can go wrong in quick succession. As example, maternal hypothyroidism is implicated in causing conditions like cerebral palsy, Asperger’s Syndrome, Autism, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Bipolar disorder among other conditions. In my genetic profile, all of those conditions exist amongst family members. As well, untreated maternal hypothyroidism causes miscarriages. In my own recollection, my mother had a few, so it’s possible that in carrying me, she also carried the disease along with us. Speculative, certainly, but points to ponder nonetheless. To my recollection, I was never tested for thyroid disorder as a child. Today, infants presenting with conditions like cerebral palsy are routinely tested and if the thyroid is found to be deficient in function, then interventions are introduced. Sometimes, a lot of the symptoms associated with a condition like cerebral palsy can be minimized or reversed in those early days and weeks of life. That is not to say that the condition will no longer exist but that impact of such a brain insult will potentially be considerably lessened if the culprit of a thyroid disorder is treated early.

Currently, I’m taking 0.075mg of Synthroid daily, first thing in the morning with lots of water. Water is good for a body. Since I’m stable on that dose, I get yearly labs instead of every 3 months; a concession to my mobility disorder as it’s challenging getting to clinic.

Even with Synthroid treatment, some patients may still be symptomatic, finding relief with the addition of another thyroid hormone known as T3, which is available through the drug Cytomel, or from medicine made from desiccated pork thyroid gland, which naturally contains both T4 and T3.

So far, with current protocol, I can say I feel good.

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at:  Carla MacInnis Rockwell

Reading fitness good for mind and body

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A house without books is like a room without windows. No man has a right to bring up his children without surrounding them with books, if he has the means to buy them. [Horace Mann]

Literacy skills in this ‘picture’ province of ours are down; in fact, I’ll be so bold as to say the picture is not pretty. For me, as a New Brunswicker who grew up challenged by ‘special needs’ before they became fashionable in the school system to ‘be’ special needs, reading was something that was encouraged in my home. In fact, my father enrolled me in a monthly book club - Companion Library, with their double sided books - all the classics books were a huge part of my childhood world and are still a significant part of my adult world, in spite of declining vision. One memory created by books was thanks to my eldest sister, Maureen, who, newly married in 1966, visited me at the then Forest Hill Centre for Rehabilitation, books in hand  — “The Anne Books” — the L.M. Montgomery series was a huge childhood favourite — exercising my legs in aid of improved ambulation and exercising my intellect to improve my quality of life as I grew up. Living an independent life as a person with disability was and is critical, and fundamental to that was a skill set that included proficiency in reading and writing. The small print of hard bound books and paperbacks have been supplemented with the ‘ease of reading’ font boosting tablet with back lighting. 

From The Bobsey Twins, the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew to age-appropriate magazines — reading material was readily available throughout childhood home. It saddens me to know that so many children today don’t experience the true joy of getting lost in books because they cannot read well enough and give up or they’re so absorbed in technology that seems to do it all for them. There’s lot to be said for what technology can bring into a child’s world with regard to learning, but as with all things, moderation is critical. A steady diet of that medium stunts imagination. 

Key to changing that is for parents or other significant adults in the home to read TO the child. If the adult’s own literacy is compromised, then a different approach is necessary as it’s possible that they are embarrassed by their own deficiencies and are unwittingly compromising their  child’s learning and future. Parents trapped by illiteracy do not want that for their child, but they’re rather like a hamster on a wheel — they feel stuck and they need help —  IN the home. Ensuring confidentiality and dignity is important. 

Successive governments and Ministers of Education have been talking the talk - talk, talk, and more talk, spending tax payer dollars on studies that were and are redundant. The time has finally come, after decades, to DO something. To act. The first attack and plan of action NEEDS to begin in the home, where the children grow up and live, day to day to day. Earmarking literacy enhancement funds for and in schools is all well and good, but what happens with and for the child at the end of the day and on the weekends when that influence is not active. Nothing! The government and all of us who make use of services must do our part to ensure that those who are less able to access available programs have the services brought TO them or, alternatively, they are brought to the services.  Perhaps the development of ‘after hours’ adult with child reading programs in schools, churches, libraries, book stores, barber shops, food courts is one solution. Wherever people gather - how about a gathering of books and story tellers. Then watch it grow.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Canada, a book of the month club, not unlike what I experienced all those years ago as my own childhood library was developed and grew, CAN make a difference but only if adults in the world of the child get involved and do THEIR part. A child cannot adequately decide for himself what tools in life are important; he relies on his parents for that. A good place to start is for educators and administrators all across the province to do the math, crunch the numbers and encourage parents to register their child with Imagination Canada.

As of this date, there are 14,216 Canadian children, of eligible age, registered; that number is far too low!!  Across the countries involved in the program, Canada, the United States, the UK and Australia, there are 914,366 children registered. Is it possible that what is stopping parents from getting involved is that they are not themselves readers of any depth - leisure readers, as example. Certainly, we need reading skills for many jobs - enhanced reading skills to match the job requirements. Bare-bones literacy ‘just to get by’ doesn’t cut it anymore. Parents not being able to read about Imagination Canada and how it will benefit their child could be a significant impediment to enrolment. That’s where it’s incumbent upon others in the child’s world to step up and get involved.  With Christmas, a popular occasion to give and receive books fast approaching, how about beefing up the numbers of registrants for Imagination Canada. Do you know a child who is eligible? What a gift you’d give by registering those who may need help getting started. To coin a popular phrase from an old television advertisement - READING is FUN-DA-MENTAL.

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via Carla MacInnis Rockwell