Welcome to the Club!!!

The above may look like a seemingly normal neck, with no abnormalities. Aha! But looks can be deceiving. You see, yes it has been now about 3 weeks ( YAY!!!) since my last obvious illness, but I have a new medical discovery to report on:

Remember that thyroid ultrasound I went to about a week ago? Well, unfortunately they found something. It appears my thyroid glands are not normal and in fact look more like the picture below on the inside. There are several of those little white growths on my thyroids called "nodules'.

So, it appears that I have now joined what my friends and I more affectionately call these types of issues- "The Screwed Up Thyroid Club". Yay, I love clubs ;).

As it turns out that can mean a myriad of things, ranging in severity. *MEDICAL LESSON ALERT!!* So, to begin thyroid nodules can cause, but are not limited to: hyperthyroidism( where my body produces too much of the thyroid hormone), hypothyroidism( my body produces too little of the thyroid hormone), a combination of the two, Thyroiditis, or in about 5% of the cases Thyroid Cancer. It scares me to even put that there. I am trying to go with the " that is such a small possibility that it is probably not true" angle. :). But, it is helpful to have an answer for all of my previously seen as random symptoms: weird weight fluctuations, intolerance to heat, digestive issues, constant soar throat, very dry skin.. etc. So, I am trying to remain calm and collective about this news, but I will not really know anything until next month when I go back for a second ultrasound. I assume it is because they want to check on the growth of the nodules. As, WebMD tells me, growing is a BAD sign.

On the bright side, I have been so busy with school lately that I haven't had much time to freak out-though I am normally a pretty collected person anyways. Who would have thought I would be thankful for the distraction of homework? ;) Plus, Trinity campus life is so full of things to do to distract yourself. I have never been more thankful for the close proximity of my friends here and all of the random fun and adventures we can go on around campus to pass the time . Monopoly until 4 in the morning, dance nights that start in disaster but end in great amusement, and of course the chocolate festival. Oh and work :). Basically I am glad to have distractions for once in my life!

I shall keep you posted on the adventures of my screwed up Thyroid. Until we meet again, Oh Healthy Ones!

Updates for all!!!

-I feel as if my immune system is saying

a similar thing to me every time I get sick...

Countdown begins: it has been approximately two weeks since my last cold/known illness!!!! Yay! Now, let's go for 3 weeks!

Unfortunately, I do have an update on the health situation as whole. First, to recap: I have an impeccable ability to get sick way more times than the average bear. Up until recently my mother (who has stuck with me through every cold, flu, and infection as only a mom can) and I have just been blaming my constant fatigue and weakened immune system on my anemia. Which for those of you who do not know is in my case a significant iron deficiency in my blood. Anyways, anemia can often cause some of the other more bizarre symptoms that have been impacting my ability to live a normal college life as well. However, in December I went to my doctor to check up on my iron levels and to get a series of blood tests done when she suggested they test for possible thyroid issues after discovering (on top of my other complaints) I had inflamed lymph nodes. While the blood tests came back normal, my doctor was still concerned. So, to conclude on this little information session: this Monday I am going home for the morning to get an ultrasound to check on my thyroid. Wish me luck!

On the one hand I would really not like to have another issue to deal with on top of classes, work-study, financial strain, and just college life in general but it would be nice to have an explanation for my persistent health issues. So, I am anxious, yet trying not to get my hopes up that they will find an explanation for my Masochistic Immune System ( see the title reference I made there :)).

Ah, but for now I continue on my quest to stay healthy and be a studious college student here at Trinity by trying not to stay up past 1 tonight- meaning I need to get back to my homework. Until next time, Oh Healthy Ones!

Masochism at Play

At the start each of our college careers we are warned excessively about the importance of protecting ourselves from the germs in our new environment. As always, signs are posted around campus warning us to wash our hands, cover our coughs, and-most importantly this year it seems-to see a doctor at the first sign of flu-like symptoms. Unfortunately, as goodhearted as these warnings are they are not always enough. I must take a moment here to explain that while I try hard to follow these rules, still I am not the most healthy of 19 year olds. I rarely work out, aside from walking up and down the hill to class, I sleep deprive myself like most college students and as a female am ridiculously addicted to chocolate( mainly of the dark variety)and many other sweets.

Now, I know I cannot be the only person in the world who has these and other unhealthy habits. However, I am convinced that I am the only person capable of getting sick every two weeks on the mark. You see, the previous school semester (coincidentally my first college semester) I had the following illnesses: stomach bug, cold (eh, no biggie, right?), flu- which was actually the swine flu (I got you interested with that one,yes?), respiratory infection-a.k.a. a cough that lasted FOREVER, I'm sure there was another cold about this time, and a kidney infection during finals. In a period of about 4 months, that is approximately every two weeks that I was sick. Oh, wait I am not done. Think this sounds ridiculous enough yet? Well, I just recently got some blood work done and found out I have the Epstein-Barr virus. For those of you that don't know, this virus is more affectionately know as Mononucleosis- or Mono. It is inactive at the moment, but the doctor tells me I had it last semester for sure. I found myself laughing at the the absurdity of it all- I mean what are the odds of getting sick that many times and with that many major infections? While the flu, a kidney infection, and Mono are not the worst infections to get, they are all of the variety to greatly fatigue you and thus make college living slightly more complicated (or as I take it at this point: slightly more comical to look back on).

So, for the following semester I have these quandaries: Can I make it a whole two weeks without getting sick? Will I make it the whole semester without any other major infections to add to my repertoire? Or will my seemingly masochistic immune system get the better of me? Regardless, I invite you to enjoy the absurdities of my life as I live among the healthier kind.