Got Ice?... Yikes!

Late last Spring... yes, I know that was a long time ago. Do you want to hear this story, or not? So, last Spring, I was feeling... Off. Not really bad, or sick. Just off. I thought it would be a good idea to go to the doctor and get myself checked out. While I was there I happened to mention that I craved - No, SERIOUSLY CRAVED ice. I would get up in the morning and get myself a huge cup of ice. I wasn't hungry for food. Not interested in breakfast or lunch, or even chocolate. All I wanted was ice. I was driving my husband and kids crazy. We'd be watching t.v. or a movie and there I'd be just crunching away to my hearts content. And my kids would look at me with exasperation and say, "Really, Mom. Enough with the ice!! It's not normal." Well, apparently they were right. It's not normal. It's called Pica. And it's not a good sign.

My doctor sent me for a bunch of blood work. The next afternoon he called me and said, "Natalie, I just got your test results back, and frankly, I don't know how you are even able to function!?" What? Really? Okay, that doesn't sound good. Then he said, "Your thyroid is completely out of whack! And you are severely anemic. In fact you need a blood transfusion right away! Just having one of these things wrong would wipe you out. But you have two!!" Then he gave me the number for an Endocrinologist and a Blood Specialist and told me to make appointments right away. It was friday afternoon, so he emphasized that I needed to call first thing monday morning. Monday morning rolls around and I call the Hematologist first. And they answer the phone, "Utah Cancer Specialists." Cancer?? What!? Who said anything about Cancer? Now I admit, I'm prone to letting my imagination get the best of me. But that really freaked me out. And I didn't think to ask questions, I just made the appointment and panicked. All I could think about were my 5 kids. That I wouldn't be around to be their Mom, to watch them grow up. Matthew was so young, he would surely forget me. My heart nearly broke. Of course, I called my Mother in tears. And she wisely told me I was jumping the gun, and talked me down out of the jumping gun tree.

The next 2 or 3 months were filled with Doctors appointments. No wonder I couldn't find the time to blog. Someone was alway drawing blood. Which I find highly ironic. They kept telling my how low my blood count was yet had no problem drawing vial, after vial of it? I have a sneaking suspicion that Doctors are really Vampires.

After seeing the Hematologist, sure enough, I needed an iron infusion. Now here's my theory. I always get a little anemic when I'm pregnant. So, carrying Matthew was no exception. However, his birth was. I had to have a C-Section and apparently I lost huge amounts of blood. Throw in the anemia, not a good combo. Every morning they would check my blood and tell me that I was going to need a transfusion. But did they ever give me one? No. And honestly, I don't think I ever recovered.

So, the iron infusion. It was actually really quite pleasant. They hooked me up to an I.V. drip. I sat in a big, comfy chair. Read my book, watched a movie, took a nap. It took about 6 hours. It was like a mini-vacation. It was!

The next morning, I looked at myself in the mirror and said, "Wow, you're pink!" I was surprised at how much color was in my face. And in the palms of my hands. I realized then that I had been walking around looking like one of the living dead. Pale, gray, colorless. Another thing I noticed was I had no interest in ice. No interest at all!! That was odd. It was amazing how fast this iron infusion worked. And the best thing I noticed was, I had more energy. Turns out I really was tired. I just thought I felt so run down cuz, well, isn't that part of being a Mom?I go back every 3 or 4 months and get my blood checked. I'm also very aware of my ice intake. If I start chomping that again... red flag.

Now the thyroid thing. Turns out I actually had the beginnings of a goiter. All I could think about was that Seinfeld episode where Elaine visits that old lady with the huge goiter, and she was so hideous Elaine could hardly look at her.

Jerry: C'mon Elaine, it's just a goiter...

Elaine: I don't know what I'm going to do? I can't look the woman in the face. I mean I keep thinkin' that that goiter's gonna start talkin' to me! You'd think they'd mention that before they send you over there: "Oh, by the way, this woman *almost* has a second head!" But no, no, I didn't get any goiter information.

Jerry: They really should mention that in the breakdown: Height, Weight, Goiter.

Anyway, they did a scan on my thyroid which was a little unsettling because I knew they were looking for cancer. I'm pleased to say that I remained calm and didn't panic this time though. After some other tests, it was discovered that I have Hashimoto's Disease. It's when your immune system attacks your thyroid gland and causes it to be under active. Happily it's an easy fix, I just need to take a hormone replacement pill daily.

It's funny how sometimes in life you get a wake up call. This was mine. I'm so thankful for my health and that I am able to take care of my children. I really do love being their Mom.

And the moral of this big, long drawn out story is: If your kinda tired and craving ice like all get out. Uh, that's just not right. You should see someone about that. :)