Haunting

Blah.

My thyroid can FTFO.  It quit working right after I had the imp (they promised me that I'd have my energy back by the time he was six months old.  They lied.  I still don't have it back).  It recently started acting out even worse.  So, the doc yanked me off my thyroid pill so they can run a specific test on me in a month.

And now, instead of taking one little dose of levothyroxine to feel halfway human, I'm taking four honkin' big herbal thyroid supplements to feel a third of the way to as good as I was feeling.  And I've only got one more week I can take that before I have to give it up, too.  Just so they can see what my thyroid does when it's been completely unsupported before being given a dose of radioactive iodine for a scan.

Yes, ladies and gents, I've been off the thyroid pill since Monday, and feel like a zombie where motivation, energy, and brainpower are concerned.

Don't count on seeing anything from me until this is resolved. 

It's been a hell month for music, so far.

First Lemmy Kilmister.


Now David Bowie.

Rest in peace, gents.  We'll miss your talents.

I didn't think it possible.

I truly didn't.  There's no way.  No way can a cover of a Rolling Stones song be anywhere near as good as the original.  Especially not "Gimme Shelter."

I...was wrong.

Give it a listen.  It matches, if not betters, the original.

Huh. Tasty.

So, I experimented for supper.  It wasn't bad, but I'm gonna keep playing with the recipe until I get something we really like.

Without further ado:

Sorta Shepherd's Pie

1lb ground beef, or ground beef blended with pork.  Or beef and mutton.
1 can green beans (drained)
1 can corn (drained)
1 can diced tomatoes (not drained)
1/2 onion, chopped
Tater tots (not frozen)
shredded cheese

1. Cook meat with onion in a nice, deep 10 inch cast iron skillet.  Drain if fatty.  Put back in cast iron skillet.
2. Add cans of veggies.  Make sure you taste to make sure there's enough salt.
3. Top with cheese, then tater tots, then more cheese.
4. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until tots are hot and cheese is browned.

Serve hot.  Probably good with burger condiments, likely good with barbecue sauce.

I'm gonna play with the filling (maybe leave out the tomatoes and use brown gravy in the meat and other veggies) but this was good as it was.  Warm and comforting on a damn cold night.

I'll post the finalized recipe when I figure out what we like best.  

crossing fingers, here...

Last week, I had an appointment with the doctor, where she ordered a full workup on my blood to see if she could figure out why I've been unable to keep my weight in a "healthy" range,* and why I've been so constantly fatigued, with energy draining within about an hour or so of doing anything.  Oh, and always being cold, no matter how many layers I'm wearing. 

Then there's the increasing brain fog that hasn't helped at all with the writing process.

The blood workup came back the very next day, with most things normal, but my thyroid levels very low, despite a 50mcg dose of levothyroxine every day, for the past five and a half years.  I'm assuming, since I've had it tested yearly, that that means my thyroid has dropped the ball even worse than it had, where function is concerned, because the doc hadn't been concerned.

However, she did diagnose another problem in the office, and wanted to get an ultrasound done on my thyroid before she does anything else.

I'm crossing my fingers that there's nothing really bad wrong.  I'm also crossing my fingers that my doctor increases my dosage until I feel as normal as I did before I got pregnant with the imp (where my problems actually started). 

 The end result I'm hoping for is an ability to eat more than starvation levels to get into a healthy range of weight, energy to keep up with housework and maybe do a little bit more with the kids, a longer time period than half an hour of having the capability to do things without having to stop, not being constantly freezing, less brain fog, and more mental energy to help clear out the apathy towards almost everything.**

*I don't think necessarily that the WHO's figures on what constitutes "overweight" and "obese" are really accurate.  They seem to not take into account anything other than a specific build type...which is NOT what I've inherited.  However.  I fully acknowledge that I AM overweight, and cannot lose weight without eating about the same amount of calories as your typical concentration camp victim: less than 1000 calories per day.

**I know damn well I'm not depressed.  BT;DT, I know what it feels like, am prone to chronic depression, and this ain't it.