Hello everyone, I hope you are well and have had a great week. I am stupidly sleepy but there is something about writing that fuels me so hopefully I do not pass out during this post. Today I am writing the “conclusion” of Toyin’s journey with hypothyroidism. Of course, as with most women I know, the story is still evolving. I cannot thank Toyin enough for her vulnerability in sharing. It is not an easy read, but she tells it so well that when I was looking for an image to go along with this post, I chose the above, for the lemon alone. Toyin has embraced the lemons life has handed her, and I finished listening to her audio files hopeful, what is a life without hope? Shall we begin?
When we left things off last week, Toyin had just suffered a miscarriage and the doctor had surmised that this could be due to her ongoing thyroid issue, and this could also have been why she had a six-year wait for her first child. She was advised to look into surgery or radioactive iodine treatment which cost roughly the same price, but the radioactive iodine option is not ideal for women in child bearing ages as it could possibly lead to cancer and birth defects. While not proven, if someone already had the effrontery to name it “Radioactive whatever”, I will not be surprised. Toyin began actively trying to lose the post pregnancy weight in preparation for surgery as hypothyroidism means a slower weight loss rate, so the risk of even more weight gain issues when the thyroid is removed. She would run a thyroid function test every three months as well as “Fine needle aspiration test” where a thin hollow needle in inserted into the swelling and blood/body mass is extracted to test if the swelling was benign or malignant. For Toyin, this meant an extraction from the base for her neck, without anaesthesia. I nearly fainted when I listened to that on the audio she shared. There is nothing scarier to me than needles, Kai.
in 2021, Toyin started experiencing more frequently the symptoms of the hypothyroidism - no weight loss despite the diets, slower heart rate, heart palpitations, swollen hands and feet, extreme body temperature fluctuations. She would alternate between feeling hot to freezing cold, opting to wear socks on her hands and feet and a scarf on her neck to stay warm. The doctor advised she have a kidney and liver function test done to rule out any underlying auto immune disease such as “Hashimoto thyroiditis” or Grave syndrome, click through for in depth details (I just want to pause here and breathe…what are all these things forghunesake??).Toyin says that as horrible sounding as these names are, she was hopeful that it was one or the other as these can be managed by lifestyle changes and medications. Unfortunately, this was not the case, and it was a fundamental thyroid issue, surgery was her best option.
Toyin was keen to understand what caused this to occur in the first place. The doctor explains that pregnancy can create or exacerbate thyroid issues. Apparently, pregnancy places a demand on your thyroid hormones. In the first trimester, the baby has no thyroid glands yet, the mother’s thyroid regulates both bodies functions causing an over production which can lead to swelling and future complications. Toyin was very conflicted, you can still hear it in her voice as she questions “How does one wait six years to have a baby and then attendant issues post a most joyous time in your life? I have questions too…I really do.
In April 2021, Toyin began actively preparing her body and mind for surgery. She highlights how little information there is online of black people let alone Nigerians sharing their journey with thyroid function issues. She struggled to figure out what diet to embark on to help shed weight before the surgery as advised by her doctor. Her limited research led her to embark on a vegan diet. Vegan in Nigeria is hard she says, and I can imagine it is!! She tried this for a few months living on peas, vegetables and mushrooms for protein, but this led her to becoming anaemic as she was not getting all the nutrients she needed in and even worse, after about three months of being vegan, she had lost a measly 2kgs. She then graduated to vegetarianism in late 2021, including eggs and milk to her diet, still no meat and fish. She was able to lose an additional 3kgs. One fateful weekend, she went to visit her family and, on her return, she had gained a total of 5kg in 4 days!!!!! Whoosh! I shuddered here honestly. She says “Nnenna, how can you be a vegetarian in your Father’s house???
The last straw was when she started experiencing trouble breathing. A check in with her doctor will buttress the need to have a thyroidectomy urgently. the doctor did not mince words, “This has already caused one miscarriage and you want another baby so why exactly are you waiting?’. The endocrinologist also advised that she take the entire thyroid gland out, this would mean that Toyin would be 100% reliant on thyroid regulatory medication. What if I run out of the medication and cannot get access to it? These are not the type of medication you go off on for a few days, you can pass out. Indeed, many patients abroad carry a card on them stating they are thyroid patients so should they pass out or encounter a difficulty, medical professionals are aware of what needs to be done. She sought another opinion from a different hospital, and it was advised she leave a little piece of the thyroid in place which might be sufficient to produce enough hormones to keep her body balanced.
In November 2021, Toyin had a successful partial thyroidectomy, she is still recuperating. She was worried about forming scars on her neck as she typically would with this sort of operation, she had a scar from her caesarean birth where a ridge had to be further cut off due to scarring. As you can imagine with the neck, any scar would lead to many intrusive questions which she does not want to answer for the rest of her life. I wish I could say people will not ask but Nigerians can be very badly behaved. I included o, here is where Toyin is now with her journey.
She has been instructed not to lift anything heavier than 6kg which includes her son sadly.
Her incision area still hurts, she is applying silicone gel on it for now.
Removal of the thyroid gland can lead to voice loss as the gland is close to the voice box. She was particularly petrified about this as she is a teacher. Thankfully, she has her voice, otherwise how else would she share such a profound journey. However, her voice goes hoarse around the 5 mins mark when she is talking, and she cannot shout. As in literally cannot raise her voice, she has lost that ability. Wonderful
She has developed another swelling in a separate area on her neck which the surgeons swear they did not go close to.
She is still quasi-vegetarian, abstaining from beef which is a real test since she often gets unbelievable cravings for goat meat.
She has had breathing issues since surgery and thinks her trachea was affected. The swelling was causing her trachea or windpipe to tilt. She wheezes when she speaks for long. I could hear it on the audio file as she shared. She is going to consult with a pulmonologist to seek more information on this.
Her endocrinologist who strongly advised she take out the entire thyroid was not impressed that she had opted to have her surgery at a separate facility to salvage a piece of the thyroid, it was opined that the swelling could return. She is now mandated to have a thyroid function test every three months to ensure any new growth is caught on time, and every test cost a good sum of money. She has been unable to lose any weight post the surgery as she is limited to the kinds of exercise she can undertake; long walks and elliptical for now. We wrap things up landing on her diet, apparently a lot of “greens” we typically associate with healthy living have high goitrogenic properties which disrupt the production of thyroid hormones. Sigh… Broccoli, spinach, lettuce, nuts, corn, and sweet potatoes to name a few. Toyin is hopeful and has faith that with God’s help and a strict lifestyle change, she can manage the risk of further complications. She is honest about having moments when resentment crops in as she questions why she has to be on this path, I empathise with this, even Jesus had questions. I am joining my faith with hers, and I am asking you all to say a prayer for strength for her as well.
Thank you all for reading, send me a direct message on Instagram @ourwombs or click reply to the email if you got this as a newsletter/ email me at Hello@ourwombs.com if you have any questions and I shall get back to you. Do not forget to share this with anyone walking an uncertain journey, health related or not. It is a story of strength in the face of uncertainty, and I feel blessed that I know all these strong women.
This week, I have discovered two new podcasts FYI. This is infertility which chronicles IVFs, IUIs, Surrogacy adoption etc and Heal endometriosis naturally which addresses natural remedies to endometrial issues, both are linked so listen to wherever you get your podcast from. You can download pocket cast for anyone without podcast features on their device.
That will be all for today. Have a splendid weekend ahead everyone.
Love and Light