Progress.

Getting a picture of just your eye that doesn't look creepy, is pretty hard, and I think that I failed. So, sorry!

I have been contemplating what to say in this post for a while. But, I haven't had the courage to write it. So, here I am, putting off homework, sitting on my couch, and I suppose now is as good as any time to dive right in :-)

The picture above is important because of my eyebrow. Look how nice and full it looks, how it's living up to its potential as an eyebrow. This is new for me.

For most of my life, my eyebrows have always just quit at about 2/3s the length of other peoples. Just ended. My mom's eyebrows are the same, so I figured it was a familial trait, but much to my surprise, this is not the case.

For the last year or so, I have really struggled with fatigue. I figured that I was just tired because I was working so much, tired from working out too, tired from stress, and yet, there was really never a moment when I didn't want to sleep. Never. I could sleep for 12 hours straight, get up, and want to just go back to sleep.

My appetite was funky too. I was very rarely hungry. Like almost never. I would of course eat, because HELLO food, I love food, but I was not really hungry for it except maybe in the morning.

Also, I am not sure if any of you noticed, but I did a bunch-o-athletic stuff, in other words, I worked my little bottom off running, working out, etc. I saw the slightest bit of weight loss from this, but it was minimal at best. This was not only physically frustrating but emotionally taxing.

I also am somewhat of an insomniac. I am sooooooo tired often that it is hard for me to think, but when I lay down at night to go to bed, it takes sometimes hours to fall asleep.

The list could go on of weird things that I figured were just Bekah-isms, but it all comes down to this.

Something is up with my body. I have begun the process of figuring out what that is. After some preliminary tests, the doctors have diagnosed me with Hypothyroidism.

The hypothyroidism really explains all of the symptoms just described, but not all of the symptoms that I have. So, there is more testing to come!

Who knew that hypothyroidism could cause eyebrow loss? Not me, but I do now.

I have started medication for my hypothyroidism, hence what appears to be the new eyebrow growth! But, I do not think the dosage is quite right yet, so the fatigue is still there.

It also appears that I have had this for some time. The normal scale for what your thyroid should test at is .45 to 4.5, per usual, I am an overachiever, ranking at 14.4 :-) Now, this is not nearly as bad as it could be, and for that, I am super grateful, but it will still be a process to figure out the correct dosage for that.

Here is what I would like to end with. First, as a result of the millions of things that your thyroid controls in your body, I have truly not felt myself for a very long time. On Tuesday night, I came home, and Parker and I were talking on the bed, I don't recall what about, but I started to laugh, and then kept laughing and laughing and laughing. I felt a sensation of elation that I have not felt for a very long time, and I realized that the old me was coming back, that at least for those few moments it was there, and I would be myself again in time.

Second thing, the medicine I am taking has a small side effect of some hair loss. I was naturally a bit concerned about this. I have not noticed it too much on my head, but let me tell you what, my pubes are going like hot cakes...probably too much info, but who can't find that funny? I know I sure do, every time I wipe.

Third thing, I KNOW THIS IS NOT A UNIQUE STORY. So many other people have this, it is a very common disorder, and pretty easy to treat, so that is wonderful. I am more concerned about the unsolved mysteries of my body still to be discovered, and I am very grateful that this one is at least decided. So, please do not think this post was to call attention to myself, to make you think I feel that I am dying, to alarm you or create pity in you for me. NAY. I just figured it was time to be real about one of the struggles I am dealing with in my life.

Fourth thing, in an attempt to help out my body, I am doing a 30 day challenge with myself. This will mostly involve diet and exercise. Making sure I am only taking into my body those things that are packed with nutrients as a way to hopefully help it to heal itself in some measure. As a result, I plan to eat within strict guidelines, but I figured a good way to keep myself on track with that, would be do a daily update of what deliciously healthy things I was treating myself to.

In this way, my struggle can become an adventure, and one we can all share together :-) Bring on the new phase of my blog: PROJECT UTOPIA will commence Monday. SO STAY TUNED.