Do not understand

[Sleepyachy]

People who don't have under active thyroid. Do not understand . They look at you and think you look fine.

[Obsdian]

Or they think it just makes you gain weight so you need to just try harder.

I've struggled a lot having conditions no one can see. Sometimes I wish I could just turn different shades of a color so people can tell how my day is going.

[Sleepyachy in reply to Obsdian]

Thanks for replying. Yeh deffo the weight gain. Gets me so annoyed . Inside. They make me feel like a big pudding. They see that I eat fruit amd not much else for my lunch. I don't even need to eat the food and I'd put on weight.

[Sparklingsunshine in reply to Sleepyachy]

Unfortunately true of many " invisible" conditions. People find it easy to empathise if you are visibly disabled, blind, deaf, in a wheelchair or scooter etc. But not if you look " normal". Unless you walk around scowling and grimacing lol.

Perhaps we should get hats and t shirts printed and advertise our conditions. I think also the medical establishment plays down the severity of hypothyroidism and just assume taking a little white pill makes it all better. If only.

[bantam12]

As with a huge number of other health issues, someone looking at me doesn’t know I have life limiting conditions and I don’t expect them to understand or care to be honest 🤷‍♀️

[Sleepyachy in reply to bantam12]

Thanks for replying. So annoying . Or it's seen as a nothing illness. But then bad enough to need free prescription and life long!!! In mood to rant!!!

[Regenallotment Ambassador]

yup… it’s awful isn’t it.

I ‘look’ really well, I take really good care of myself, so I don’t get any special treatment or a free pass unless I give great detail (which I’d rather not).

I have a few stock phrases to use as and when.

It hurts to just be today.

I would like to but don’t have the capacity to do that with my current energy levels.

Thanks for being so thoughtful (regarding my food allergies) but if it’s ok I’ll just have ….

[Sleepyachy in reply to Regenallotment]

Thanks for replying . Yeh they don't see the side of you. Aching pain. Tired etc!

[inthedoldrums]

Totally agree. Mine dropped into ME CFS almost 10 years ago and recently an ex next door neighbour phoned. (She already knew my condition,) "How are you? etc etc". When I told her, with minimal detail, she replied, "Oh, I have lazy days too when I just can't be bothered and I just slouch around in my pyjamas too."

I suspected all along that she had thought that and could tell by her friend's quizzical looks that she was on board with that. You can sort of tell can't you.

So - I did something that I have never done with anyone before and made it so that my number always sounds busy when she calls so that I never have to put myself out to answer her again. (Waste of valuable energy).

The feeling of liberation was fantastic. HaHaHa Haa!

I had tried too hard to try to get people to understand, you see.

I still have another friend who is in doubt about it all but I no longer try to explain. They can take it or leave it.

It has taken me a long time to reach this point but truly it has taken a bit of a load off me and makes me laugh a bit.

I hope you manage to get topside of your thyroid issues and very best wishes ❤

[Regenallotment Ambassador in reply to inthedoldrums]

👏👏👏 I applaud this brave approach! Great idea 👊

Some of these friends or relatives move to Level 2 of not understanding and start telling me about people they’ve met recently with awful life limiting auto immune conditions….. and I’m like 😳

[tattybogle in reply to Regenallotment]

some idiot once said to me " but everytime i see you , you're out and about or doing something up a ladder"

well duh! ... that's cos when i'm a grunting achy mess dragging my sorry ass round the house like quasimodo, with a face that looks like someone whose having a stroke ~ i tend not to go out.... or climb ladders.

my cat and my close family know the truth... my employers would probably never have employed me if they knew the truth , and it suits me to keep it that way.

[Sleepyachy in reply to tattybogle]

That's spot on!! My family know. They see the knackered me. The I'm too tired to do that go there. There like yr always tired.. which iam . But at work I put my work head on . And then home time comes. Collapse on sofa. Work all week . Recover all weekend.. Great

[Sleepyachy in reply to tattybogle]

Quasimodo haha I know that feeling. Sometimes I feel like ma face is puffed up. I say I need a higher doseOf levothyroxine.. the doc say . Your in the right range.!!so annoying. !!! I might function better at higher end range.. which I have had before.. 150 but then another doctor said go for another bloodtest and lowered to 125

Suffering continues. I tell folk difference . Before n aft the thyroid problem but the don't get it !!!

[tattybogle in reply to tattybogle]

and as for the weight thing ... i guess we can't win either way.... i'm slim, hypo has never significantly affected my bodyweight .... but if i was overweight i'm sure everyone would think i "she's having yet another lazy pyjama day, while being fat, therefore she's clearly just lazy and eats too many donuts ... but i'm not overweight so they all think i'm an unsociable sod who can't be bothered to put in the effort to maintain a social life .

[Sleepyachy in reply to inthedoldrums]

Deffo ... they don't get that you physical can't do it. ! Annoying same with the diet too. Not thay easy to lose weight when metabolism not working. And pills not right dose. They just think lazy or greedy.. argh!! Rant Rant x

[Rapunzel]

Well ain't that the truth. If you're sleepy and achy, odds are you're not being treated properly. I can see from a previous post that your levo dose was limited to 125 from 125 -15o alternate days...if you felt better on this dose, you need to fight for your right to party on that dose. GPs do not live, walk, sleep, eat or ache in your mocassins. Typically they are clueless about hypo anyway.

Telling people that I'm a spoonie sometimes helps. rcot.co.uk/news/spoon-theory butyoudontlooksick.com/cate... I'm retired now and sleeping waaay too much but I guess my 'job' now is to stay as well as I can.

This is a tough gig and no mistake. Best to you in the ongoing struggle

Spoonie

[tattybogle]

i see people on the telly that look like how i often feel .... those ones that collapse on to floor at the end of the marathon and can't get up and can't speak to the reporter... or those ones dying from hypothermia and altitude sickness on everest ...lol

sometimes i can't resist pointing out that "THAT is what THIS feels like ....".

[Sparklingsunshine in reply to tattybogle]

I remember trying to describe how Fibro felt once. Imagine how crap you feel when you have flu, everything aches, your head hurts, you feel weak, like a deflated balloon, your legs dont feel strong enough to support you, just getting to the loo requires an heroic effort.

Laying in bed exhausted but unable to sleep, tossing and turning. Weird stabbing pains everywhere. I think it just shows how shallow and superficial people can be that just because you look OK, you must feel OK. Maybe we should all stomp around like Quasimodo lol and stop trying to put on a brave face.

[tattybogle in reply to Sparklingsunshine]

lol ... it's a shame we've just missed halloween... group of lopsided hypo's going trick or treating after work , .. no need for costumes ..... (oh wait ..except loads of us can't actually manage to 'go out after work' anymore can we...it's years since i had the spare juice to do that, and even then i'd have to go home early )

[Anthea55]

Occasionally there are posts suggesting letters you can write to your family / friends / work.

Try this one

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

to see others use the 'Search HealthUnlocked' box. I put in 'Letter to friends' and selected Thyroid Uk and 7 posts came up.