Milky Thyroid

Last week at the boys' routine check-up I got a prescription for Domperidone. Domperidone is normally used as a promotility agent for digestive matters, but as a side effect it increases lactation. Tracey, the self proclaimed cow, is not making enough milk. What the heck is up with that?! Anyone who knows me well knows that I used to be able to produce enough milk for a small village, but slowly over time the well has been running dry. Thankfully I have freezer stores but they are quickly dwindling, so I knew I had to be proactive about it. I tried herbal remedies and they weren't working. I tried increasing my food and water intake and that wasn't helping either. So I sucked it up and got the prescription. I know no part of me should feel like a failure because I am just getting a little help, but still, knowing how much milk I made for Rio, and formerly for the boys, I can't help but feel disappointed I'm not doing it completely on my own.

Anyway as I am discussing all this with my doctor she says we should do some blood tests just to make sure everything is ok.  I assure her I'm fine. Sure, losing endless weight and exhausted, but I'm breastfeeding and have three kids so neither of those is out of the realm of normal. So I go get my blood work done last week and think nothing of it.

Until today. When you see your doctor come up on call display and you don't have an appointment booked, that can never be good. Apparently, I needed a follow up to discuss my labs. I immediately went blurry and didn't really hear her and all I could think was cancer. Yes, admittedly I am a hypochondriac. But when your mom died of cancer you get a little paranoid. So I booked my appointment for next week, feeling slightly reassured by the fact it was not urgent. At the last second thought to ask her to get the doctor to phone me so I could alleviate the stress of waiting.  I sat around all day thinking cancer even though two of the nurses closest to me assured me that a standard blood screen would not be showing cancer and it was likely just anemia. Cancer, seriously Tracey? You've lost your marbles.

So earlier this evening I heard from my doctor. Apparently I have elevated thyroid levels. I don't really know what that means to me, other than it is probably not "normal" that I am exhausted and lacking milk, it is likely caused by this - Post Partum Thyroiditis. My doctor and I quickly discussed the symptoms, thankfully very few of which I have. The one that rang loudest was goiter. GOITER. Are you kidding me?! Am I going to be my own Seinfeld episode if this persists?!

Well at least I'm making jokes. Next step is to go for more tests this week and see what else, if anything is out of whack, and confirm the diagnosis. Then I see her next week to discuss the results and see where we go from here. Hopefully nowhere and this goes away on its own.

Moms out there - anyone had this? Probably not. Only 5% of us get it, why wouldn't it be me?! Remember how we Trousdells like to defy the odds! DAMNIT!