Thyroid Synthroid and medical problems

First of all this is NOT intended to be medical advice.

I have been on Synthroid since around 2003. Back then I had changed doctors 3 times and they all said to see a shrink. My shrink admitted that my fingers were blue but he said I was causing it out of my felt need to be sick. They sent me to a heart specialist who said there was nothing wrong with my heart but my fingers were blue. Then a blood test revealed that my TSH was real high so they put me on synthroid. My temperature jumped from 96 to 98 degrees and 15 years of constipation was finally resolved.

I wish that was the end of the story. However it gets a lot more complicated at this point. Synthroid is T4 and you need T3 and T4 to operate. The theory is that excess T4 is converted to T3. Your brain needs T3 to operate. The amount of T3 and T4 you need varies with the temperature outside and the amount of stress you are under. So after tracking my thyroid status by the constipation I discovered that it actually shows up quicker as depression/paranoia. In fact my brain totally shut down before my fingers turned blue again. Then I took an extra 1/2 dose of synthroid and the depression lifted like magic.

I have long felt that people on synthroid need a better method of tracking their medicine. People with diabetes check their blood sugar three times a day. So I got the idea of tracking my temperature. Over a few days of taking my temperature three times a day, I concluded that it is 96 in the morning, 94 in the afternoon, and 98 in the evening. I have like a "hot flash" almost every evening, and I am a guy! I checked and if it goes below 93 degrees you need medical help. The low reading of 94 corresponds with every muscle aching, being stiff as a board, and being depressed. In fact I sometimes had "panic attacks" that also seem to be from the low temperature. It is like getting on an airplane and remembering that you forgot to pack your suitcase.

What is the solution? I do not know. I think the doctors should keep the TSH real low so that you have excess T4 to convert into T3. Another possibility is to take a Thyroid supplement like Kelp that is a source of natural Iodine, as well as thyrosine, Irish Moss, and some other stuff in it.

Having a low body temperature also leads to chronic illness. This winter I had a cold for 6 weeks before going to Asia. There it quickly resolved. After being back a few weeks it started coming back. The reason you get a fever when you are sick is because raising your temperature kills bacteria. Lowering your temperature allows the bacteria to thrive.

Viewsonic VA800 and VG175 repairs revisited.

My web site has had how to repair these Viewsonic monitors when they have garbage on the screen. You replace C19 with a 1 uf to 4.7 uf at 16 volts capacitor. Now I want to add that if it has a reddish picture with green streaks to the right of the text, you can replace C67. Again use a 1 uf to 4.7 uf at 16 volts capacitor. The capacitors should be available at Radio Shack. I have also encountered one monitor that would not turn on for 5 to 10 minutes. I replaced the capacitor that is just to the right of the C67 labeled IC to fix it. I think it was 22 uf at 16 volts but it might have been 47 uf. I have only encountered that problem once.

What I have learned in the last 2 years.

The last 2 years have been the hardest years of my life. This has been worse that having a critically sick child in the hospital. With the child you sign them over to the doctor's care. With a failing marriage you keep wanting to try another counselor or something to try to save the marriage. No matter what you do, you feel you have not tried hard enough. These are things that I have learned through these trials.

1. I learned to pray three times a day, not just once. I used to get a 1 hour lunch break and instead of taking a nap, it became a new prayer time. Also the importance of praying before going to bed became clear, not just in the morning.

2. I learned to pray on my face on the floor. I was so desperate for God that I spent most of my prayer time on the floor. If every tear is saved then there should be a large tub waiting for me.

3. I have been feeling the presence of God like never before. I have always felt my hair standing on end, now I also feel a cold cloud sensation. I though it was just cold air until I went to India and I still felt it even in the heat. It is a good cold; it is kind of like drinking water when having bad heartburn.

4. I have learned to "Praise Him in the storm". That is a song by Casting Crowns. I have long since learned to praise God even when my car was totaled. Can I praise Him even when my marriage is falling apart? Can I praise Him even when going from having everything paid in full, to broke? Can I praise Him even when my children disown me? For a while it was impossible to praise God, but that has changed now.

5. Look for, think about, and thank God for the positive things that do happen.For instance;
A. My daughter Hannah and I are back in good communication.
B. My van transmission repairs only cost me about $145.
C. Dale is giving me his like new furniture and appliances.
D. I slid off the road in a snow storm but drove back up on the road with no damage.

6. It helps to see God. I was praying that if I must go through loosing my wife that I could please see God first. He gave me a dream where I was leaving heaven. We were all singing beautiful songs of praise in every language and tongue, yet in perfect harmony. I wanted to remember the words to the songs but all that I could remember was "It is something ___ to be in the presence of almighty God". I asked about the missing word and was told that there are no words in any language that can even begin to describe what it is like to be in God's presence. It was kind of like when you are in church and someone begins to sing a new song that is wonderful, and they normally cannot sing that well. Everyone there in the dream was filled with so much joy that they could not help but sing the praises of God.

7. Someone told me that it is not over yet. I already knew that. I have wanted to say that 2007 was the worse year of my life, but that 2008 will be great. However I know that it is not over yet. I may be over the crest of the hill but there are many more bumps in the road ahead.