Class of 2015 homecoming flag football team

Thyroid Disease

Thyroid disease is not quite an epidemic but certainly does not receive the attention it deserves. Roughly 27 million people in the United States suffer from this disorder and about half of these people are unknowingly suffering from it (“Thyroid Problems”). Thyroid malfunctions are very hard to pinpoint considering the extensive list of symptoms. The symptoms people suffering from thyroid disease inhabit are symptoms of many other disorders; therefore, people can be easily misdiagnosed. Fortunately, a simple blood test of an individual's THS level (thyroid stimulating levels) can easily diagnose them (Sims, Judith, and Rebecca J. Frey). However, many people aren’t overly concerned with being tested unless their symptoms are blatant. Thyroid disorder symptoms are major obstacles that people have to cope with for their whole lives, but through different procedures and methods, symptoms can be lessened or nearly diminished. This blog won’t go into depth of Hyperthyroidism, but more so the thyroid disease overall, Hypothyroidism and the baggage that comes along with it.

What is Thyroid disease?

Our bodies endocrine system has a huge job of regulating the body and the functioning of the endocrine organs (Sims, Judith, and Rebecca J. Frey). These organs secrete hormones into the blood, controlling metabolism, mood and many other essential regulatory aspects (“Thyroid Problems”). The inability of an endocrine organ to function properly is known as Endocrine Disorder (Sims, Judith, and Rebecca J. Frey). One organ not doing its job, or, doing its job well will affect the entire body. The thyroid gland is a gland in the endocrine system that lies in the center region of the neck. The thyroid’s central job is to regulate metabolism. The thyroid regulates major organs and functions and also controls the growth and development of children (“Thyroid Problems”). There are two different types of Thyroid Disease, Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism. These diseases are polar opposites with totally opposite symptoms that come along with them. 

How is Thyroid Disease caused?

Thyroid disease can be caused from a multitude of things but all causes originate from an autoimmune disorder. This can be inherited from a family member, can happen after a woman is pregnant, radiation treatment for cancer, not having enough iodine in the diet (Hypothyroidism), a tumor on the thyroid and other reasons (Sims, Judith, and Rebecca J. Frey). Graves disease can also cause Thyroid Disease. Graves disease is caused by antibodies, which are proteins that fight infections (Kelley, Barbara Bailey). Even having family members who have certain diseases can put someone at risk for having Thyroid Disease (Kelley, Barbara Bailey). Developing thyroid disease and the prevention Thyroid Disease is out of the control of the person. Thyroid Disease has so many possible causes that attempting to prevent it would be impractical (Sims, Judith, and Rebecca J. Frey).


How does Thyroid Disease impact the person's life?

Depending on the type the Thyroid Disease that the person has, the symptoms that they will experience will vary. For instance, someone with Hyperthyroidism may be extremely energetic and not be able to sleep. On the other hand, someone with Hypothyroidism may be extremely tired and fatigued and may sleep excessively. Some who has Hypothyroidism may experience other symptoms such as weight gain caused from lack of energy, depression, weak leg muscles, mood swings, lose of hair and nails etc. As you can see, the wide variety of symptoms makes the disease difficult to pinpoint. (Sims, Judith, and Rebecca J. Frey)

What are the treatments?

There are a few options for treatments depending on preference and severity of the disease. One option is taking a synthetic hormone daily to supply the thyroid with the correct amount of hormone and to help regulate it so the body can function normally. If the thyroid has a tumor or a goiter on it or has potential of becoming cancerous, the thyroid can be removed through surgery and the patient can take the synthetic hormones. Another treatment is going through radioactive iodine treatments. (Kelley, Barbara Bailey) 


My history with Hypothyroidism:

Ever since I was a young age, I always had experienced out of the ordinary symptoms. I was losing mass amounts of hair, my nails were falling right off and I was feeling depressed only at the age of seven. My parents were scared and more importantly, so was I. The doctors tried endless tests and after a simple blood test they came to realize that my hormone levels were off the charts. About two years ago, my endocrine system had “attacked” my thyroid to the point where it died. The symptoms I had experienced were awful. I would come home from school, go to sleep, wake up to eat dinner and go back to bed until the next day. I was exhausted, was gaining absurd amounts of weight and was depressed. When doctors realized that my thyroid had completely stop functioning, they could take action to get myself back to my typical state. Over the years, I’ve visited doctors from up to street all the way to Cleveland and Rochester to get answers. To this day my thyroid isn’t regulated and although the symptoms have lightened up, they still exist. After dealing with this for ten or more years, I’ve lost hope in getting better and have come to the conclusion that this was given to me and that I need to accept it.






Works Cited:


Thyroid Gland. Digital image. Mercola.com. Mercola, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013.



S., Melissa. Digital Image. Thyroid Disorder & Dysfunctions. Digital image. Shrinking Jeans. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. <http://shrinkingjeans.net/2013/04/thyroid-disorders-and-disfunction/>.

Sims, Judith, and Rebecca J. Frey. "Hypothyroidism." The Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health: Infancy through Adolescence. Ed. Jacqueline L. Longe. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2011. 1155-1160. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.


"Thyroid Problems." Teen Health and Wellness. Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2013. Web. 25 Oct. 2013 <http://www.teenhealthandwellness.com/article/330/thyroid-problems>
Kelley, Barbara Bailey. "Running on Empty." Health. May/June 1997: 64-68. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 25 Oct 2013.

My Purpose

Dear Anonymous Reader:

My name is Kara and I am participating in the course, English 4 Enriched, offered at my school.  I have always taken an interest in expressing my thoughts and feelings through literature.  I love how you can see yourself becoming smarter through your writing.  After writing a piece that I put an extreme amount of effort and passion into, I feel satisfied and so uplifted.  As I experience and am exposed to more things throughout my life, my writing becomes stronger.

 

I take much pride in my school and I believe I take advantage of the numerous opportunities offered at West.  Being on a team offers many advantages such learning to work well in a group setting, the feeling of defeat, the feeling of accomplishment, and so many more lessons that can be carried with you for the rest of your life.  When I was younger, I played many sports but never seemed to find one I truly enjoyed.  In my preteen years, I was an avid swimmer and runner.  However, these sports are not overly “team oriented” and I love being on a team because teams have the capability of combining individual strengths to create something fantastic.  I decided to take up field hockey in high school and I wish I would have known 8 years ago how much I am in love with this sport and how dedicated I would become to it.  I breathe field hockey and crave going to practice every day even though I know my body will be pushed to its limits.  Being on a field hockey team has taught me the precision of the sport and how each player on the team is a major asset; we cannot succeed without the full commitment of each player.  I also participate in a few extracurricular activities such as Student Council, the Fresh Start Mentoring Program (a program for incoming freshmen), Science Club, Class Board and Spanish Honor Society.  Being a part of these clubs and organizations does not only look good on college applications, it makes me have a voice.  Being involved in the school makes me really excited and passionate about West.  Between sports and club, I maintain a part time job at a small market in my town.  This can get difficult at times, but I think it’s good to have working experience on a small scale before entering future careers.  During the school year, I only work on weekends but summer I work almost every day.

When I have time, usually over the summer, I like to drink tea and watch documentaries.  I love documentaries, I'm not completely sure why either!  I like to learn new things, and I also like to sound like I know a lot of things (haha).  This summer I went to Disney World with my family.  Honestly, I did not enjoy it.  My family would rather sit around the campfire and go fishing on the lake then go to a glorified theme part.  Although it was a disappointment, I was grateful to have had the opportunity to see this major landmark.  Despite my very busy schedule, my friends and family come before everything else, especially my best friend Anna.  When one is happy, the other is happy.  When one of us is sad, the other is sad.  We do everything together and have been inseparable for nearly 8 years.  We believe we will be friends for the rest of our lives, considering it’s hard to picture our lives without one another.  When I'm older, I'd like to pursue a career in civil engineering (designing structures such as building, bridges, etc.) or something involving law.  Defiantly not a lawyer though, something about lawyers pisses me off.  My parents are also very significant in my life.  They are my biggest fans and have pushed me to succeed my whole life.  They expect a lot out of me and don’t settle for anything less than the best.  When I was younger, I thought this was irritating. But I now appreciate all they have done and all the sacrifices they have made for me. 

 
As a student, my strengths include my strong independence and my persistence.  When working alone, I feel like I can get anything done quickly and without interruption, and of course, my way.  This characteristic can be helpful and it can be hurtful.  When forced to work in a group, I become very bossy and usually end up taking over, this is something I’d like to really work on before exiting high school.  I also am extremely upfront and honest and lack a filter.  If I want to say something, I won't hold back.  Some people like this and some do not but quite frankly I don't care.  My favorite subject in school is math.  As a little girl, I despised math.  I felt like it was so unnecessary and a waste of time.  All this changed when I began to take the time to really understand what I was doing.  My understanding of math made me fall in love with the subject, solving problems and comprehending what the teacher says makes me a little too happy. Throughout middle school and high school, I have maintained Honor Roll status. I have never reached High Honor Roll.  This is my ultimate goal for the remainder of my school career.  I also would like to make it above 50 in my class rank.  Although this is just a number,  it would personally make me feel like all my hard work was worth it.  Junior year is supposedly the hardest year and I fully agree.  Going from Sociology, to Chemistry, to Algebra 2 Trigonometry leaves me brain dead.  I receive more homework than I have ever received in my life.  In fact, I am typing this letter at 2:30 in the morning. Crazy, right?  As long as I stay on top of my assignments and stay after school for help, I believe my junior year will be successful.  Next year I plan on taking a huge sigh of relief because I survived 12 full years of school.  I won’t allow my grades to slip, but I will most definitely relax a bit.

 

I get easily lost in a book.  I can start a book and unknowingly stumble upon the last page in shock because I hadn’t known that I spent a full day reading.  I like reading during the summer if I can find a good book, but I can get bored relatively quickly.  If the cover and first 10 pages don’t appeal to me, I won’t read on. I read twitter every day, embarrassingly for hours and hours. I love twitter because, unlike Facebook, people tweet the most random thoughts and it’s so interesting to read.  During the school year I rarely read because I can’t seem to find the time for it, which is unfortunate because I’m a different person when I’m reading a good book.  I look at things from new perspectives and I grow a connection with the characters.  The best book I ever read was in my English class last year titled, The Catcher in the Rye.  Although I could not fully relate to the main character Holden, I found pieces of myself (I’m sure everyone can) in him.  And those pieces showed me so many things about myself and the people in my life.  The most important thing I ever read was the letter my mom had written to my brother before he left for college.  Although it was not intended for me, it still related to me because I am raised the same as my brother.  I drew many connections and I made many conclusions about the reasoning behind my parent’s madness.  I know that my parents love my brother and I unconditionally, but this letter proved that they love us more than they love themselves.  As a reader, I don’t have many goals unless I’m reading an assigned book.  I’d much rather “choose my own destiny” than try to interpret what the author is trying to express.  The best thing I ever wrote was a poem for my creative writing class about my hammock in my bedroom.  Although I had thought I did, I didn’t know how influential these hanging woven ropes were to me.  My goals as a writer are to become stronger and sound more intelligent.  I love using new strong words and my friends often seek advice for me when they need a certain word or need to get a specific point across.

I  have many goals as a writer but am aware that some of the skills I would like to obtain will come naturally throughout my life, they cannot be forced or self-taught.  I’m very much looking forward to my Creative Writing class, English 4 class, and my experience with Mr. Bormann’s class and continuing to let my thoughts unfold and share them with the world.

 

Sincerely,
Kara