[JessFinds] Hold Fast

I am the queen of the scatterbrained post of late, so here are my musings for today:

Yawn Alert: 
I have not made a big deal about it here on the blog because I hate sounding like someone who constantly complains about their medical issues. Nothing more (yawn) boring to read about. But in the midst of all the family upheaval I have documented over the last two months, I also found out I was really sick. My thyroid levels plummeted and, oddly enough, I am vitamin D deficient. Not just deficient - nonexistent. The two issues are related ... and combined make for a lethargic, achy Jess. It mimics Fibromyalgia. It also mimics depression, etc.. So much fun! See, I am not a depressive person by nature. By nature, I am a pollyanna nutbag. I was just assuming that my lack of energy and constant body exhaustion was due to all the stress and lack of sleep. I am sure those did not help. Anyway, I am being bombarded by the MEGA PILL of D. I take it once a week for four weeks. I don't feel much better yet (week 2) but I hope things pick up. If you have Hashimotos like I do or Hypothyroidism in general, ask your doc to run a vitamin screen on you. Apparently D and Magnesium can be all out of whack.

I am not cool enough to wear these:

Photo from Etsy - SweetAddictions Shop

But I loove them. So very much. I am told I am named after my Great-Great Grandmother, Jesse MacLeod.*  A good solid Scottish name. And "Hold Fast" is the motto of Clan MacLeod. It is also a salty old sailing term.  

*I am also told I am named after Jessica Walters, an actress.

Other Scottish clan motto's in my family include "Endure Fort" and "Do Not Forget" (Ne Oublie).  I like that. Hold Fast. Endure Fort. Do Not Forget. All pretty good motto material.

One that is not in my family but belonged to a friend of mine  (a Bruce of Kinnaird): "Fuimus" meaning, in Latin "We have been." Some say "We Were." Sort of anticlimactic, no? Might as well be "Meh."

[JessFinds] Halloween, Visits and What an Old Lady I Am

Hey blog hoppers - scroll down for the Friday Blog Hop!

This is going to be a very hard weekend for my family. But after this weekend, I can blog all about it!

So we are trying to focus on the kids having a good Halloween. Miss Crab's costume is complete - she is going to be a fabulous bat thanks to her grandmother's efforts on the sewing machine. Gonzo is building her witch costume. We are going to look for a broom today. Gonzo insisted she wanted to be a seagull yesterday. I say "Yes! Brilliant!" to everything because when it comes down to it - girlfriend is going to be a  witch! 

I also get a very much anticipated visit with friends this weekend. I love how Ashley is always okay with our last minute repertoire. She knows my stress level has been off the charts and offered up a simple "let my husband cook dinner for you, we'll pour wine and let the kids play." Sigh. Perfection. That is exactly what I want these days. That is all I really want any given day! My girls are excited for an overnight and we are just looking forward to spending time with people who have braved the trenches with us. 

Old lady moment: So I have had Hashimoto's for a while. It has been managed pretty well. No big deal, just take a little pill to level out the hormones. I recently went to my primary doctor to bring the management in-house because I really don't care much for my endocrinologist and we need to consolidate our medical records for ease of access. So he  ran some tests to re-establish the baseline. I asked him to tack on cholesterol and vitamin screening. So glad I did!

I have been attributing my low energy and outright exhaustion to all the stress we are under. I am sure it plays a part, but my thyroid level plummeted and apparently I am vitamin D deficient. Those two things on their own = sluggishness. Together? Lethargy. Now I don't feel like such a lazy ass. It also creates an environment for depression, etc... Doc has requested a meeting to discuss the findings. Pretty sure all of it can be fixed pretty easily.

Bodies are weird.