Antenna TV

No, that's not a bear climbing that tree. 

I remember back when we had antenna TV. To turn the antenna it was a task and always took three.

One in front of the TV, one on the porch and one to climb the tree.
The one standin in front of the TV is the one that played the biggest part and held the key.

I can still hear it now, TURN IT A LITTLE MORE, A TAD MORE. WHOAAA, GO BACK SOME MORE.

We had one brother that could climb a tree more fast than a squirrel.. He’d scare ya to death so bad it’d make ya hair curl.

We only got two channels and they were snowy as could be, except on a clear day and that old antenna was stuck high up in that tree.

And when it came a swiff wind it’d happen every time. That old TV was gone and we’d holler for him to take his daily climb.

One time we put daddy in  front of the TV and on the porch was my spot to be.

He hadn’t been in the tree long before daddy yelled WHOAAAA, COME ON DOWN.

On the way back down my brother slipped and hit every limb as he fell to the ground.

We all went runnin just knowin he’d broke every bone in his body.
He got up off the ground and seemed to be alright but he walked awfully slowly.

When we went in to check out the TV, it was still snowy as could be. Daddy was sittin there with his legs crossed and said son you’re gonna get killed yet climbin that tree.

That TV was blank as ya ole hat, couldn’t see a thing… All my brother could say was Daddy what happened to the dang thing.

My brother wouldn’t climb it again when daddy was in reign. He knew there was no use or he’d have to borrow daddy’s walkin cane.

Mama got upset and had plenty to say. She told daddy the next time to
get out of the way. That young’un could’ve broke his neck and you’d still be sittin here killin the day. Sanford And Son is not worth it at all to see a young’un climb a tree and take a death fall.

Daddy sure did like his favorite show and mama always waited patiently and the anticipation continued to grow. She wouldn't admit it but she sure did love her game show.

She actually had two she liked the best. Wheel Of fortune and The Price Is Right, was a joyful contest.

But when it came time for us to watch our favorite one of all, dog gone if company wouldn’t come to call.

Yep, just walk right in and make themselves at home. And it’d been a whole week since we’d seen The Waltons come on.

By the time they left we had to hit the tic and there’d be no TV and our wounds we had to lick and half the time my brother was using daddy’s walkin stick.

I’ll have to give credit where credit is due. When an old antenna is all you got, you learn to make do. Even if climbing a tree it takes a whole crew.

                                                    © Susie Swanson

Many thanks for all the prayers. Things are just about the same. I'm waiting to hear from my Endo and see what dosage he's gonna slap me on next.  Blessings to all. ~Susie

My Journey

I want to tell you about a very long journey I've been on. It started just after Christmas ,2013. 

I started having these very, strange symptoms that I'd never felt before. I would absolutely burn up without a drop of sweat off and on all day long. Then other things started happening. My body was in over drive one moment and the next I could barely walk. I went to my Primary Care Doctor for my six mos. checkup and I had my usual Labwork done before my appointment like I usually do on my Thyroid, Cholestrol, etc.. Since everything looked ok he brushed it off by saying it was my nerves. In other words I took it he meant all in my head. I've had Thyroid Disease (Hypothyroidism)  for 23 years and made sure it was always checked and over the years they've adjusted my meds. accordingly. I noticed in  my copy of the Labwork they had done my T3 and T4 was off some. I questioned him about it and he said it wasn't bad and not to worry. 

Meanwhile my symptoms got worse and worse to the point I was getting very worried. I called him and asked him to do more Labwork. He decided to send me to a Rheumotoligist to see if it might be some kind of Autoimmune Disease. The Rhumetoligist did his own Labwork and everything came out good except my body was virtually empty of Vitamin D. He said that can cause serious problems alone and he put me on 50,000 Units once a week for 8 weeks but nothing improved.
 During all this time I kept doing research on my own. I goggled every Web Page I could, trying to find a solution. By that time it was the middle of July, 2014 and I was getting more sick by the day and what I found about the Thyroid was very scary so I asked my doctor to do more Labwork on my Thyroid, Hormones and anything connected to it. He did the Labwork and uncovered that my Antiobodies connected to my Thyroid was extremley high and my hormones were showing I was in Full Blown Menopause. I said, "Hold it and back up here. I had a Hysterectomy 17 years ago, how can that be and further more what in the heck is Antibodies and why are they so high? " His answer was to send me to an Endocrinoligist and let her figure it out. I traveled 2 and a half hours to an Endo that checked the TSH only on my Thyroid and never even bothered to check the Full Thyroid Panel, FT3 ,T4, TSH, and the Antibodies, TPO (Thyroid Peroxidase), Thyroiglobulin Antibody, and Thyroglobulin. 

The only other thing she was interested in was my Adrenal Glands and she gave me several plastic jugs to collect urine in 24 different hour periods and turn them into my local hospital lab and they were to send her the results. 

I waited for results and all I got was that my Adrenal Glands were ok and my TSH was good but she was gonna lower my Thyroid Med. ,and for lack of a better excuse she told me that as we grow older it looks like we may need more Thyroid Hormone but we actually need less. 

Needless to say, I was back to square one and fired my Primary Care Doctor and hired another one. She did more Labwork and run an Ultrasound on my neck and finally I got answers. She told me I had one of three types of Thyroiditis and the worse being Hashimoto's . She sent me to another Endo and she confirmed it was Hashimoto's and there wasn't anything to be done. 

I took more matters into my hands and set up my own appointment with another Thyroid Specialist that I'd heard nothing but good things about and got in with him. He told me I had the worse kind of Hashimoto's and my Thyroid was so inflammed that it was burning itself out in my neck and had to come out. He said the TSH is your intake. That means how much meds. you're taking in and although most primary care doctors like to see it at a 5 and there should be enough meds. going in to support that crippled and diseased Thyroid. He said he liked to see it stay at a 3 and no greater than 4. He raised my meds. some more till he could get the surgery set up. I asked him how long it took to get balanced out on meds. after the surgery and he told me not to long. I came away with the best feeling of peace I'd had in a very long time. But oh my goodness what lay in store for me was torn out of the book. It seems another horrendous chapter had just begun..

I had my thyroid Gland removed November 6th, 2014 (Full Thyroidectomy). I was on 100mcg. Of Synthroid at the time of surgery and I went back to see him a week after surgery for my Post-Op and he raised my Synthroid to 150 and went high as a kite (Hyperthyroid)  I've sled down the ladder all the way to 50 and now I'm on my way back up the ladder and still feel nothing but Hyper. When you have your thyroid removed you're considered Hypothyroid the rest of your life but I've yet to feel Hypo (low) . My doctor that did the surgery and worked with me till a month ago gave up and sent me to another Endo and he's finding out he's got his work cut out .
To top all of this I was supposed to have my Gallbladder removed the 17th of this month and when I went for my Pre-Op my numbers were running extremely high and they refused to do it till the Endo could work with me some more. So now I'm dealing with that as well and wondering how on earth they'll get it out. The ones I've talked with that has had their thyroid removed tells me it can take up to 9 to 12 mos. and the rate they're going with me even longer.

So... to say this has been a journey is an understatement. I call it a Living Nightmare and ongoing. I never know what to expect from one day to the next. I know this post is awfully long and might not even be of interest to some since they don't have Thyroid issues. I've found out that well over half the population has it and doesn't know about Antibodies or what the Thyroid tests mean... But I wrote all of this for several reasons ... Many people have been praying for me and still many prayers being lifted everyday and they are being felt and answered. For that I'm humbly grateful to each one. The second reason is I want to let people know what this terrible, horrendous disease can do . It takes away so much of your life and you can never get it back. I tell everyone I come in contact with to be sure and keep a watch on your Thyroid. If you have Thyroid Disease make them check the Full Thyroid Panel  including the Antibodies every time they do your Labs and Educate yourself as much as possible. Look up anything and everything and read and more read. The best Website to go to is The American Thyroid Association... When the Antibodies go so high it means something has went wrong with your Immune System and it attacks that little, vulnerable Thyroid Gland. Maybe it's something as simple but yet so important as lack of Vitamin D.. For 23 years I never knew about Antibodies and they had never been checked. If I can help one person and keep them from going through what I have it  means the world to me. Take it on yourself to do what's right for your body, cause we're the ones that have to live in it. Doctors only do so much and you can never depend on them to tell you what you need to know.

Many thanks for reading and most of all for your prayers and understanding. I will be back to visit ya'll soon as possible. I can't stay on the computer for long periods of time and it has taken me several attempts back and forth to write this.

 May God Bless each one of you. ~Susie

Echoes

                                                 The steeple stands so proud

                                                 The echoes are still there

                                                 When I listen very close

                                                  I hear singing in the choir

                                                 And preaching was a plenty

                                                 The Sabbath was its day

                                                 That old alter was the key

                                                 Most humbly they did pray

                                                 Those old weathered boards

                                                 Oh what stories to be told

                                                 The congregation was all there

                                                 And the bell chimes were gold

                                                 They came from far and near

                                                 Parked under trees with shade

                                                 In the dirt where they sat

                                                 Many wagon tracks were made

                                                 The mules were so content

                                                 As they grazed on green grass

                                                 Slightly peaking their ears

                                                 When a big Amen was passed

                                                 Plenty of shouting and rejoicing

                                                 Still hangs in every crack

                                                 No memories will ever be lost

                                                 Nor echoes will it lack

                                                 Such a big part of history

                                                 And a grand, old Godly place

                                                 It touched so many hearts

                                                 With beauty, dignity and grace

                                                 That old door is still open

                                                 Just like it was before

                                                 Calling, calling to someone

                                                 Come on in there's still more

                                                 Listen closely to each sermon

                                                 There's many left to hear

                                                "Amazing Grace" still echoes

                                                 Through the wooded path so clear

                                                 © Susie Swanson, 2015

The picture above is an Abandoned Church in Lincoln County, Wisconsin. Built in 1907.

A little update.. I am very sorry I haven't been around to visit ya'll lately and read your wonderful posts. As most of you know I had my Thyroid removed this past November (Complete Thyroidectomy) and they've been trying to get me balanced out on Thyroid Meds. Well, I've had a terrible setback. A week after surgery they raised my meds to high and I've been in what they call a " Shocked Hyperthyroid Stage". That's when it runs to high and they can not get it to come down. I went back to the doctor yesterday and I'm now being lowered to a very low dose which is very dangerous without a gland but they can't take me off of it all together and start over due to the dangers involved when there's no Thyroid Gland. To top all of this I'm scheduled to have Gallbladder surgery two weeks from today, 17th of March. If it was out now it wouldn't be to soon. It's stocked full of stones and I can hardly eat anything at all. But God is in control and I will get through it just like I always have. Without him we can not make it. I have laid it in his hands a long time ago. I know ya'll are sending up prayers for me and they are most humbly appreciated. I felt that ya'll deserve to know and I will be back soon as possible. God Bless , ~Susie