Have your health- On Playing and Thyroid

[Personal-post]
I am so happy today. I played! I played after like a gap of one to one and half year. I was on the court few days back and I was pathetic. But yesterday, I was smooth, I was moving like melted butter on bun top! I haven't had this kind of flexibility since ages, my arms which could break a thick glass in one blow were weak, but I was hitting those smashes, those side boxes, net touching drops. Mind was focused, attention - rapt. I was panting and puffing, taking break every now and then. There were some clumsy shots. But it felt good just to be there- to be able to hold my racquet. 

Just three months back I had hit that abysmal low. When you do everything you can and you still don't lose weight, forget the weight, you just don't feel fit and healthy. I was eating right, walking eight kilometers everyday. Jogging every alternate day but I was putting on. There were inexplicable mood swings [PMS? No]. Some fatigue, I never understood. I ate sprouts. I ate everything healthy but nothing was turning the weighing scale down or making me feel any better. Back in school days when were preparing for the game (I was in 11th) I cut out on all outside food and I could feel my energy levels shoot up. I didn't know why I couldn't feel that difference now. Was I ageing at 24?  That thought itself was painful. 

I just assumed I was lazy or was missing out on something. May be I shouldn't even eat those sinful calorific comfort giving food even once a week. But, I am food lover, I cook, I eat and I am not the dieting kind of person. One life- enjoy it. And all food is good in right quantities, an occasional indulgence was fine too. But, what was happeing? Then came a blessing in disguise when I took a Thyroid test. I never imagined this could be a medical condition. I was diagonized with Hypothyroid. It was a shock, even though my mom had suffered from it. I couldn't believe it. There is nothing one can do really- you got it, you will have. You cannot change it. My mom was so upset. But, then why crib about something that you cannot do much about.  Worse the values were way too off the normal levels. Which meant, I have had it for a while. So there it was the root cause of all my troubles.The fatigue, mood swings, weight gain -everything wrong. 

I was put on medication immediately to supplement the thyroid my body wasn't making. I had learned to cut out on damaging foods like cabbage, sprouts, soy and other related food items. Yes, sprouts are unhealthy for a hypothyroid person. I read every material available about Thyroid. I bought couple of books and read them too. I just wanted my health back. I immediately lost about a kilo and the doctor conveyed, I would lose more if I continued the routine I was following. I stand at 66.something today, I was 69. I am moving towards my goal of 60 kgs. The mood swings were gone within a week after I started medication. I felt more energetic. I was my pleasant self again. I was cheerful, I felt healthy. :) My thyroid levels had come down to normal in just one month!

When I played for 3 hours yesterday. The stamina was low but I was there on the court. The strength was returning to my arms, my feet were moving, my body was synchronizing with the shuttle. I realize I need to work some more. So, I am beginning my jog routine today. Switching from walks to jogs. I wan't to be able to move better on the court, gain more flexibility, look at myself in the mirror and feel little more great! ;)

Have your health. Dare you- don't say you don't have the time.  Everybody has the time to do something they really want to do. 

Note: Hypothyroidism actually isn't as crazy as they describe in most of the websites. Your body doesn't make thyroid, you supplement it externally and you are as good as normal. But, it helped me realize, health can effect everything that you are and everything you can be.