Yep, Even Athletes Get Sick

Throughout the season I've been struggling with training and racing, more-so than usual. Everyone who does train struggles with it in some way, otherwise everyone could be an athlete, right? So I thought maybe it's all just in my head, I'm not actually feeling tired, I'm just being a wuss. Watching my heartrate I knew it was a little higher than normal in resting and in training, but I figured it must just be a cold or I'm just tired or something, no big deal (which I did have a cold over the summer that turned into bronchitis).

Well in June I had a blood test done that included a thyroid scan (because every time I get a blood test the doc decides to just throw it in there). So I've had many a blood test that said the thyroid is normal. The blood test in June came back saying that my thyroid was 'just a little hyper' (doc's words) which of course I didn't believe because I'm always healthy so I didn't worry about it. But I went ahead and got another blood test just to make sure because I didn't want to miss something important. This blood test came back saying that the thyroid was even more hyper than before...by almost twice! Well fine, this finally got my attention that maybe something is wrong here, and the doctor launched me into more tests. Thyroid ultrasound came up with a super small cyst, and the next blood tests were 'consistent with Graves' Disease' (doc's words again). Doing some research I found (on the Mayo Clinic site):

Graves' disease symptoms may include:

• Anxiety
• Irritability
• Difficulty sleeping
• Fatigue
• A rapid or irregular heartbeat
• A fine tremor of your hands or fingers
• An increase in perspiration
• Sensitivity to heat
• Weight loss, despite normal food intake
• Brittle hair
• Enlargement of your thyroid gland (goiter)
• Change in menstrual cycles
• Frequent bowel movements

However, sometimes I'm irritable anyways, sometimes I can't sleep, I'm usually tired from training, and I'm always sensitive to heat. My hair is short, and usually isn't too great anyways from being in the pool a lot. The heartbeat rings a bell though. And I found that some people have persistent nasal infections with this, too (and the ears and nose are connected thus a possible explanation for an ear infection that really hasn't gone away when I don't normally get them - ever???). And I'm having problems with bonking while doing things that I shouldn't have a problem with without eating.

The next test for me is a radioactive iodine test, which tells you how the thyroid is functioning.

The info that I've found says that once this is fixed by either partially killing the thyroid or by medications to control it, you are back to normal. And there are many women athletes that have this, so that gives me hope.

So I have some time to try and relax, because stress aggravates everything, especially when something isn't right. And training is going to be all very low-level, non-exhausting long slow distance. Or just days off if I feel like I need it.

It's not always about pushing yourself, sometimes you gotta just step back and fix a few things before you get moving again.