So I lost my voice.
I sound like the man who ruined our anniversary weekend cranking cigarettes above our balcony.
Haha. Which by the way, I'll have you know Marriott took very good care of that situation. We get our choice between a free nights stay on the resort right after it's completely renovated this Fall, or a full refund.
They always did take good care of me.
I took yesterday off work because I had a couple of doctors appointments scheduled and wanted Mitch to tag along, so he took the day off as well. (#notpregnant)
Since we were each using a full 8 hours of PTO we thought we had to squeeze at least SOME fun into our day....
I sound like the man who ruined our anniversary weekend cranking cigarettes above our balcony.
Haha. Which by the way, I'll have you know Marriott took very good care of that situation. We get our choice between a free nights stay on the resort right after it's completely renovated this Fall, or a full refund.
They always did take good care of me.
I took yesterday off work because I had a couple of doctors appointments scheduled and wanted Mitch to tag along, so he took the day off as well. (#notpregnant)
Since we were each using a full 8 hours of PTO we thought we had to squeeze at least SOME fun into our day....
So there's this really cool place that's literally 5 minutes down the road from our apartment; I'm surprised I don't smell fried dough every time I go get the mail.
It's known as the 'Thrill Capitol of the Southeast' and boy does it live up to it's name...
Yes that's right, I did what any normal, responsible adult would do right after they get a few gallons of blood taken from them.
(In case it's driving you nuts why I went to the Doc, I'm just getting my thyroid checked out. All is well)
If you ever come to the Charlotte area, throw this place on your to do list. It's about 20 minutes South of Downtown, right on the NC/SC border. AKA my backyard.
If you ever come to the Charlotte area, throw this place on your to do list. It's about 20 minutes South of Downtown, right on the NC/SC border. AKA my backyard.
I really am surprised how quiet my apartment community is given it's proximity to this place.
With a little research on their website I found that you can buy what they call 'Twilight Tickets' - half price tickets if you go after 4PM.
Yes Please.
I don't know why anyone wouldn't do this. Pay half the price AND the park starts to clear out so less lines. AND the sun is going down so things start to cool off.
Perfection.
Yes Please.
I don't know why anyone wouldn't do this. Pay half the price AND the park starts to clear out so less lines. AND the sun is going down so things start to cool off.
Perfection.
So that's exactly what we did. Although I will warn you, you have to pay
Now the fun stuff.
Carowinds is very family friendly. Lots of stuff for us thrill seeking adults and a big 'snoopy themed' section for the kiddos. They frequently host different events like 5K races, dog agility shows, and most recently:
Dinosaurs!
The dinosaurs might be a permanent thing...don't quote me on that though.
I think they're most known for their 98 roller coasters they have on site. Ok maybe not that many but they have a TON. I don't remember the names, they all started to blend after laying upside down on a roller coaster that goes backwards.
I shit you not.
I think they're most known for their 98 roller coasters they have on site. Ok maybe not that many but they have a TON. I don't remember the names, they all started to blend after laying upside down on a roller coaster that goes backwards.
I shit you not.
THIS WAS INSANE. I can't even describe it. At one point you're dangling by the vest you have strapped on and you can see nets under the track ready to catch anyone who falls out.
Pretty sure I taught kids watching the coaster go by a few new curse words.
Of course there's also a big water park on site but we didn't go because those things totally and completely gross me out. Dirty diapers, sweaty bodies. Just let that sink in.
Me and my puns lol
But I was impressed by these really cool 'full body drying machines' they offer:
I'm that person who will avoid water rides just because walking around in wet shorts takes my uncomfortable level to new heights. So I was really impressed with these machines. Still trying to figure out how you get cold in the South.
Speaking of which, it was very hot & humid yesterday
Carowinds to the rescue!
They have this amazing....geez I don't even know what to call it....a vine shelter? A green shade tunnel? Who knows, but it looks pretty & felt great! Nice relief from the heat.
The decor of the park is all dedicated to the South. They have a Nascar section, an old fashion diner, a section dedicated to the Carolina Coast....definitely perfect for anyone coming in from out of town.
And of course a Southern theme park wouldn't be complete without THIS:
I don't know why this chicken shack cracked me up. Omg. Cracked...eggs...chicken.
My puns are out of this world.
I need a life.
So as we were dangling upside down, slowly inching closer and closer to the top of the highest point of one of the 90 rollar coasters we went on, not only did I notice I could see downtown Charlotte's sky line, but a nice storm in the distance was barreling our way. Big, dark, fluffy clouds, and a few lightening strikes here and there. A thunderstorm + not knowing when the rollar coaster was going to dip...pretty sure my heart skipped 11 beats. I couldn't help but think; well if I die, this is the perfect way to go. Laying upside down at the top of a rollar coaster struck by lightening. #YOLO
But of course, what would a fun trip be for me and Mitch without a little bit of THIS:
My puns are out of this world.
I need a life.
So as we were dangling upside down, slowly inching closer and closer to the top of the highest point of one of the 90 rollar coasters we went on, not only did I notice I could see downtown Charlotte's sky line, but a nice storm in the distance was barreling our way. Big, dark, fluffy clouds, and a few lightening strikes here and there. A thunderstorm + not knowing when the rollar coaster was going to dip...pretty sure my heart skipped 11 beats. I couldn't help but think; well if I die, this is the perfect way to go. Laying upside down at the top of a rollar coaster struck by lightening. #YOLO
But of course, what would a fun trip be for me and Mitch without a little bit of THIS:
Yes it rained and the rides temporarily shut down. Ugh. I have a love/hate relationship with the weather. But I couldn't be too upset because everyone decided to leave and by the time this storm left our area, we had the park completely to ourselves.
The ride attendants were letting the handful of people remaining just stay on the rides and go as many times as they want. It was awesome!
But the park was slowly closing down so afterMitch turned pale green we decided to grab some classic carnival food then head home.
But the park was slowly closing down so after
If you need me I'll be at the gym.
Awesome pics and you make playing in the rain look fun! I've been meaning to do a post on thyroid but it's very involved! I highly suggest you see or research functional medicine, most medical doctors have totally different rates of what is "normal". Also, thyroid disease is one of the fastest growing and most common diseases so you are not alone! Tim has been hyperthyroid since his surgery and I'm hypo but deff read books on it and see a nutritionist if you can! Sorry for the long post :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Kristin! I always love reading your comments. This thyroid stuff is out of control. After researching and discussing it with friends and family, I think it's safe to say practically 8 out of 10 women have this issue. WHY is what I want to know! I'm sure there's 1,000 things...diet and toxins we are exposed to on a daily basis...the possibilities are endless. Turns out my thyroid functions normally but my blood work came back positive for Hashimoto's Disease which is the beginning stages of Hypothyroidism. So crazy. My doctor actually said adding iodine to my diet could possibly help..
DeleteYAYYYYY!!! A doctor who knows what he is talking about!!! I just started my iodine treatment this week as a matter of fact. We are waiting on more blood tests before starting Tim's. His latest tests shows he's fluctuating between Grave's and Hashi's. I recommend reading "The Iodine Crisis". Highly informative and mind blowing. Iodine deficiencies are the root cause of thyroid diseases/cancer. People in Japan basically have no thyroid issues because they get so much iodine from fish. Sure, they have mercury problems, but not thyroid. Also, the toxins in our environment adhere to our thyroid. In the 1970's iodine was removed from bread and replaced with the anti-iodine agent, bromine. Bromine is a fire retardant in couches, mattresses, children clothing, etc. Other toxins include fluoride, which has never been proven to prevent cavities, and it's in our water, as well as chlorine and chloride. There are a bunch more but these are the big ones since they are in our water. Doctors were taught iodine is bad for us in medical school for 40 years. That would not be more false. It's an essential nutrient , but even today we have highly intelligent minds going through medical school with only 1 nutrition class required. WHAT?!? They laugh when we say, "No, I don't want to be on a thyroid replacement hormone for the rest of my life," because they think supplements and iodine is some kind of witch-craft. I've made a lot of enemies in the medical community as of late by asking too many questions and not accepting "I don't know" as an answer for why these problems exist. I started my thyroid medication when I was 16. I didn't know any better. It's taken me this long to get off of it, but I know it's not necessary. . Maybe I should copy and paste this comment as my next blog post lol. Keep me updated! I love talking about this kind of stuff :)
ReplyDeleteI know - when I met this Endo doctor I was blown away....he actually listened to what I had to say and allowed me to ask questions without feeling rushed! So sad. But anyway. You really know your thyroid stuff, screw Google I'm going straight to you with questions now! haha. So what exactly is this iodine treatment you're starting? Just taking iodine supplements every day? I cannot get over the fact that you started thyroid replacement hormone at 16... 16!!?? I actually just found out that my cousin started those nasty pills at 14!! Ok something is wrong here. That's so young...and so messed up. My mom had thyroid cancer growing in her the same time she was growing me so I almost feel destined to get it. After she gave birth to me she started with that 'laser gun' like treatment to get rid of the cancer...can't remember the name...but she would get those treatments, then immediately cradle me to her neck as a newborn. I was definitely exposed to that radiation. I can't believe only 1 nutrition course is required in med school. That is absolutely terrifying! Funny you say they laugh at us, because whenever I get told the option of being on thyroid replacement hormone for my entire life I immediately say 'I won't do it.' and they laugh. Don't even get me started on how much I've had to pay out of pocket for these lousy thyroid blood tests. Eeeek!
ReplyDeleteOMG tell me about it, and the blood tests most doctors order are only for TSH. I can't believe that about your mom. . I have no clue what type of radiation they used 25 years ago, but now they treat some thyroid cancers with radioactive iodine treatment (not all though, because of course our thyroids are so blocked it is hard to absorb iodine without easing into it first). They wanted to try that on Tim BEFORE we knew what his tumor was and before he had it removed. I said "no thank you". Tim's uncle died of thyroid cancer in 1994, luckily we have come a long way since then and it is now one of the most treatable cancers, but also one of the most preventable (most people just don't know how).
ReplyDeleteSo the iodine treatment I started is in liquid form. I recommend becoming iodine literate or finding a good doctor or nutritionist who is before starting it. It works best when combined with a really good multi-vitamin/ supplements containing magnesium and selenium and/or tyrosine (among other things) and specific blood tests will help a nutritionist determine how much you need of each of these. Iodine deficiencies are tested via urine sample. 96% of people in the US are iodine deficient. I ordered my iodine on amazon. It's called Lugol's Idoine Solution and I got the 2% to start, but there is also the 5%. I started really slowly because some people can experience detox symptoms ( like nausea), if they jump into too quickly or without the proper other supplements. I actually started it at a really bad time because I have a virus and I immediately could taste and smell metal (this is your body detoxifying metals). I am waiting until I get better to start up again, I only did it for 4 days this week. Definitely get a copy of "the Iodine Crisis" and/ or "Salt your Way to Health". These books cover literally everything you could want to know about iodine.
I do know a ton about this because I started taking some health classes and watching free lectures from "the thyroid summit" online. Actually, I am thinking about becoming a functional nutritionist... in time hopefully!
Wow! I am so encouraging you to follow that dream of becoming a functional nutritionist because you really know your stuff and present it in such an easy to understand way. Where can I go to get an iodine test done? And since yours is liquid form are you mixing it with anything? That would freak me out if I tasted metal lol but I'm sure it's very beneficial to my body. I'm veryy sensitive to anything and everything so I would probably have to start with a low dose. 'Salt your way to health' that is crazy; you're always told to cut back on salt! At least that's what I grew up believing. Salt = High blood pressure. Question everything I suppose. I work from home and often listen to audio books so I need to get on this Thyroid Summit lecture! I'm curious about Tim's story - especially since thyroid issues are most popular among us ladies. (Wonder if birth control plays a part?) was he born with a thyroid issue? Did he have hypo or hyper before he had to have surgery?
ReplyDeleteSo first, yes I put 2 drops of iodine in my morning smoothies but you can put it in anything. I just like it in smootheis because I know I won't taste it at all. I'll probably work my way up to more drops a day but I'll do it slowly, then most people are able to take a day off a week and start cutting back again. You can have your endo order the test, it's just a urine sample, or a nutritionist will as well.
DeleteThe "salt your way to health" concept is definitely NOT what we would expect to hear. Iodine was added to salt in the 1920's as a way to improve people's health, but it's so broken down that our bodies don't absorb much, especially now with all the toxins in our environment. There are different kinds of salt now though, and some don't contain iodine. The idea that salt is bad for us has arisin with the growth of the fast food industry. It is not good to eat anything that is salted or sugared for us! Who knows what chemicals or artificial elements were used.
So for Tim, yes it's uncommon for a young man to have a thyroid tumor or thyroid disease. I would like to figure out what other environmental factors (other than iodine deficiency) played into his because his type of tumor is actually really rare. It was sent out for analysis to 4 hospitals including Dana Farber and Brigham and Women's. You are right when you say it's mostly women- and birth control is a massive part. Most people now are "off" on their hormone levels, but for us when we add birth control it affects our thyroids and whole endocrine system bc it is pumping in so much estrogen. I am hoping that by taking the idone I will be able to get off of my thyroid medication, but also get off my bc without it being as horrible as it used to be.. Back to Tim, he has to get his levels tested again, but as far as we know the thyroid tumor developed in the past 5 years or so and he has no known prior health issues at all.. He wasn't properly blood tested before the surgery (just his TSH), and it was normal. And with time it might go back to normal again!! Just the middle part of his thyroid is missing and the surgeon literally strung the 2 lobes together so they weren't just loose in there lol!
I'm going to look into this iodine treatment. I have a feeling I will really need it in the future....you know what my Endo also recommended for hyperthyroidism? Kale! He said it wouldn't cause a huge difference but it's been known to help. I eat Kale all the time anyway so I thought this was interesting.
DeletePoor Tim! I hope his thyroid heals and that issue, whatever it may be, goes away completely. It's frightening to think that can happen to anyone at anytime. Kudos to you for being such a good wife and helping him out through the whole process! It can't be easy.
I took birth control briefly in high school and it made me swell up like a dang balloon. Like abnormal weight gain. So I went off of it because even back then as a teen I didn't' like the idea of 'artificial hormones' being pumped in my body and I immediately lost 10+lbs in a month after quitting it. I also didn't get my period for 8 months after that. Holy crap right!
OMG the surgeon strung the 2 lobes together...that sounds so frightening... I cringe at the vision Lol does he feel anything when he swallows? Poor guy! I really feel bad for the fella. A complete surprise this thyroid issue was I'm sure. How did all of this begin? Like did he feel symptoms of hypothyroidism or something?!
It's actually sort of funny how he noticed it. He started going to the chiropractor and the day before he noticed the bump, the chiro adjusted his neck for the first time. Following day he calls me at work saying his throat hurts. I'm thinking to myself, ok, you were fine 4 hours ago, stop being a baby lol. When he got home that night I said OMG you didn't tell me there was a bump in you neck, totally different than a sore throat!! I said that thing is on or near your thyroid, so I brought him to the ER. The funny part is that every medical doctor we've seen tells us the chiro adjustment wouldn't have made it pop out, but the 3 chiro's I've talked to say, yes it would because the muscles in the back of your neck are directly connected to the thyroid. He had no symptoms of thyroid disease at all. The tumor was large enough and positioned in a way that it was actually encroaching on his voice box and very close to his wind pipe. His voice changed after the surgery a little bit and a cough he's had since I've known him is gone.
ReplyDeleteOh and I LOVE kale!!!
Good god! I'll have you know I was holding and rubbing my neck searching for lumps all while reading that. HA. You know I feel bad for chiropractors. I feel like they get a lot of crap for being holistic. There's a good blog post for ya. lol. Poor Tim!! That is just awful. I really hope he heals fast. And you are just Superwoman for being by his side throughout the whole process. Isn't it great how life immediately likes to challenge relationships as soon as you get married? Ay yi yi!
Deletehahahaha no it's sooo true though!! I was really feeling for the first 9 months that it was basically the same as when we were dating- other than the name change and the house we bought, but things were still the same. It was definitely a challenge and made us realize things about each other that we wouldn't have known UNTIL someone had an issue like this. True learning experience, very eye opening about the process too. I have a draft blog post about this but I have hesitated to put it up because I have no pictures yet and it's pretty personal in that other people might have a different experience, you know? I'll figure something out though :)
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