Name: Donna (aka: Punky)
Education and Work History: I have a Bachelor's Degree and I am a Registered Dietitian in Canada. I worked in a hospital setting for many years until I took an early retirement so I could focus more on our aviary and hand-raising parrots. At the time, my husband and I lived on an acreage and raised loving little baby birds for nearly eleven years. We had to stop when, due to various conditions, my health began deteriorating. In addition to looking after our two parrots and running I busy household, I now do bookkeeping for our family farm (located about 40 miles from where we live) where my stepson and his family work and live. I also have a married stepdaughter and one incredible son from a previous marriage.
Interests and Hobbies: I absolutely LOVE music and currently have nearly 800 songs on my iPod; also love to travel and read; interested in sports (mainly hockey and baseball), gardening, wine, and computer-related activities. Favorite television shows include CSI, Criminal Minds, So You Think You Can Dance, American/Canadian Idol, Dancing With The Stars, and Nip/Tuck.
Thyroid and Medical History: My thyroid problems began in about 2000 -- about a year after I quit smoking and around the time I started menopause. Swallowing became uncomfortable and I could feel a lot of swelling and some pain in the area of the thyroid area. When I talked to my doctor about it, he passed it off as temporary thyroiditis and told me not to worry about it. My blood-work came back as "normal" (but TSH was very low at 0.2) and he did no other type of testing, at all.
I put up with feeling tired and having no energy for many months to follow and had no idea why I was feeling so horrible. Then, in July of 2000, I contracted Strep Throat while on a trip to Northern California. I was put on an antibiotic for 10 days and told to get re-checked by my family doctor when I got back home. My doctor did not do a throat swab and, long story short, the Strep was not gone and attacked all of my joints. Sadly, I ended up with Post-Strep Reactive Arthritis. I went on the search for a found a new family doctor and she is the one who discovered that I still tested positive for Strep antibodies. But, by then, the damage was done and my joints have never been the same since. I also suffer from osteoarthritis in my hands, feet, and lower back (after two surgeries following a car accident).
When I explained some of my puzzling symptoms, this new doctor also sent me for an ultrasound of my thyroid in 2001. After an uptake scan and two FNA's on several large nodules, the surgeon decided that it was best to remove all of one side of my thyroid and about 2/3 of the other side. I had this done in February of 2002 and, after about a year of playing around with meds, I have been euthyroid ever since.
I have always enjoyed helping people so becoming involved with this board was a natural for me. Blu, Lu Anne and all of the wonderful members have become like family to me. Despite a very busy personal life, I absolutely love to hang out here and to learn even more about this complex world of thyroid disease!