I am not a toad!

Not that anyone really called me that outright... but Someone did kind of hinted.

It is like this...

I have been diagnosed as having "subclinical hypothyroidism".

Subclinical hypothyroidism refers to an early stage of hypothyriodism. Hypothyroidism is when your body doesn't have enough thyriod hormones, whose main function is the body is to run "run the body's metabolism". And so, people with this condition will have symptoms associated with a slow metabolism. It is the opposite of Hyperthyroidism, which is when your body produces too much.

The doctor explained it in a rather undiplomatic way and here, I've kind of quoted her explanation:

If you think of the two extremes of hypothyroidism and hyperthyrodism - One is like a toad and the other like a rabbit.

The toad is cold, puffy and somewhat fat and constipated. 

The rabbit is wide-eyed, jumpy, nervous and very active.

Her explanations were clear enough but I went away from the clinic wondering if I have just been called a toad, for the first time in my life.. (and hopefully, the last.)

If I say that I didn't feel somewhat anxious of having been diagnosed of an illness (it's kind of like failing a test, isn't it?), I would be lying.

But I was also in a way kind of relieved to know that the weight gain, intolerance to cold and dry skin  is not just in my mind.. but is in fact real and there is something I can do about it now that I know the reason.

I've always thought of myself as a healthy person.. since I exercise about 4 times a week, averaging about 5-6 hours each week. But I guess there is more I can do to make myself even healthier.. especially since I have more information now..

OK, so this is supposed to be a statue of a frog, not a toad.. 

but is a picture that came to mind for today's post. 

The Japanese word for frog sounds like the word "Come Home"

and is used as a symbol for safe journeys for fishermen.