Bet some of ya didn’t even know he was gone…
At the end of the Summer, I was finally convinced. Tyson was not our little Tyson anymore. Something was different. Where had he gone? It didn’t hit me all at once, but over the course of the summer it had become apparent- and I had a sneaking suspicion of what it might be.
When school got out for the summer, Tyson wanted to enjoy days at home, watching TV on the couch or in front of the computer (pretty typical kid huh) so a week or so went by- then we were out of town for a while, came home and again exhausted- he enjoyed more time enjoying lazy summer days. Then back on the road for the 4th of July and to Oregon.
We knew he had thickened up over the past few months, just a few pounds, but we thought- finally! He’s growing- good- football’s just around the corner, that 3 months of whole milk did him some good. But it was more than that.
After we got his physical for football and notice he had only gained a quarter of an inch in 9 months- when most of the kids were gaining 1-3…It hit me…
I took him in to the Dr. and he had gone from the 70th to 50th to 20th to 12th to the 9th percentile in height over a 2 year span. The Dr. still said—we’ll watch him closely- but nothing seems wrong. OK I said- but before I left, I asked if his Thyroid could possibly be off. That was my sneaking suspicion. Because I know ALL about that one. Nah I thought in the back of my mind- but still needed to pursue it.
The Dr. said- no. He would be very overweight and we would have seen a complete drop off in his height…stagnant. OK I said. Then, the Dr. said- it couldn’t hurt to test it if you want. I said OK.
We left the office and I couldn’t help but to think… He HAS gained weight. But on a normally very thin and fit kid- it just “thickened him up” He was stocky. Family noticed. we noticed. But chalked it up to the whole milk we had purposely fed him back in the spring.
Secondly I reflected the Dr.’s words of his height would be stagnant. Well- it WAS. Going from being 50th to 70th his whole life then dropping to the 9th with in a year…that is STAGNENT—
The final straw for me was that TYSON was NOT TYSON. He was lackadaisical, non goofy, non productive, nor interested in all things out door. Even when he laughed it was from the inside out. He has the most infectious laugh- and it was…gone. He still smiled, but that sparkle, the one only those who know Tyson know, was gone.
So that night, I KNEW the diagnosis before the tests even came back.
When the Dr. called the next morning. early the next morning. I knew. His numbers were in the 400’s. The normal range for Thyroid TSH is between roughly 0.2-5.5. His number was in the upper 400’s!!!!
AND with that, we are blessed! Tyson was blessed with the diagnosis. Because the Dr. said they would have never. NEVER caught it. He said he only treats 4 kids with Thyroid disorders, but wonders how many are out there, that have not been diagnosed. “Someone was telling you to come in, Candy. Someone.”
If we wouldn’t have caught this, he would have struggled over months of sluggishness, weight gain. head aches. Muscle aches (which he had all with in the months leading up to the dr. visit.) But I shrugged them off- I couldn’t put 2 and 2 together, even though I suffer from the same thing.
Although in late July and early August, I had my suspicions, I still tried to brush it aside. The week before school started, Todd gave the kiddo’s a fathers blessing for the up coming school year. As I listened to what he was being said during Tyson’s blessing, there was a sentence in which Todd eluded to Tyson being able to accomplish and do all the things that normal kids his age do. That struck me oddly, he’s always be able to to do things normal kids do, he’s a normal kid. It hit me like a ton of bricks a few hrs later. I hoped I knew what it was, and that it was not something worse. That’s when the next morning I was able to act on my thoughts and call the Dr. who had a cancelation appointment with in an hr of that.
We are blessed. Blessed that the Lord is mindful.
So Tyson started his medicine, started football. started school. started smiling more. laughing more. infectiously laughing more. picking on his sister more. teasing his parents more. being TYSON more!!!!
Still officially the shortest on the football field- but one of the toughest. Tyson is once again, thriving!
One month of Thyroid medicine, and his number went from 467 to 2. something. He also lost 7 lbs of his body between football and extra water weight…AMAZING!
AGAIN, we are SO blessed.
HE’s BACK!
First week of August. First week of Oct.
