So, now I'm 14 and ready to start high school-the real proving grounds. Yeah, I got to prove something, all right. I got to prove how sick someone can get and how much school they can miss. Just a mere few days into my freshman year, I realize that I'm severely exhausted one hour into the day. I think to myself, "I can't be THIS out of shape!" Well, I wasn't. I was diagnosed with Graves' Disease. Let me repeat that-GRAVES' DISEASE! Actually, it's a form of hyperthyroidism. Let's break the word apart for those who don't understand this term: Hyper=very fast Thyroid=gland that produces hormones and regulates your body. So, I was on natural speed for 4 months! When you lose 10 pounds in 2 days, something is seriously wrong. So, I went to see a specialist in Peoria (one of the best in the state of IL) and he tells me that he's only seen one case worse than mine (EVER!), and that person was hospitalized and almost died. Thanks, doc! I'm only FOURTEEN YEARS OLD! I hadn't even tasted life yet, and he has me convinced that I'm going to die tomorrow. So, my weak 110 pound frame got 2 doses of radioactive iodine. Let me repeat that-RADIOACTIVE iodine. My dad told me that I glowed in the dark for 3 days. I don't doubt him.
I was cleaning my room up one day when I found the following about the iodine:
1) Do not eat for 1 1/2 hours after treatment to allow your stomach to absorb the medication.
2) Drink 3 extra glasses of water for the three days following treatment. This helps the kidney get rid of the radiation not retained in your thyroid.
3) If you vomit within 24 hours of the treatment, vomit into a toilet bowl and flush 3 times. Call Dr. Jeffrey Chang immediately. This is not related to the radioactive iodine treatment, but we need to dispose of the radiation as rapidly as possible.
4) Avoid contact with pregnant women, infants and children for at least 3 days.
5) Women should not be pregnant or actively nursing when they receive treatment. If you are planning on becoming pregnant, we recommend that you wait one year before becoming pregnant.
6) There are no specific work restrictions.
7) Try to keep the time you spend in close contact with others to a minimum for 3 days (hugging family members, sitting close to others, sleep separate from your spouse for three nights if possible).
8) Wash your hands thoroughly after each toilet use for one week. There will be radiation in the urine.
9) Cooking for others is no problem. There will be small amounts of radiation in the saliva, so you should not taste while cooking.
10) Animals have thyroid glands. You can expose your pet to radiation, so minimize pet contact for 3 days.
So, now comes the REAL fun part. My actual doctor is booked solid after they kill my thyroid. Now, I go 2 weeks without medicine. Guess what? In most people, THAT'S FATAL! Imagine gaining 40 pounds, having less energy than you did with GRAVES' DISEASE, and having to wait for an opening to get into the doctor's office. Makes you feel pretty worthless, huh? The good news is that it only took them SEVEN FUCKING YEARS TO GET THE MEDICINE RIGHT!
Anyway, so I missed almost the whole first semester of high school. I got dropped from my honor's classes and put in basic classes. Translation: make up 7 classes' and 13 weeks worth of homework and tests in 5 weeks, and let's not forget that that's on top of the current stuff. Each class, I got to take 2 tests a day for 2 weeks and then study for 8-9 hours a night for the next ones. So, to whoever reads this, I NEVER want to hear "I have a test next week, and it covers 200 pages of material. I'll never pass it! I need more time!" BOO FREAKIN' HOO!
Now, onto the social aspect of these diseases (keep in mind, I had hypothyroidism after the radioactive iodine-a worse disease than the first one). To sum it up briefly, every student who didn't already know me thought I was an exchange student. I could've told them my name was Ralph Malph and they would've believed me. However, there was one plus to all this-chicks dig the new kid. Man, girls were making passes at me left and right. It was great-probably God's gift for being tortured for 4 months. So, the rest of my freshman year was one of the best semesters I ever had.
