Hormones Outta Wack

Every day is a hormonal mystery unraveling itself right before my eyes. So far, shrinkage has been an amazing transformation to watch! Then there's the unseen changes....

THE GOOD

• Improved Sleep Apnea - it's still present, but better. I can't use my CPAP until after June 17th, but I'm sleeping much better now without it then I would've before without it.

• Joint Pain Decreasing - my right knee still hurts a bit, but my left knee and my elbows haven't bothered me since before the Peapod Extraction

• No Jaw Pain - oddly enough, for 3 Tuesdays leading up to my surgery, my jaw started moving, with my lower jaw/teeth pushing very hard on my upper jaw/teeth. The pain was so intense that it brought tears to my eyes. The first time it happened, I totally freaked out! My family was so wonderful and supportive, they came out to the cottage that weekend to be with me. Since the Peapod Extraction, no clenching my jaw, no jaw pain!

• Burning Feet - the straw that broke the camel's back! About the time I moved to Wilmington, DE, my feet started burning up at night. They got so hot that I couldn't sleep. I bought booties that has ice packs in them thinking they would help. My hot feet melted the ice packs and warmed them up super fast! Since Operation Peapod Extraction, no more hot feet!!!

• Tinnitus - today was the first day my ears were ringing since the Peapod Extraction. Before it was a few times a week for very short stints. They say this isn't related to Acromegaly, but so many people experience Tinnitus, I find it difficult to believe that there is no relation!

• Oily Skin - over the past 4 years, my skin has been a huge oil slick! When I was in Utah, it was do dry the excess oil seemed to dry up more. But since moving east, I just thought the humidity was causing the excess oil. Who knew I had Acromegaly back then. It was so bad, I normally washed my face 3-4 times a day. Now, since the Peapod Extraction, my face isn't oily all day long, even in the hospital when I couldn't wash my face even once a day! My face feels so normal now!!

THE NEW

• Tingles - which I've already posted about. But as a quick note, ate some ice cream today, and my lips and cheeks tingles. So yes, COLD = TINGLE

• Sweaty Scalp - oh yeah this ones new.... and was driving me crazy! At night, my scalp just sweats.. I wake up with my hair wet, and since I have curly hair, I wake up, as they tell me, looking like the Bride of Frankenstein - with curls everywhere, standing on end! I went to sleep with straight hair, and then POOF, I'm a poodle! I may need to retrain my hair to stay curly while this settles itself out - not worth the fight if you ask me!
  
  Although this has gotten so much better this week, it's still happening on and off. I do think this will soon be one and done! 

• Cold, but hot, hot but cold - before Operation Peapod Extraction, my body temp ran hot. It could be 50 degrees in the house, and I was so comfortable, no complaints. Walking around in 45 degree weather around South Haven was perfect weather for me! Now, it's 72 in the house, and I have to put a sweater and fuzzy socks on... then 30 minutes later, I'm pulling off my sweater and socks because I am too hot. My body just cannot regulate itself yet. The tumor was on top of my pituitary tumor, and controlling everything. Now, my body and my pit are trying to figure out how to get back to normal. This will no doubt take a few months.
  
  I've asked my fellow Acro's, and this seems to be quite common - we were hot before the tumor was removed, now, everyone seems to have a hard time keeping warm. I guess all that extra Acro insulation was just heating us up! Hoping it'll either regulate itself or I'll learn how to deal with it!

No doubt, as time goes on, there will be more discoveries that will surprise me and make me change paths

See more details on symptoms:
http://www.acromegalyinfo.com/patient/understanding/acromegaly-symptoms.jsp?site=PS0000346&source=01030