{"id":4729,"date":"2016-04-23T09:06:37","date_gmt":"2016-04-23T13:06:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/?p=4729"},"modified":"2016-04-23T21:07:01","modified_gmt":"2016-04-24T01:07:01","slug":"2016-t-is-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/2016-t-is-for\/","title":{"rendered":"#dSavannahDefects – T is for…"},"content":{"rendered":"

My theme this year for the #AtoZchallenge<\/a> is #dSavannahDefects<\/b><\/span>, aka “What’s it’s like dealing with #InvisibleIllnesses”. Or, in short, {some of} what’s wrong with me.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

\"t<\/a>\u00a0… thyroid<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The thyroid<\/b><\/span> is a “butterfly-shaped gland that sits low on the front of the neck”. It produces a variety of hormones that “act throughout the body, influencing metabolism, growth and development, and body temperature” (webmd.com<\/a>). So needless to say, the thyroid is pretty important in your overall health.<\/p>\n

There are tons of autoimmune disorders<\/a> that have to do with the thyroid, and they are fairly common. Off the top of my head, I can think of four other people with thyroid issues. Both men and women can have thyroid problems, tho women are more likely to experience issues, as well as a slow-down in thyroid hormones as we age.<\/p>\n

Some of these diseases include inflammation of the thyroid; thyroid cancer<\/a>; Graves’ disease<\/a>; Hashimoto’s<\/a>; and Goiters<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It’s odd that a tiny gland (it’s only about 2 inches across) can wreak so much havoc, but it can!\u00a0 There’s even a whole organization (American Thyroid Association<\/a>) dedicated to it!<\/p>\n

I personally have a “sluggish” thyroid, which means that my gland is producing hormones, but not as many as I need. (So, I have hypothyroidism. If I had hypERthyroidism, it would be producing too much.)<\/p>\n

A lot of the symptoms<\/a> I have can be explained by my thyroid issues, but not all. I have to take a pill every day to get enough of the hormones I need. (Thankfully, there is a pill I can take every day.)<\/p>\n

…Terra Studios<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You’ve probably heard of the Bluebird of Happiness<\/b><\/span>. But did you know that it’s a real thing made by real artists? (Besides the actual birds.)<\/p>\n

Today, we are going on another defection<\/strong><\/span>, this time to Terra Studios<\/b><\/span><\/a> in Fayetteville, AR. It is one of my very favorite places on Earth, and the home of the Bluebird of Happiness<\/a>, a hand-blown glass creation. (I thought I had photos of an artist working on creating Bluebirds, but I can’t find them.)<\/p>\n

I actually own two Bluebirds, and one Pink bluebird. {photo below} One of the Blues belonged to my Grandmother, and the Pink was a gift I had given her, as they were created in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness<\/a>. I received the Blue and the Pink back after Grandmother’s passing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Terra Studios is a whimsical art park, full of sculptures and art, and flowers and trees and a labyrinth, and an art gallery. It was one of my favorite place to roadtrip to when we lived in Arkansas. It’s magical. I hope you enjoy a few of the photos I’ve taken there over the years.<\/p>\n

This slideshow requires JavaScript.<\/p>