Normal, Sweet Normal

Great news from my lab tests this past week: For the first time in more than two years, my thyroid hormone levels are within normal ranges! I think my endocrinologist was just as excited as I was. She says this development is critical to my recovery because if hormone levels are normal, then body functions have a significantly better chance of being normal. Of course, the latter is not a given; I'll still need to get plenty of sleep, eat properly, exercise regularly, and manage my stressful environments closely. But all indications are that my health is improving. The eye pain has decreased for the last year, and my leg/foot swelling is less than it once was (but shoes still have a tight fit). My endo thinks the increase of pitting in the edema is a sign that the swelling is retracting--fingers crossed the eye protrusion eventually will reduce, too. And to top it all off, my weight and blood pressure have both decreased since earlier this year. Let's hope the "new normal" makes itself at home for quite a while!