Samantha's TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) was too high last month. It always seems to coincide with school. Her brain takes a rest over the summer and just as soon as school starts the brain starts begging for more.  This pattern started around Kindergarten so I know to get a blood test around the first weeks of school. (Thank goodness for standing lab orders.)

Around this same time I charted both kids heights. Alyssa grew almost an inch since the first of May. Samantha did not grow by height or weight in that same time period. The rest of her friends all had growth spurts.

Prior to last month's labs Samantha was on an alternating dose of synthroid. So instead of just jumping to the next, bigger dose I asked the pediatric endocrinologist if we could just go the same, higher dose every day and drop the low, alternating dose. The ped. endo. wasn't sure that that would be enough, but said that we could try that and then retest in a month.

So yesterday, I received the labs and that simple change has leveled her out perfectly. I still need to watch her growth closely and the doctors are expecting that she'll start showing some growth soon.

Looking back, I did notice that she was sleeping a lot more. It's hard to know if it's being tired from school and a new routine or if it's thyroid-related.

In my mind we still aren't out of the woods until she shows some growth. For now, we'll watch and chart. And if I have any inkling that things are off then we'll head back to the lab.