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"Swamped!"

4 April 2003

Based on my blood test results, the doctor increased my thyroid hormone dose, and this week my sweating has increased markedly. It's like everything has shifted into high gear. I called and reported it to him, but he wants me to stay on the new dose for at least a month and then do another blood test. By then I'll drown in a puddle of my own sweat.

It's bad. I am now wet under my arms more or less constantly, something I'm not used to. Until recently I had dry-wet cycles several timers per day but now the only time I'm dry is when I'm sleeping. Now when I'm unstressed I sweat like I did when I was mildly stressed, and now when I'm stressed, I'm absolutely soaked. This is getting out of control.

In the morning between the time I slip on a shirt and leave home, the damp patches are already forming under my arms. By the time I reach the office, I am thoroughly soaking, and it goes all day like that non-stop. The warming weather hasn't helped either.

Even my co-workers, who by now are conditioned to ignore the sweat patches under my arms, are noticing. On Wednesday I had not yet realized my sweating had ratcheted up, and for work wore a lavender silk top, a lovely color for spring, but one that shows wetness readily. I noticed before I left home that I had rather substantial sweat stains on it, and should have changed then but didn't. Things only got worse as the day progressed and I caught several of my coworkers giving me the "triangle look".

Yes, I wear silk because, as I've written here before, I've learned the stains wash out provided I don't make a chemical brew with antiperspirant.

Yesterday morning I had to visit a client and chose my grey business skirt suit and a blue poly blouse that already had salty underarm rings from the last time I wore it. I find these meetings so stressful there's no reason to wear something just laundered, but I want to try to do them to expand my job experience. My plan was to keep my jacket on to hide the sweating.

Less than an hour into the meeting, I started to get the triangle look from him. He then offered me some ice water to drink, and said I could take off my jacket if I was hot. I glanced down toward one armpit and saw I had soaked right through the jacket! That's a rare event for me. Usually a jacket is enough to contain my sweat. I didn't want to get it salt stained too, and decided that since it wasn't hiding the sweat, I'd take it off. The lining was soaked and my blouse was wet half way down my arms. Yeah, he noticed my pit swamps, it was impossible not to, but then we got back to work and they became a non-issue. At least I felt a little cooler without the jacket.

Today is more of the same. I am sitting here doing some writing, nothing stressful, and my armpits are soaked half way to my elbows. When I reach up and touch the fabric, my fingers come away glistening with moisture.

Another month like this?

For prior stories, see the archives.