After giving birth to a third child, who wouldn't be tired? But an Omaha woman knew the fatigue, anxiety and hair loss she experienced wasn't normal.

It turns out that she has a condition three times more common in women than men.
In June's Health Check, what you need to know about thyroid disease.

Having fun isn't a challenge for Pamela Stehlik anymore. She's come a long way since the birth of her third child, Owen, 18 months ago.

"This one -- I couldn't get it together," she said. "I didn't know what was wrong. Then you get depressed, have anxiety and everyone goes, 'Oh you're depressed. You have three kids.' But it's not that."

A yearly check-up with her obstetrician led Stehlik to Alegent Health endocrinologist Dr. Alain Taylon who discovered Pamela's thyroid disease.

You can have an under-active thyroid for which doctors replace the hormone, or an over-active thyroid, as was the case for Pamela. In that instance, doctors attack the gland and try to normalize levels. But getting a diagnosis isn't always easy.

Dr. Taylon says, "It can present a number of different things. Symptoms are very common: fatigue, depressions. Sometimes it presents as heart disease, weight loss -- sometimes weight gain. So you have to think about it."

It took Pamela a year-and-a-half of medication to stabilize her condition. Now she has the energy to shop for snacks, keep up with her kids, and feel like her old self.

She says, "Women have great instincts and they use them for everyone but themselves. They know when their kids are getting into trouble or in danger, you know, listen to your own body."

Pamela finally did and now she's able to enjoy life's simple pleasures.

Dr. Taylon says pregnancy often suppresses auto-immune problems. Once women give birth, the signs of thyroid disease become much more apparent. If you have unexplained symptoms, ask your family doctor for a thyroid test.

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