I mentioned in my previous input that I would write a separate one, and advised to keep an eye out for it. It took a lot longer than originally intended, partly because of the situation I am about to describe, I sincerely apologize for that.
I was thinking of all the points I have discussed lately. While I write inputs for all to consider, mentioning aspects that might help us strengthen and grow inshallah, I often include myself as a subject… “our” striving…. affects “us”… “we” need to, and so on…
سورة البقرة ٤٤
أَتَأۡمُرُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ بِٱلۡبِرِّ وَتَنسَوۡنَ أَنفُسَكُمۡ وَأَنتُمۡ تَتۡلُونَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَۚ أَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُونَ
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:44
Do ye enjoin right conduct on the people, and forget (To practise it) yourselves, and yet ye study the Scripture? Will ye not understand?
This is something I consciously keep in mind whenever I write an input. After all, I am only human, facing my own personal challenges (which is why I keep pointing to self-awareness as something beneficial), us, we, our… everyone of us are affected by different elements in life. I wanted to open up a little about that and let you know what I am going through at this point, so… this is a bit of a personal input…
The aspect of health
Something I am unsure whether I have ever mentioned or not, is the fact that I am a diabetic (مرضى السكر) since childhood. Don’t worry, this has never really been much of a problem for me alhamdulillah, I have learned to live with it. After all, it is a part of this life and my striving. Who knows, I might write a more extensive input on this subject at some point, from the point of Islam, things like Ramadan, etc, inshallah, but for now I would like to focus on something specific…
The thyroid gland
The human body is a fascinating creation, (by all means, check the input “A world of small miracles“, and you may get an idea). Inside our body, there is a part known as the thyroid gland. It is located in front of the neck and shaped like a butterfly. Like this…
What does it do? It helps to regulate many body functions. It plays a major role in the metabolism, growth and development of the human body by constantly releasing a certain amount of hormones into the bloodstream.
In that sense, it affects every cell and all the organs in the body by regulating the rate at which your body uses calories, amongst other things.
(Source: www.informedhealth.org and www.clevelandclinic.org)
During these past few months, I started to feel incredibly tired. A test at the medical center showed that I had flexible values related to the thyroid gland. (I went through a similar scenario years ago, but the medicine I received then did not help so I stopped. The situation at that point improved somewhat so no further actions were taken.
Actually, after looking at a statistical graph, it seems my values have been rather abnormal since 2017. To give an idea of how it has impacted on my life, (and to some extent also my faith), I will share a brief overview of some potential side effects. Keep in mind that this is a very brief and general outline, (people may experience things in different ways, but these things listed here are things I have gone through myself)
* Fatigue and Low Energy: A slow metabolism often results in lower energy levels because the body isn’t efficiently converting food into energy.
* Depression or Mood Changes: Lower energy levels and hormonal imbalances associated with slow metabolism can affect mood, leading to symptoms of depression or irritability.
* Brain Fog/Lowered Motivation: Slow metabolism can result in cognitive issues such as difficulty concentrating, and a general feeling of mental sluggishness, slower thinking, difficulty making decisions, and delayed reactions to stimuli. Feeling constantly tired or lethargic can decrease motivation to take action, resulting in procrastination or slower initiation of tasks.
Other side effects such as weight gain (rather common) and slow wound healing may also affect people. I know myself well enough to recognize if I’ve been “out of character” for any reason. (Which is where self-awareness has been very beneficial indeed.) During my investigation on this issue, I asked the question: Does a person generally become slower to do things or act due to slow metabolism? The answer was perhaps not too supririsng: “Yes, a person with a slow metabolism can often become slower to do things or act, both physically and mentally. This slowing effect is often due to the body’s decreased ability to generate and use energy efficiently.”
True enough, I have experienced negative side effects, and still do. At one point, I fell asleep during the afternoon, woke up at around 7:45 and thought to myself… oh, I have slept a long time. So I took the morning medication. Only then did I discover that it was actually 7:45 pm – in the evening, not 7:45 am in the morning. I had taken the morning medication. That’s not good. Especially being a diabetic. Fortunately, that only happened once, but it’s bad enough that it happened at all. Tiredness, sluggish mind. A difficulty focusing has affected my spiritual practices as well… we are supposed to be solely focused on our Creator during salat, but I can rarely complete a raka’a (ركعة) without my mind drifting off somehow. I have sometimes received tips on how to tackle such challenges… and although it’s all good advise and may have initially worked to some extent, the solution has not really lasted… from what I’ve seen over time, it’s not character related. It’s medical.
So… mood change?
Yep. Depression. Or sometimes annoyance or irritability. Fortunately, these things are not too common but it happens. I’m generally a positive and gentle soul which many of you know, and those parts are rather strong, alhamdulillah, which again indicates… it’s medical…
Another notable side effect I have experienced of late is…
…elephant feet? Ha, well.. swollen. However, this, as I’ve found out, is due to the new medication I’m taking. After doing some research on it, I got this answer: “yes, certain medicines can lead to fluid retention and swollen feet”. I decided to stop with the new thyroid medicatioon as well. Given what I wrote earlier about my problems with thyroid medication, seems my body doesn’t really react too well to these medicines. I will drop by the hospital this upcoming week inshallah, and we’ll see what they say.
But regarding the overall condition itself, with how the body sometimes act or influence me, I am reminded of the following ayat…
سورة فصلت ٢٠-٢١
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا مَا جَآءُوهَا شَهِدَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ سَمۡعُهُمۡ وَأَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ وَجُلُودُهُم بِمَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ
وَقَالُواْ لِجُلُودِهِمۡ لِمَ شَهِدتُّمۡ عَلَيۡنَاۖ قَالُوٓاْ أَنطَقَنَا ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَنطَقَ كُلَّ شَيۡءٖۚ وَهُوَ خَلَقَكُمۡ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٖ وَإِلَيۡهِ تُرۡجَعُونَ
Surah Fussilat 41:20-21
At length, when they reach the (Fire), their hearing, their sight, and their skins will bear witness against them, as to (all) their deeds.
They will say to their skins: “Why bear ye witness against us?” They will say: “Allah hath given us speech,- (He) Who giveth speech to everything: He created you for the first time, and unto Him were ye to return.
I look at my body and say… “for anything bad you contribute to, I will stand witness against youuu, ya naughty, if Allah permits. So change your ways before it’s too late. Let’s work together, ok?”. In such moments, I really think that my body should have its own record, because I do not always agree with its behaviour.
In any case, I wanted to share the struggles I am facing. I know there are people who may recognize some of these symptoms and have seen them in me. And also those who have had to wait for a response from me and some still do, while I usually tend to respond promptly. For now, I extend my deepest apology. You are not forgotten. Pray for me, and let us hope this condition will be solved shortly, inshallah. I will keep updating weekly as long as I have the energy, and will continue with pointers and aspects we might benefit from, on our path to Jannah, inshallah. I wish peace and comfort for everyone and hope you have experienced a good Friday indeed. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers.
The best of times to you all inshallah.
Peace, happiness, and stay faithful.