A Shade of Postpartum

There are a number of specific factors that collide after a baby comes. To name a few, some combination of hormonal upheaval, increased responsibility, physical discomfort, loss of freedom and sleep deprivation are present. I used to think that the postpartum period was completely unique in that respect, and at no other time in one's life could this combination occur. I was mistaken.

Recently, I experienced an interesting phenomenon. Since receiving a diagnosis of thyroid cancer last year, my thyroid levels (and all my hormones) have been haywire due to surgery and post-surgery treatments. For the first time since I had my children in the ‘80s, I felt short-tempered, anxious, and highly emotional. I noticed random disturbing thoughts so unlike the "real" me. They were shockingly similar to the thoughts I had postpartum.

I'd been wanting a dog for many years, and we finally adopted a puppy right before the first (and most severe) chemo treatment. Raising and training a puppy correctly and all positively takes a huge amount of patience, energy and time. Barking woke me every couple of hours at night when on potty patrol. Simultaneously, severe sleep apnea was developing due to the thyroidectomy, so even when I wasn't on duty I'd often be abruptly awakened unable to breathe. Panic attacks, familiar to me only from the postpartum times began to plague my nights.

My previously very independent self was suddenly catapulted into severe restriction. My partner and I shared the dog responsibility, but we always needed to plan our logistics before setting off on our respective days.

To add more drama, a very bold bobcat was stalking our little puppy, so one of us had to be outside with her each time she needed to go out. We were armed with an air horn and flashlight at all times. Guess whose obsessive-compulsive disorder was kicked into gear? This was also quite reminiscent of postpartum days of yore.

When I recently taught a group of therapists at JFK University in Berkeley, I brought up this phenomenon. The discussion that followed was fascinating. One social worker reported that at the same time she was approaching menopause, she also agreed to help raise her granddaughter. She experienced these same symptoms. A marriage and family therapist mentioned that she too experienced these feelings after she had adopted a child a few years ago. She later found out that she had been quite hypothyroid around the same period, which might have explained at least some of her depression and low energy.

The postpartum period carries with it the strongest of hormonal shifts and psychological changes, and caring for a puppy is not the same as caring for a child. However, I now know from personal experience that at other times in our lives it's definitely possible to feel at least a shade of postpartum illness.

Dr. Shosh
www.DrShosh.com