My name is Carmen, and I have Hashimoto’s Disease.
Ok, ok, I know what you’re thinking. What the hell is Hashimoto’s Disease? Are you dying? Is it Japanese? You’re not Japanese. Are you contagious?
The answer to all those questions is no. Well, the first might be yes, but no more than any one of us. Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disease. In a nutshell, my immune system thinks that my thyroid hormones are bad and try to kill them. This causes major problems with my thyroid and my immune system. When this all happens (and it happens a lot more than I like), I feel like complete and total shit. It’s like my body is playing one big video game, with all these little rogue men running around and killing the “bad” guys, only the rogue men are the very things that are supposed to be defending me and the “bad” guys are the things that keep everything operating correctly.
Confused yet? Yeah, I empathize.
It has been a long and winding road to get to this diagnosis, and something tells me that it’s not over yet. I’ll talk more about what I’ve been through in later blog posts.
So why this blog, and why now? Well, my friends made me do it. Last week I started a 30 day “Gut Repair Diet” (sexy, huh?) and a few of my friends suggested that I document my progress in a blog. It’ll encourage me to keep moving forward. Cause, you see, I’m not drinking. I need to do something to occupy my time.
God, I must really be sick.
I’m hoping this blog is a place where I can share my thoughts on my illness, my progress towards getting better (fingers crossed!) and what is helping me along the way. Since I love to cook and I’m cooking (and eating) some random things lately I’ll share those too. And I hope to talk about some fun stuff, like music, wine (eventually! 21 days!), travel, etc. I like to think I’m a pretty fun person, and I’d rather talk about these things than being sick.
Yuck. There’s that word again.
If you have Hashimoto’s as well, or if you know someone who does, I hope this can become a conversation.
Of course that’s easy for me to say on my first blog post! I hope you follow along!
hashis-anon 
I have Hashimotos as well. I used to just have an under active one and I went to a doctor in orangevale called Scott summer and I tried to get off my thyroid meds. This caused the autoimmune part of my thyroid problem. I have had it for years.
I use Armour Thyroid instead of synthyroid. It is made from glandular and is thyroid. When the swine flu was prevalent I had a hard time getting it. But no problem since then. It works better for me than the synthetic meds. I have been on all of them.
I just started a new eat to lose program too. I have lost 10 pounds do far, but have a very long way to go. I think it may take me a year or more, but at 52 years old, I know if I don’t get it off now, it may never happen. What kind of plan are you doing Carmen?
If you would like to bike or walk let me know. I game and it’s been along time since I have seen you. 🙂
Linda! I had no idea. Amazing what happens when you start talking about it, isn’t it? I’m working with a chiropractor in Fair Oaks that I’ve been seeing for YEARS. His name is Dr. Brian Jenkins. He has me off thyroid meds (I was on natural thyroid) and using a program developed by Dr. Datis Kharrazian. His thought is that you heal the immune system through the gut and when your immune system heals, it stops attacking your thyroid. Google “Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms?” I’m taking several supplements, and off gluten and dairy. One thing I haven’t started working on is my adrenal health – I’m pretty sure they’re shot with the stress I’ve put myself under over the past few years.
Would love to see you and catch up. It’s been years!
Love seeing your words on a blog!!! You’re a great writer! I look forward to reading more. Sorry the impetus for this was something so sucky. It seems that how most of us bloggers begin–out of a need to express the awful things in our lives. Cathartic. I look forward to reading more of your posts.
Thanks Amber! I think I might need some help with setting up my blog. It’s been a LONG time since I’ve written and I didn’t realize how much I miss it. I agree, it’s interesting how something bad encourages us to do things like this. It’s a little scary to open up, but completely cathartic!
I, also, have Hashimoto’s. My thyroid is slowly dying. I also have adrenal gland involvement, which many, if not all Hashimoto’s patients have. My adrenals glands barely function, and you need cortisol to tolerate thyroid meds and to get the thyroid hormone into the cell., hence, I take hydrocortisone, as well. It is a daily juggling act. I also have to replace female hormones (post menpausal), so it is almost a full time job!!! I have a lot of thyroid inflammation, which makes me sensitive to iodine. If I eat out or inadvertanly get too much iodine in my diet my thyroid swells and it causes all sorts of uncomfortable symptoms- I deal with this on a daily basis. I take white willow, which is an herb, for the inflammation whcih works well for me, better than taking advil daily!
The hard part about Hashis is that for the most part we look well, but can feel rotten so it’s hard to get friends, family, doctors etc to take it seriously. The fatigue is the hardest part for me, as I like to be really active. I have tried every alternate route out there, and with some benefit. I think that since I have been dealing with this for so long that I need the meds now.
There are new ideas and thoughts regarding hashis coming out every day. I will share some of these at a later date, as I think many could benefit from them.
Thanks Carm for starting this blog!
Chris Allen
Thanks Chris! Means a lot that you read and like it! I think you and Linda (in the comment above) would have a lot in common… maybe you could tell her about some of the resources you use?
Hello there, I found your site by way of Google whilst looking for a related subject, your site came up, it looks great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks. I’m not positive the place you’re getting your info, however great topic. I needs to spend some time studying more or figuring out more. Thank you for excellent information I was on the lookout for this information for my mission.
I’m so glad you found me! How exciting! Check out my Resources page, I list several of the websites I frequent. I highly recommend Dr. K’s website. I am certainly no medical expert, so please be sure to do what is best for you and check with a medical professional if you’re not sure.