On August 28th 2017 I was diagnosed with Hashimotos Thyroiditis Disease.
A week earlier I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism. It was recommend by my doctor to start thyroid medication.
I talked with my Nutrition Coach and asked her opinion on Hypothyroidism. She did some research and found some good information on how to adjust my diet to possibly reverse some of the side effects of Hypothyroidism and prolong having to start thyroid medication. I'm not against medication, but I know once you start hormone replacement medication, you will have to continue for the rest of your life. My goal was just to put off starting meds as long as possible.
I contacted my doctor and shared the information my nutrition coach and I had found. My doctor was very open and willing to try this route but as she read over the list of what we need to do, she noticed that they were opposite of what we needed to do if I had Hashimotos Disease.
She had not run the tests to rule it out so I went right in, got the blood work done and unfortunately it came back positive for Hashimotos. She called me and gave me the news & had a plan to help get me feeling better asap. She recommended I read and follow the Hashimotos protocol by Izabella Wentz and then come back in and run my bloodwork after I complete the 90 days. It starts with a liver cleanse, followed by an adrenal cleanse and ends with a gut cleanse. I'm about 60 days into it and I'm in the adrenal phase. I'm extending the adrenal phase because I'm still not feeling so great.
Part of the protocol is taking supplements, not working out & I'm not eating Gluten, Dairy, Soy, Sugar, Caffeine, Legumes, Nuts, Seeds, Grains & Nightshades. I'm following the AIP diet which is the Auto Immune Paleo Diet. Is it easy? No! Am I perfect? No! Am I trying? Yes! Am I noticing a difference in how I'm feeling? Yes! Is it worth it? Yes! Will I end up taking medication? Most likely Yes. Once I eventually have to start taking meds will I continue to eat this way? Yes! Medication is just a bandaid it makes the thyroid function properly but the diet keeps the autoimmune disease in check and lessens the symptoms.
The reason I'm sharing this is I hope that I can help others by being open about my journey. We all have our own story & we all chose different paths with our health. The way I am doing things may not be for everyone and that's okay. My goal is to help us all come together and help each other out because it's much easier to get through life's trials if you have a team of fighters by your side.
Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disease that results in the destruction of the thyroid gland, leads to hypothyroidism, and sometimes, to other types of autoimmune diseases. It affects more than 14 million people in the United States, mostly women, but also men and children. 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease and up to 60 percent of the 20 million are unaware that they have a thyroid condition.
If you're not feeling well, if you feel like something is off, please take care of yourself and make sure you go to your yearly doctor appointments and don't be afraid to ask questions about your own health. I have felt like something had been off and wrong with me for the last 7 years and unfortunately, Hashimoto's is hard to diagnose until it's in it's advanced stages. I actually had ultrasounds and blood work done about 5 years ago on my thyroid because I had swollen lymph nodes and an enlarged thyroid but unfortunately the doctors couldn't figure out what was going on at the time.
Don't give up on yourselves! You are worth it! I highly suggest everyone take a look at your diets. Just eliminating some things from you diet can help reduce swelling, inflammation, bloating, headaches, etc. Take your health seriously, if you take care of you, you will be around longer to take care of the ones you love.
Please be patient with me. I'm doing my best. I have good days and bad days. It's hard being broken. I'm a fighter and I don't give up but some days I want to give up, it's hard and I'm not used to getting my butt kicked, I'm usually the one doing the kicking! I love you all and thank you for your love and support!
Thanks for reading,
Jena
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