Thyroid Awareness Month- My Journey with Hashimoto’s
My journey started in 2018, when I started having some health issues that no conventional medicine doctor could properly diagnose. My symptoms began with random bursts of hives on my arms or legs. Any part of my body left uncovered when I stepped outside, would be covered in hives an hour later. My first though was to see an allergist, it only seemed like the logical explanation since I would get hives after being outside. Once I found an allergist covered by my insurance I went in and had environmental testing done. As soon as those testing serums hit my skin my arms immediately bubbled up. The allergist totaled up my results to find I was reacting to 47 of the 48 allergens tested on me, and they were considered in the severe category. I thought this was my answer to all my symptoms. Year-round seasonal allergies can cause most of the symptoms I was having. My symptoms were hives, fever, puffiness, fatigue, heart palpitations, bloating, weight gain, and digestive issues.
The allergist got me started on immunotherapy, and I had a balloon sinuplasty surgery to help keep my nasal passages open. I thought I was in the home stretch to get better - nope! It was not the right path; it was just one answer to some of my symptoms.
Next up was fatigue. The fatigue became so debilitating that on weekends I would sleep 16 hours a day. During the week, I would force myself out of bed only to sit on the ground after my morning shower and push myself to get through the rest of the day. My primary care doctor ran some tests and found that my iron and Vitamin D were severely low. My doctor wrote a prescription for prescription Vitamin D at 50,00IU and told me to take the cheap over the counter ferrous sulfate iron and it would solve my symptoms. Nope! It didn’t the Vitamin D helped, but the iron did nothing for me except hurt my stomach. Later I would learn that Ferrous Sulfate is never easily absorbed in anyone’s body and what you do absorb is never enough when your iron deficient.
At this time in my life, my dad had just been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. As my stress increased, anxiety hit, and it hit hard. I had never had any issues with anxiety before, so when I started having panic attacks every afternoon at 3:30pm when I had to drive 40 minutes home from work, I knew it was more than just stress. I felt like my anxiety would get worse when I was hungry. The anxiousness would never really dissipate, I was a nervous mess with heart palpitations constantly. Thankfully, I could still sleep, but as soon as I would wake up it would hit me hard again. I returned to my primary care doctor who try to blow this newest symptom off as stress. She told me “Well your dad is sick, of course it’s stressful. Here takes this anti-depressant.” She also agreed to run more lab work on me. Thankfully!
**Once I learned how to balance my blood sugar and started taking prescribed thyroid medication that works for my body, the anxiety disappeared.
The battery of lab tests included a full thyroid panel, where I finally found an answer! Hallelujah!
The diagnosis was in, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis which is a form of hypothyroidism. Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of the thyroid gland. Funny enough, when I was 19, I had my well woman exam and labs done and the doctor at the time told me that I was borderline for Hashimoto’s disease. After much research and working with my own Functional medicine health coach and functional nutritionist I would learn that there is no borderline. You are either positive or not for Hashimoto’s. I am positive that I have been living with Hashimoto’s since I was 19. Here I was 39 at the time of my official diagnosis and that was four years ago. 20 years of being undiagnosed and unconsciously dealing with minor symptoms throughout my life. Until my body had been stressed enough and it all just hit hard.
In 2018 at the time of my official diagnosis, my doctor whipped out her prescription pad again. During this visit I was prescribed synthetic thyroid medication and told this would help. As she was writing out the prescription, she turned to me and said, "I have read that going gluten-free might help with autoimmune disease, but I'm not sure." I left her office with my new prescription and completely irritated that I still felt unheard. So, I began my research on Hashimoto's.
After several weeks on the medication, I was back in her office. My symptoms were worse, not better. My doctor told me that the meds would balance my thyroid levels, nothing could be done about my symptoms, and I would have to live with them forever. I felt I was being dismissed again and left with no plan. If you know anything about the thyroid, you know that the thyroid is body’s hormone regulator. When hormones are out of whack your whole body is out of whack!
I was completely annoyed with the dismissal of my symptoms and what I felt like was a lack of compassion for what I was going through. I felt like I was just a number. How could any person be expected to live with such debilitating symptoms? I refused to live that way. So, I decided to took charge of my own health and back to the research I went.
My family referred me to an online health coach who had suffered from the same symptoms and diagnosis. This was my introduction to functional medicine and functional nutrition.
My healing journey began in January 2019, and I have not looked back or steered away from this path since! I have had a few setbacks, after all healing is not always linear. It’s not always easy but it is worth it.
With Functional Nutrition, I have been able to reverse my symptoms and put my autoimmune disease into remission! I have gained my life back while reigniting my passion for actual health care and wellness. Functional medicine and functional nutrition are where life is at! I want You to feel this healthy too! If you are ready to get your life back, let me know! Email me at Marisa@MariposaFNC.com