Whenever I talk to people about my disease, I always tell everyone, “I used to be the poster girl for Hashimoto’s disease.” People think I exaggerate that fact but literally, I am not kidding, I was the complete checklist minus a few. I often can’t believe either that I had all those symptoms.
When I first met Dr. Jack, I told him that I had a lot of symptoms of Hashimoto’s and he asked, “Like what?” And so I gave him a list. I didn’t think much about it after that because my only goal on the day we started was to just lose forty pounds and to lose a couple of the symptoms I had. I figured I couldn’t really hope for much more. Dr. Jack, however, didn’t much care for that goal. He assured me that in a year, I could lose a hundred pounds and to lose all the symptoms if I followed exactly what he told me to do.
Was I skeptical? Absolutely. But he seemed so self assured about the whole thing, I kind of shrugged it off, and in the back of my mind, I thought, I still would be lucky to just have the goal I set. A little over nine months in, this great team had achieved the goal and it just keeps getting better. But what’s funny to me now, is at the time, although I knew how symptomatic I was, but it never occurred to me how bad. I remember that one night in January or so, Dr. Jack told me that he was going to be doing a guest spot on a radio show and I thought I would listen to it. I sat down and was folding laundry and listening.
They asked him a lot of questions and he was talking about his program and then he started telling a story about a woman who started working with him who had Hashimoto’s. I remember smiling to myself, and thinking, “Oh wow, Dr. Jack is talking about me on the program! How cool is that?” And then I heard him say, “When you have someone who is that severely symptomatic…” I admit that was ALL I heard him say. I was severely symptomatic?? Yeah….I really was!! He said so too! All these doctors had told me it was just another thing, no biggie, and now finally!! A doctor was admitting it was as severe as I had always thought!!
I got off the couch and grabbed my Ipad. I started looking at sites that I frequented that talked about Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s. I remember sitting there thinking, “Oh my goshhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I am next to the entire LIST!!!” And I was….but the operative word is ….that I Was! . Yes WAS!!!!
As I read through that same list today, I just am amazed! How did I live like that for so long? Oh yeah. I didn’t really….
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis Symptoms:
Weight gain?…. don’t need to eat a cookie, just think about it. Had it but it’s gone, but no! Lol… I don’t eat cookies to know it’s gone. Are you kidding? Sugar is like poison! Do your own research. Sugar is poison to most people, to Hashimoto’s pateients? Worse!!
Fatigue? Please, I was the definition of fatigue. Brush your teeth and need a break. I couldn’t fold a load of laundry without stopping to rest. Clean your home? You need a break after every single task. Bring in groceries? Need a break. Fatigue, it sounds like such a little word for something so disabling. Had it, but it’s gone.
Paleness or puffy face? My eyes were constantly puffy, skin, icky pale… I wore as much cover up as you could get away with that did not cover up any of it. Cold compresses to reduce the swelling. Thyroid eyes, that’s what I called them. I could spot other thyroid patients just by their eyes. Had it… gone
Joint and muscle pain? I used to hurt so bad all day that the thought of just going into job two? I cried, so many days I cried. I didn’t dare walk in the door without Alleve. I carried Alleve, Motrin, Advil EVERYWHERE If I didn’t have it, I got into a panic. I was like an addict carrying multiple containers in every jacket, every pocket. Had it ….gone.
Constipation and diarrhea, bouts of stomach issues galore. If it wasn’t one problem it was the other. Within two days of Dr. Jack’s program? Totally gone. All kinds of food bothered my tummy. Not anymore!
Inability to get warm. Oh gosh… how much I appreciate that this one is GONE GONE GONE!!! Let me tell you, September through late May every single year, same story. Can’t get warm. I would be freezing all day long, at night being the worst. I would get super chilled coming out of my second job, get in my car and blast the heat. Did I warm up? I laugh! Get home and run for the door so as not to catch the worst chill, the one that felt disabling. Get ready for bed was like a trip to the Antarctic, double socks, thermal pants and top and pajamas on top. Crawl into bed after turning on electric blanket. Put on cover, comforter and at least four afghans. Shiver!!! NOT kidding. Keep shivering, like teeth chattering cold , grab a hat to wear in bed, until about three a.m. Fall asleep exhausted from spending so much energy trying to get warm. Alarm goes off at five, and you are finally warm, only now you have to get into the shower. Lather, rinse, repeat. Oh golly, I had it!!! Gone.
Sleep issues? Hello?? See above! Only then there were those issues too, coupled with fatigue and restlessness. Bouts of exhaustion followed by insomnia. Had it! Gone!!
Difficulty getting pregnant. Funny how when there was six years between my kids despite trying that I never realized the connection since I had not been diagnosed until after my son was born.
Hair Loss? Oh yeah… all my life I had this thick head of hair. Beautiful thick hair. The girl who cuts it for me could tell me when I was correctly medicated or in the middle of flare up better than I could. When I showered, I would find clumps. Seriously it looked like I had a big problem. We are not talking the normal 8 – 10 strands. We are talking globs of it. I used to cry looking at it wondering where it would stop. Then of course there were the months of hair issues. I had a ring of dandruff or almost like psoriasis around my head like a halo. Had to use prescription strength shampoo. Did it help?? No. I wouldn’t dare wear a black sweater. It was disgusting because it wasn’t those cute flakes from a Head and Shoulders commercial, it was like disgusting scabby pieces. I shiver just thinking about it now. Gone!
Skin issues, patches of psoriasis. My legs looked like alligator skin. No cream or lotion helped. Gone!
Irregular or heavy menstrual periods… I have a few men followers… skip this paragraph…. my entire life has been this. Have a baby!! That’s what they told me when I was a young married woman. It will fix everything. Yeah, okay. ALL my life I have had this. Wear a tampon? You mean like alone? No, not cutting it. I don’t even want to explain what I had to wear to just make it through a day. Some women carry two feminine products in their purse, how cute…. I carried a bag. EVERYWHERE. And at night? I had a nurse friend who got me those pads to put on your bed along with a mattress pad, along with… along with… along with. Disgusting…. awful terrible periods. Two D and C’s for all kinds of trouble. Thankfully? GONE
Depression? Well, HELLO! If you have that list? Yes, I was depressed but also bouts of depression as well. GONE
Slowed Heart rate? Low body temperature? All gone
Dry brittle nails? Oh you mean those flakes that look like you have glue on your nails? Difficulty concentrating? The hundreds of pocket notes I wrote just to remember where my car was parked? Brain Fog? That’s a whole other blog! No sweating? See above. Decreased reflexes? How long should I go here?
I WAS the checklist but I have NONE of it anymore. And guess what?? YOU don’t have to either!!
I meet people all the time, through my blog, through my facebook group, through Dr. Jack, and other friends. They tell me all about their suffering and I tell them about how they can CURE it. And then then tell me it is inconvenient to follow an eating plan. ARE YOU KIDDING? Because you would RATHER do the last 1200 words I wrote?
Sigh………… You don’t have to live with it. You think it is just going to get better with a little synthroid. One friend told me that, “I will live with it until they find a pill.” Wake up! There’s no pill and you are not going to get better! You are going to get worse until you can’t stand it anymore. Been there. When you want to come out of the dark nasty forest, let me know. This land of sunshine, flowers and rainbows is so much better. Soooooooooo much better!
Hugs!
Chris