Beginning side note: Dog and house sitting this week, and my grand dog is not a fan of blog writing. Do you see nose prints? Lol….
I belong to a ton of Hashimoto sites. Sometimes I read the stories on there and my heart just breaks for people. People write all the time, desperately looking for help. Their stories are so sad, their symptoms range from moderate to severe and all of them have a story.
They post because they’re at their wits end. They’re tired of all the symptoms that affect their daily lives. They get frustrated because they talk to their doctor, and for the most part they’re just told that those are the effects of Hashimoto’s disease and they all have to learn to live with it. Sometimes they’re told that adding medication will help to alleviate those symptoms but the truth is that’s never going to happen. Synthroid does nothing to help Hashimoto’s.
I can relate to their story, because I know all too well where they are. They are at the end of their rope. They tried everything, they read everything they can get their hands on, they are information junkie’s. They have tried every diet, they’ve tried every exercise program. They feel like they’re going insane, like they need a psychiatrist to help them through because their issues must be mental. After all, others around them have success!
They deal with all kinds of things: anxiety, depression, hair loss, weight gain, weight loss, irregular body temperatures, dry skin brittle nails, sore muscles, sleep issues. female problems, and headaches. Issues, issues and more issues plague them. They wake up every day wanting to do things but ending up on the couch and not being able to move. Mind is willing, body won’t cooperate. And what does that lead to? More anxiety and depression, feelings of less worth, people around them who do not understand this invisible enemy that robs you of your life.
Sometimes I read their stories and respond, either on the site or through private messaging. I usually respond to the ones that I feel are the most desperate because I can relate to their story more than anyone else’s. The other day I was reading some woman’s litany of what her doctor visits had included, things that were said to her. I felt really badly because a lot of the people that were responding to her on the site, were just telling her that what she needed to do was exercise more and eat less. I find myself rolling my eyes and thinking, they have no idea what they’re talking about. One man in particular, told her all about his workouts that were seven days a week, dripping sweat and so painful that he was nearly crying and how great it was. Ummm…. that doesn’t sound all that great to me. He explained that if she just kept at it, she too, could lose ten pounds this year. That was disheartening to this woman who told that she weighed over 280 pounds. Where would she find a program suited to her? I can totally relate!
I wrote to her privately and told her a little bit about my story, directing her to Dr. Jack, my blog, and we had a conversation that went back-and-forth for a couple of messages. She told me that she was afraid to try Dr. Jack’s program. She said that she had been totally unsuccessful with any kind of food plan because as soon as things didn’t work she was right back to eating unhealthy things. She said she just wasn’t ready to make a commitment that would limit the kinds of foods that she should eat. She told me she would just rather live with the symptoms. I cringed…. I used to think that way too and then one day, I just couldn’t take another day.
She posted a thank you to me for reaching out to her. So what happened? Mr. Letskillmyselfatthegym wrote to me. He told me that I am doing it all wrong. Lollllllllll…. okay… you lost ten pounds in a year… and I changed my whole life in nine months.
“You need bread, cereal and whole wheat products to maintain brain function. Supplements are all the same. You need to manage micronutrients. You need… you need…. you need.” He told me his meal solution is to buy a box of Nutrisystem meals each week. I gagged…. ever read what’s in those? Is there any food in them? I told him there is all kinds of inflammatory junk in those. Sugar…..preservatives…. he told me I was wrong so I challenged him to pick one item, take the healthiest option in the box, take a photo of the ingredients and post that! And suddenly he disappeared.
I removed my posts because I just don’t need more stress. I wrote to her and suggested she hang onto Dr. Jack’s name and email because as I explained to her the day comes when you are so desperate that you would do anything to just alleviate a couple of symptoms. I shared with her that this disease is not going to get better. It’s only going to increase in its severity. The problem is that you learn to live with a couple of symptoms and then all the sudden a new symptom will show up, and you will have to learn to live with that. Giving up a few icky foods is worth it,
I thought about leaving that group because I don’t need more stress. But then I started thinking about my blog. I started it with the idea that if I helped just one other person to not suffer as I did…
For the record, I am a card carrying, life long, totally committed memeber of the Dr Jack Saia plan…. a plan filled with great real food from the grocery store, whole food supplements without fillers and weirdo ingredients, a plan that actually alleviates symptoms,and brings back mental clarity. A program that gives you back the thing you are most desperate for: the life you used to have. Keep your Nutrisystem meals,(gaggggggg), and your painful workouts. I am ecstatic where I am.