Nel, Author at Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

Healing Myself: Day 11

It’s been a busy week, but the good news is that I’m slowly getting to the point where I have more energy. I’ve been having my anti-oxidant smoothie every morning. I’ve been trying to be more careful about what I eat, so I’ve cut down on dairy and gluten, though I haven’t cut them completely out. I’ve also cut down on the caffeine… boooooo! But it seems to be making some difference. I’m learning what, in addition to the food I already know about, triggers my acid reflux and heartburn. Dairy definitely seems to be in that group, unfortunately. I love cheese, so I’m researching what cheeses are worst and best for lactose sensitivities. It might not be as bad as I think, so that’s a plus.

I’ve lost about 3-4 pounds. I’ve only needed to take my Prilosec twice in the past week. Things are definitely looking up. I still need to go shopping for that exercise bike. I’m just too tired on the weekends to do anything but veg out and work on some personal projects around the house. Maybe this week after work…

Day Four of the “No Prilosec” Experiment…

…and I wish I could say I feel great, but to be perfectly honest, I hit a bump. I’m definitely having some acid reflux and heartburn issues today. I had to take a Prilosec before dinner. Also, I think the culprit is probably dairy… dammit! I love dairy. I’ve never had a problem with dairy before. Ugh. I’m going to experiment to see how my body reacts to dairy. If it is indeed a problem, I’ll have to cut way back. I’m not going promise to get rid of dairy altogether because I love the occasional ice cream and cheese, but I need to not be in pain all the time. So, sacrifices will have to be made.

Clearly, I have a lot of work left to do on my digestive issues, but I’m not giving up. I’m making changes slowly so I’m not overwhelmed. The hardest thing for me is to remember all the supplements to take, the foods to avoid, and foods to eat more of. It’s a lot to keep track of when my memory is so horrible from the Hashimoto’s in the first place. I’m going to have to get organized, take notes, and stay focused. I’ll let you know how that goes…

Oh, The Pain, The Pain…

When you have Hashimoto’s, sometimes you just wake up in pain. Everything hurts. It’s a soreness that sometimes feels like you overdid it working out, but you didn’t work out because you’re too tired, hurting, etc to do so. Sometimes, it’s more than just soreness, it’s a burning pain… inflammation. Today, it’s a bit of both. I woke up several times during the night with pain in my back, pain in my arm, pain in my wrist. Sadly, I am used to this. I want to get to a point where my Hashimoto’s takes a backseat and I’m NOT used to being in pain all the time. Ibuprofen manufacturers will mourn that day. Wouldn’t that be nice? 🙂

I’m on my third day without Prilosec and I’ve had no major heartburn or acid reflux episodes. I did have a few “uh oh” moments that I thought would turn into major pain, but they didn’t. I’m pretty sure now that chocolate is a trigger. *sigh* Dairy might be too, but I still need to experiment a little with that to see.

rootcause — Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause

In other news, look what came today! I love Amazon. I ordered this Friday night and it arrived today… Yes, on Sunday! 🙂 I hope this book holds some answers for me. I’m hoping I can make some changes in my life that will minimize Hashimoto’s impact and allow me to do more and enjoy more. If you would like to order your own copy, click here. (Disclosure: I participate in the Amazon Associates program and get a small commission if you purchase through my link.)

I am going to spend the day reading this book and coming up with a game plan for my own “lifestyle intervention” for my Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.

Healing Myself: Day 3

Well, yesterday went fairly well. I started the day off with an anti-inflammatory smoothie. It consisted of banana, strawberries, blueberries, mango, acai juice, and a little bit of milk (though I might switch to almond milk in the future). It was delicious and I felt fantastic yesterday morning. I also skipped my Prilosec. I didn’t have any heartburn or reflux, even though my husband and I had burgers and fries for dinner. (Yeah, I’m still working on cutting food like that out for a while.)

I didn’t take any Prilosec today either and I had another delicious smoothie this morning. If I feel up to it today, we’re going to go shopping for an exercise bike. If I don’t feel up to it, I think I’ll just sit outside for a while in the gorgeous sunshine with the pup. I don’t get nearly enough of that in Seattle, which is one of the reasons my doctor also has me on vitamin D supplements.

On the way home from work yesterday, a shuttle I was taking to the transit tunnel went past the Polyclinic on Madison. I got excited because I was trying to figure out on a map where it was and now I know exactly where it is in relation to work. It’s only a few blocks away, in fact! It’s a short walk, but it’s all uphill. Ugh. Anyway, there’s an endocrinologist specializing in thyroids there that I’m going to try to get in to see. He’s not taking any new patients unless they have a referral, so I’m hoping he’ll accept me. I’m really hoping he can help me get my TSH stable and my Hashimoto’s in remission.

Healing Myself: Day 1

After the misery of yesterday, I know I need to seriously adjust my diet. I didn’t eat particularly bad yesterday, but I think it was a few squares of dark chocolate that did me in. So, today, I skipped the Prilosec and although I’m still recovering from the horrific heartburn of yesterday, I’m doing better.

Last night, I sat down and made a list of anti-inflammatory foods and a list of acid reflux/heartburn trigger foods. I went shopping with my husband today to stock up on anti-inflammatory foods (well, I helped a tiny bit and sat the rest of the time because I’m so weak and fatigued right now). He’s an excellent cook, so he’s really going to be my biggest help in trying to eat better. With the list of the acid reflux triggers, I am keeping them in a handy spot to refer to so I can avoid them. It won’t be easy because I love my coffee and chocolate! I will include the lists in a later post. Tonight, I’m too tired and brain dead to focus on writing for any length of time.

Wish me luck!

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and Heartburn

I took a 2-3 hour nap this evening and when I woke up, I was in serious pain. I knew it was heartburn as I’ve had it before, but some of the symptoms are eerily similar to a heart attack. There was a pain in my chest, pain right between my shoulder blades, pain in my throat, neck, jaw, and radiating down my arm. I took some baking soda in water and that seemed to help, and of course, I got relief once I started burping. Probably only a temporary fix, but it was so painful, I had to do it.

For the longest time, I assumed, because of my gastroenterologist, that my acid reflux was due to too much stomach acid. But doing a little research this week, I find that it may actually be due to too little stomach acid. I’ve tried a few days here and there of not taking my Prilosec and I did as well or better than days that I took it. In addition, proton pump inhibitors can cause problems absorbing vitamins like iron and B-12. Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis sufferers already have problems with iron and B-12 deficiency. I definitely have.

I suspect that my acid reflux may be more a problem with pressure on my abdomen than any problem with acid. So, I’m really going to push myself harder than ever before to drop weight and get all these problems under control. Tonight, I started by going on a walk with my husband after dinner. Later this week, I’m going to go shopping for an exercise bike.

I’m still in pain from the heartburn and it may be a long night, but I’m hopeful that I can beat this by educating myself, making better choices about the food I eat, and pushing myself to exercise even though I’m so exhausted. It would be lovely to remove one more medication from my long list of medications I have to take.

For more information about Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and Heartburn/Acid Reflux:

Protein Digestion and Hashimoto’s

Is There A Thyroid and Acid Reflux Connection?

The Spoon Theory

One day, many years ago, I ran across the website of Christine Miserandino, ButYouDontLookSick.com. She doesn’t suffer from Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, but does have another autoimmune disease, Lupus. In order to give her friend some idea of just what she goes through on a daily basis living with an autoimmune disease, she came up with The Spoon Theory. The spoon theory is basically this, people living with autoimmune disease or chronic illness have a limited amount of energy (spoons) and must make careful choices as to how they expend that energy.

Since reading the Spoon Theory, I have used it to explain to those who don’t have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis just what I go through living with the disease. It’s a constant struggle with fatigue, brain fog, pain, inflammation, digestive issues… The list goes on. Rarely does everything subside all at once so that I have “good days”. There are so many times when I wanted so badly to go out with friends or go to my niece or nephew’s games, but I was just too sick and too tired to manage it. I ran out of spoons. Even the events I did manage to make, there was always a level of discomfort or fatigue that managed to detract from my enjoyment of it.

Even those who “get” the concept of the Spoon Theory don’t truly understand what it’s like to live with an autoimmune disease or chronic illness. Yes, they accept that you have limitations, but they don’t know what those limitations feel like. Nobody but another sufferer can truly understand.

My Hashimoto’s Diary

I have decided to start a Hashimoto’s Diary to document what I go through living with this disease.

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease that attacks the thyroid, when I was ten years old. I didn’t know what it was back then. All I knew was that I needed to take medication every day. Looking back at my childhood with a more educated eye, I can see the signs: wearing winter jackets in summer, shedding hair like a cat, brittle fingernails, sleeping 12+ hours a day. It was all there, but I was still too young and healthy to let it slow me down much.

Many years and many pounds later, I am still struggling with health issues related to Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. I am more educated about Hashimoto’s, but education doesn’t necessarily equate to action and/or better health. It’s one thing to know what to eat and how to exercise, but it’s completely another to have the energy, willpower, and motivation when your body is working against you, craving carbs and making you so fatigued that you can’t think straight (even after 8+ hours of sleep).

After my latest autoimmune flare, a few weeks ago, I decided that perhaps if I kept a diary, it would help me find patterns, figure some things out, and focus on getting well. Even better if I blog about it because maybe another Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis sufferer out there will see this, share their experiences, and help fill in some pieces of the puzzle.

Here’s hoping this Hashimoto’s Diary will provide some answers and comfort for all of us.

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis Is Not Benign

Tonight, I came across an article about Google CEO Larry Page and his Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis diagnosis. He described Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis as a “fairly common benign inflammatory condition of the thyroid which causes me no problems.” Well, then, he’s lucky because I and every single person I know that has Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis has suffered. If you’re at my website, odds are you have, too. It is not a benign condition and if untreated, it could lead to coma or death.

When I read about Larry Page’s comments, I was upset, to say the least. So many responses went through my head and I started to compose a blog post to rebut the assertion that Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is benign. But then, I read this article by Jill Klausen, a fellow sufferer. Her story could be my story. In fact, it hit so close to home I nearly cried.

Thyroid Problems Can Cause Issues With Pregnancy

Thyroid problems can cause problems with pregnancy and should be screened for within the first 3 months of pregnancy, according to researchers in India. Even moderate problems with the thyroid can put women and their unborn children at serious risk for complications such as miscarriage, low birth weight, premature labor, and still birth.

Thyroid hormone, produced by the thyroid gland, helps regulate the process of turning food into energy, but excessively low hormone production, or hypothyroidism, may cause symptoms such as fatigue, sensitivity to cold temperatures, constipation and depression.
However, during pregnancy untreated, hypothyroidism is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, low birth weight and other serious complications. Although previous research has suggested that women with moderate thyroid dysfunction, or subclinical hypothyroidism, also are more likely to suffer complications, the level of risk was uncertain….More at Thyroid problems cause pregnancy issues – UPI.com

So, if you’re pregnant or think you might be pregnant, talk to your doctor about getting your thyroid checked. One simple test could prevent serious issues.