My Hashimoto’s Journey
*I am not a healthcare professional. I am not offering medical advice. This is simply to document my journey. Thanks for reading.
I purchased this sweatshirt because I thought it was funny and it accurately describes my current journey with my Hashimoto’s and overall health. I am fine. never better. But inside I feel slightly dead. Not to be too dramatic. 🙂 I have been pushing through the exhaustion and the pain. In this post. I hope to be open and honest but also encouraging. I am sharing my journey with hopes that some day soon, I will look back on all this and be thankful at far I’ve come.
A little history
I definitely feel like I took my health for granted and did not realized the impact of my decisions until the last couple of years. I made poor choices and did not provide my body with what it needs. I focused so much on a number on a scale and ‘dieting’ that I ended up in a very unhealthy place both physically and mentally.
One layer of my physical struggle is chronic pain that has been a part of my life since I was a teenager. I was in a car accident and broke a couple bones in my pelvis. Add on some extra weight and a few pregnancies and I am working through a lot as far as my pain is concerned.
Another layer is my thyroid issues. I have been on medication for hypothyroidism since I believe 25 or 26. The dosage has continued to go up and my symptoms have continued to get worse. In the last year, I have started to see a functional doctor because I was just having trouble keeping up with my kids due to my lack of energy. Plus, after having my son, the weight just kept coming and I knew I needed to do something to correct the path that I was on. I found out that I had Hashimoto’s and began a new approach to my thyroid health. I gave up gluten, something I thought I would never do. It is totally a God thing because it has been relatively easy and I do believe it has made a positive difference for my body.
For the first time in my life, I am feeling food freedom. My value is no longer tied up in how well I am eating or the number on the scale. I am making choices for my health and am starting to feel a little better. I have allowed myself to take things slowly. I am not worried about the results and am giving my body grace to heal.
My Health Focus today
It has been about 6 months of going to the gym consistently, cutting out gluten and trying to get a consistent night sleep. (Taking into account that I have small children and they don’t always allow that to  happen.) I am happy to report that I have lost 20 pounds in the last 6 months.
I am ready to up my efforts and take my health to the next level. I have continued to go to my functional doctor but have realized that my health is 100% reflective of my daily choices and I need to start paying closer attention.Â
I have begun reading, Hashimoto’s Protocol by Izabella Wentz. And Monday is my first day of the liver detox protocol. It is two weeks and although I am adapting it a little to find a balance between my doctor’s recommendations, my life and this book, I believe that I will feel much different at the end of two weeks.
2 Week Detox
Eliminating:
- sugar
- gluten
- soy
- caffeine
- alcohol
- dairy
Pray for me. Pray for my family. haha. The only thing that I am worried about is the sugar. I love sugar. I always have and I always will. But I know deep down in my heart that it is not helping the cause. It would be beneficial for my chronic pain, my thyroid health, and my weight management if I never had processes sugar again. My plan is to eliminate it for the next two weeks and then decide on ‘healthier’ sugar options that will satisfy my sweet tooth without all the processed junk.
I am eliminating these food groups but I am also focusing on fueling my body with nutrients that it desperately needs and is lacking. Lots of green juices, protein and veggies, and supplements. I can’t wait to see how I feel in two weeks.
I will also be helping my body detox with exercise, using the sauna, taking a detox bath, and drinking lots of water.Â
If you want to see more of the daily details, I will sharing that on Instagram. Follow along. Feel free to ask any questions but know that this is something that I am doing for my own health. I do not know what is best for you and your body. Check back in two weeks when I give my update.
Tips for living an abundant life while feeling like your body is failing you
- Talk to God. Rely on His strength.
- Set boundaries and honor them.
- Allow your body to rest. Schedule it in.
- Evaluate your life. Keep the things that are life giving.
- Talk to a friend. Let them in on your struggle.
One of the main things that I have struggled with is feeling alone. Having struggled with pain for so long, I do not want to be a burden by ‘complaining’ about it all of the time. I often have to push through how my body feels to do normal daily activities. However, I do not want this to define me so I keep pushing. Living like this and keeping it all to yourself is a heavy burden to bear and exhausting.
Talk to God. He wants to help carry your burden. He is big enough to listen to all of your complaining. He will give you the grace, peace and strength to handle anything that you are dealing with. I promise that bringing it to Him will make the load so much easier to carry. [I Peter 5:7]
Set Boundaries. Know your body and what is on your plate and voice when things are too much. Often when you are feeling awful, adding extra to your plate is overwhelming. Set your boundaries and honor them.
Allow your body to rest. I often feel guilty for needing more rest. But there is nothing wrong with listening to your body and giving it the rest that it needs. You don’t always have to push through.
Evaluate your life. I live a busy life. It is very full. A friend advised me that when you are taking on new things, evaluate how you will feel on days where you have less margin. Recently, I adjusted some commitments because I was feeling pulled in too many directions. I do not feel like it is bad to be busy as long as it serves you and your family.
Talk to a friend. Again, silently suffering is very lonely. Invite your close circle in on the struggle. Just having someone acknowledge your struggle has helped me feel like I am not alone. It is not a sign of weakness to let someone know about your life.
Preaching a lot of this to myself. But if you are someone that is dealing with a long time health situation, I want you to feel seen. I see you. God sees you. He knows your pain. He is there to help carry your load. Let Him.
I have been on a journey to remove toxins from my life. When you evaluate the ingredients in many common products you see that they interrupt your thyroid health. So not just for my own health journey but also to prevent my children from having to go through this process, I am trying to correct things. Read about the changes that I’ve made in these posts, part 1, part 2.