I have Hashimotos and I want to talk about it

    So maybe some of you know that a couple of months ago some blood tests came back that my TSH was high which means my thyroid is underactive. This has caused some health problems for me--namely with my energy, muscle aches, joint pain, weight gain, extended time to recover from any workouts, hair loss, itchy skin, etc......the list goes on a bit from there.

    Recently I got a blood test for my thyroid antibodies. Under 35 is normal. Mine were 628. What this means, which I have researched and read over to get the true picture, is that I have Hashimotos Thyroiditis. This, for those out of the know, is an autoimmune disease wherein the body attacks and tries to destroy the thyroid.

   Basically my body is confused which cells are properly mine and which are foreign and must be DESTROYED at all costs! Send in the troops!

   This is a common enough disease I am not totally freaked out about it. It is what is causing the hypothyroidism. However it IS more complicated as it can vacillate between hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. It also lends itself to some extra problems on top of the hypothyroid.

     I WAS on Levothyroxin a few years ago, took it and my numbers got better. What I thought then, even though my doctor wanted me to come back in for a blood test again before I got a new script,was that my TSH was normal I was cured-fine. What I am discovering after hours of pouring over reputable sources from Mayo Clinic studies to some sites such as Hypothyroid Mom, is that though the TSH can be normal it only means the Hypo is controlled with meds and that you can still have the problems.

    I did not gain a bunch of weight with that so wondering how that was different since with this round of problems I have put on a few pounds. But I should have gotten the blood test and probably asked for an antibody test at that time as well. But I didn't. So now I know.


    As this problem is all very new--blood tests just conclusive in the last two months--started on hormones two months ago and numbers going up and down--my antibody test just done on the July 12th to show Hashimotos--I am still learning and still absorbing. I AM aware there are much worse problems I could have however these are my problems and mean something to me.

Altogether, a new thing to work on. And a new way to look at my life, my choices, my activity levels, my way of eating, my way of being healthy.

My New Normal

My new normal is that working out is harder than it used to be. It can be frustrating when it used to be so much more fun but then life happened. I can have fun on runs and working out I just battle more with my mood about it and my energy level for doing it. That is many people's similar problems though so I just need to keep at it. 

My new normal is that even though I keep working out regularly even on days I don't feel like it I keep gaining weight or having trouble taking any of it off. I've been told that is a problems many people with an underactive thyroid gland have even so it is hard to be motivated when I don't see results. Of course results are also intrinsic in that I like to see my friends, enjoy running trails when I can, like the feeling I get after I successfully finish a run and feel better about eating when I know I have worked out. 

My new normal is that I am asking for help. I have trouble asking for help with anything. Always have. But now I have been asking my friends to help me get out there. We are supporting each other now and that is a really good thing. Even on days when my energy is low I take some time out to do something even if it's just take a walk. And my friends have been so supportive too! I knew they would be. They ask me to group runs, support me when I am there, encourage me as I encourage them. It's like we are a team and that is what teams do!!

So I try not to get down on myself when my weight doesn't come off or stay off like it used to. I tell myself when my hormones get stabilized and things are all good with my diet and I exercise regularly I will get better, the workouts will get easier and the weight will stabilize and I will lose the extra pounds--i hope. Until then I will keep asking for help with motivation and enjoy the feel of my friends around me and not focus too much on the end game.


 

Creative Health

Hypothyroidism: The topic of thyroid health is a big one. There is so much to learn. I am working to become more informed of the symptoms/effects/symptom management for hypothyroidism. That is when the thyroid glad which is in charge of the body's metabolism and other internal management is now not producing enough thyroid hormone.



From the Hypothyroid Mom website here are some very important things your thyroid is in charge of:

• your thyroid is the primary control center for your metabolism
• your thyroid impacts growth rate if you’re young
• your thyroid helps you to breakdown and utilize the carbohydrates and fats you eat
• your thyroid aids in the conversion of beta-carotene from your plant foods into the fat-soluble vitamin A ~ necessary for proper immune, inflammatory, genetic and reproductive health
• your thyroid affects your cholesterol levels, your blood pressure, your appetite, your mental sharpness, your libido and so much more

I have had an under active thyroid in the past which was helped by the hormone Synthroid. I have now found I have an under-active thyroid again (or still?) as well as low iron. This has led me to do research into the symptoms, causes and problems associated with hypothyroidism. It has also led me into the recesses of the Adrenal Fatigue world in which the symptoms associated with that not only ring true to me but I believe are mislabeled by people as just something that happens as we age. More fatigue, can't handle stress anymore like we used to be able to, needing to rest more, memory problems, etc... when it could, possibly, be something totally different.

This is a work in progress for me to be researching much of these things. I am no doctor, nurse or health expert. I have knowledge as personal trainer of the body but not to this deep of an extent and so my research will be a work in progress. I am starting to do more natural health cures as well which I can go into more in this blog and give you updates on how they are helping or if they are helping. 


This blog won't expressly focus on thyroid health or adrenal health but I believe as I try these new, natural health steps I can bring some personal experiences to whether they help a little, a lot or not at all. These steps are not just for thyroid health but overall wellness and life satisfaction. I am learning some very creative ways to get more optimal health that is not just take a pill and you are fine but also includes stress reduction, water intake, the plus side of honey, apple cider vinegar, coconut oil and coconut water, superfoods ( such as chia--kale--kelp, Omega-3's) and mind/body subjects such as meditation, mindfulness practices to handle stress, yoga, massage and group therapy for emotional health/grief issues.

This will be a journey for me and I hope you join me for the journey. We can learn more together about the most complex thing we can study--our own bodies and minds.