A little Light Reading

We are here again. Seeking a diagnosis. Seeking feeling well.
I just want to feel like a normal 29 year old that has the energy to play with her kids. If I don’t have Hashimoto’s, I really don’t know what else could be wrong. That scares me a bit. Hashimoto’s scares me, too. I see a new doctor next Tuesday. I am going to push to have a biopsy done. Maybe he will check my antibody levels also. From what I have read, it is possible for autoimmune diseases to go dormant for a period of time, so my negative test could have been false a couple of years ago.
If you don’t know, I have an enlarged thyroid and some chronic “mystery” thyroid disease. The last two ultrasounds that I have had done have shown that it has a heterogeneous echogenicity texture. Basically, there is a texture on all of my thyroid that shows them that chronic disease is present (how my first doctor explained it). This specific texture is almost always caused by autoimmune disease, which was NOT explained to me before.
My doctor wanted to kill my thyroid, which according to blood work was functioning just fine, before it kills itself. That didn’t sit well with me, so I resisted. I had no idea what an autoimmune disease was. Maybe if I had been given more information, I wouldn’t have hesitated as much? Instead, I did the Autoimmune Protocol and overhauled the way I ate. I started avoiding all endocrine disrupters that I am aware of.  Unfortunately, I had to stop doing AIP when I ended up in the ER with all of the symptoms of a heart attack. After a lot of tests, it was determined that my body was starving. I was doing AIP and breastfeeding at the same time. I ate ALL DAY, and made sure to add in plenty of calories, but it just wasn’t enough. I had to quit, and eventually gave up on finding answers.  I don’t regret not going along with the doctors original plan. She seemed so unsure of it herself and kept saying that it was not guaranteed to make me feel better or work. If the doctor isn’t confident, why would I be?
If my new doctor doesn’t find any answers, I plan to start the Autoimmune Protocol again and work toward wellness on my own.  I want to walk into my appointment prepared with all questions and ready to face any solution that my doctor suggests. Last time, I was blindsided and not given a lot of information. This time, I want to be informed. I know people act like your thyroid is useless. It’s not. It controls every system in your body. It could be why I ended up having epilepsy. It could possibly be the cause of my miscarriage 5 years ago. I don’t know that for sure, but it is possible. What I do know is that I have all of the symptoms, and I am tired of it. Literally, so exhausted.
These are the books I have checked out from the library that have helped me learn a lot:
Why do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms?   This is a great book that is full of medical information. It has great explanations for why your blood work may be normal while you still have miserable symptoms of disease.
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: Lifestyle Interventions for Finding the Root Cause  This is another great book written by someone with a lot of knowledge on Hashimoto’s. She was diagnosed at 27 years old with it, and went on a quest to find what her “root cause” was. Medicine doesn’t help most people feel completely better, and diet always has to be altered. She found what she needed to eliminate in order to fully get rid of her symptoms.
Hashimoto’s Protocol  I haven’t opened this one yet, but will update when I have read it.
The Autoimmune Wellness Handbook This is a great book to pick up if you have, or suspect you have, an autoimmune disease. This covers all aspects of your health that can help you heal. There are many different eating plans if the AIP diet is too overwhelming. This is a book I would really like to buy and have on my shelf all the time.
The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook This is one that I actually did end up purchasing. It is FULL of recipes for salad dressings, sauces, main dishes, sides, snacks, and desserts. If you have done AIP before, you know that it is SO overwhelming. There are two different four week meal plans already written out for you WITH shopping lists. They give you lists of items that you will want to have on hand in your pantry to make the protocol easier. Even when not doing AIP, it is full of really delicious and healthy recipes. You can’t lose.
 
I wanted to share this so that others in similar situations won’t feel so alone. When I found out what I may be up against, I was terrified and overwhelmed. I found a friend who had gone through something similar; though her situation was far worse than mine. I asked her what I could do. How can I take control of this? Is that even possible? She set me up with a lot of information and checked in with me often. She prayed for me. Her husband dropped to his knees in prayer when I was at the hospital. Her whole family encouraged me. I am forever grateful to her.
I will continue to write updates as we go along again. I would appreciate your prayers that answers can be found. My thyroid has been in question since I was pregnant with Addison, and I would love to have answers.