Big bumps, little bumps. They all feel horrible when you are trying to find a way to live a “normal” life with Hashimoto’s. Every time you think you are getting ahead, it seems something else takes the place of your last solved “problem” so you can start trying to figure out how to deal with the newest one! Up until the last few years, I truly didn’t realize all my little “bumps” were related to my autoimmune condition. I thought since it wasn’t actually my thyroid bothering me, it must be another issue altogether especially since that’s what my conventional doctor told me!
But what I found out starting with an “ah ha” moment while listening to a Dr. Kharrazian podcast on thyroid issues, I realized that a lot of what I was trying to figure out was related to one source; digestion or intestinal permeability. Although I am not sure what comes first still, the autoimmune condition or the intestinal permeability, I know one thing that cannot be denied; the connection is real. The reason I know this now is that once I found my Functional Medicine doctor and he helped me make that decision to go truly gluten free, my life began to change. I couldn’t believe that my symptoms could be connected so much to gluten. I’m really glad I went gluten free first before I found the path to the GAPS Diet (grain free, sugar free, dairy free) because there was enough success with just the gluten free diet (when done meticulously gluten free – see what happens when you don’t do it meticulously gluten free here) that I was able to see the connection easily.
New “bumps” in the road came in the form of realizing it was going to have to be more than gluten free to help me adequately. Looking towards the GAPS Diet made me anxious. I remember asking myself “isn’t there any other way?” and “how can I give up more after having given up gluten for a whole year?” and as pitiful as it may seem, the thought even came to my mind “what is going to become of me?” Yes, I was that depressed about all these changes. As a side note, I am a total baking queen! I love to bake so this was a huge change for me!
But as big as those “bumps” appeared to be, they were nothing to the mercury poisoning episode as I began to detox requiring emergency removal of my 8 amalgam fillings. The desperate symptoms caused me to believe I was possibly dying and may not live long enough to get them out! What a terrible time. But looking back, I realize that I probably never would have removed them if I hadn’t gone through this desperate period of time. And in the next few days, I will be able to report great news on the follow up test for my mercury levels! I’m working on a follow up right now!
Then it seemed I “turned the corner” and as I looked back in time, many of the above “bumps” I mentioned were able to be seen as necessary twists in the road to lead me down the path of greater healing. My journey continues to teach me that even when you see things currently in your life that seem difficult and those desperate questions come to you like they did to me during the “storm”, if you can possibly believe that they are there to lead you into a more healing place, you will look for the positive in the midst of the negative.
And if you’re not sure where to start, don’t forget to pick up the book I reviewed last week, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause, by Pharmacist Izabella Wentz. Her book would have been just what I needed to get me going quicker on my healing journey which is why I even did my very first video book review for it! I am so excited you have this book as a reference to help you along on your journey. And now, you can pick up this book in eBook form here for immediate help!
So, when the bumps seem overwhelming, remember that without them, you likely would not be prompted to do anything different! Change sometimes needs to knock loudly on our door!
Let’s welcome the bumps in our healing journey and celebrate the little nudges (or big ones) we are fortunate enough to get in order to re-direct our journey onto the road that will help us best. After all, who can complain when they get to eat food like this every day?
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