Have you just been diagnosed with Hashimotos Thyroiditis?

If you are new to this disease, I hope you will feel more support than I did when I was first diagnosed with Hashimotos Thyroiditis about 14 years ago or so. I say this because I had no internet access, the disease was relatively unfamiliar and because of this, difficult to research. To top it all off, my doctor basically slapped the diagnosis on my lap and said, “it’s no big deal. You just take a pill every morning and it’ll take care of it. You will live just as long a life, it’s just that your thyroid will eventually die.” This was said in a short, 5 minute phone conversation as he noted that I had a prescription waiting for me at the pharmacy! He never mentioned that my life would never be the same! Okay, I don’t know about you but when someone tells me a part of my body is on its way to death (and I was only in my early 30’s) with such casual delivery too, it can really be confusing. I’m thinking to myself, I guess it’s fine, as long as it is my health and not his!

The reason I am writing this little entry is hopefully to ease your mind a bit. You see, there is no immediate danger in this diagnoses (for most of us). There is time to learn, and more importantly, time to choose your course of action! I have a lot of “if onlys” in my journey. Perhaps it would benefit you to hear some of them? Okay, here it goes:

1. If only I was aware of natural treatments, I could have avoided the “hook” of synthetic drugs which in many ways, kept me from realizing my true potential in healing early on. (not to mention that I was unaware that they weren’t helping me at all for 10 years!) Now I must try to heal while fighting with dosages of natural supplements and trying to figure out how much improvement is truly being made having the supplemental thyroid going in every day. I feel I was denied education and the choice to deal with it more naturally.
2. If only I had considered a natural doctor (for a second opinion) for the initial course of treatment or healing. My HMO never gave me any indication there were any options other than theirs which was immediately taking Synthroid. I can’t believe I never questioned this!
3. Natural dessicated thyroid supplements! If only I had known about them. I suffered for 10 years taking Synthroid.
4. If only I understood the benefits of tracking my own health. Taking my body temperature daily, using a food journal to identify food allergies and sensitivities, and tracking the effects of exercise and stress management. And most importantly, learned how to make more nutritious food which I have now been learning through this wonderful online eCourse on traditional food preparation which I highly recommend! This would have saved me many years of unnecessary symptoms due to diet and prescription drugs.

These are just a few of the “what ifs” and “if onlys” at the top of my head. I will likely talk about this more in future entries. But all of the things above would have given me a better foundation for dealing with this disease. I have heard many times since, that seeking the best natural treatments from the point of diagnoses can greatly improve your success in fighting this disease.

I recommend that you consider joining an online support group where others are that maintain a positive attitude in overcoming this challenge in your health. I have had a message board for four years now and sometimes I really don’t know where I’d be without the support of other Hashi sufferers. (we all tend to call Hashimotos Thyroiditis, Hashi for short.) 🙂 I have recently moved that support group to my Facebook page. Please join us!

I hope that I have helped you to empower yourself with choices. In the end, it’s your body, not your doctor’s. Please take the time to choose your course well. Your body will thank you for it!

Maureen

*The forum I used to provide was public and had spamming and advertising issues. It is now necessary to register at the new forum. This is a safety measure and a way to keep your e-mail address safe from spam. We’re just “moving over” and would love to have you join us! The more of us coming together for answers, the faster we will find them. 🙂

None of the information or personal testimonies on this blog are designed to take the place of being under the care of a qualified medical doctor. Please make sure you find a caring doctor to treat you for all your health concerns.