Be your own medical advocate

Be your own medical advocate

I have had many medical problems since I was 27 that no doctor could really get to grips with and definitively diagnose. A handful of doctors told me what they thought was wrong. I ended up hearing things ranging from pre-menopausal to mildly depressed. I even ended up seeing a psychologist to make sure it wasn't depression. How stupid is that? In February 2007, I visited a surgeon at the University of Penn in Philadelphia. I was told I had to have my thyroid removed because of a goiter. Of course, since I'm in shock, I go home and research thyroid function and read all the information I can about it. Then I begin to explore what it will be like to live without my thyroid and how my body will change. What I found was that all the research and knowledge in the world couldn't even prepare me for the journey I wanted to take.

For any of you who are unfamiliar with the thyroid or its function, I'll give a quick summary. The thyroid is one of the largest endocrine glands in the body. It's a butterfly-shaped gland that sits in your neck, just in front of your windpipe. Its main job is to produce thyroid hormone. These hormones are chemicals secreted by the gland to act like messengers that tell certain parts of the body what to do, such as: B. Regulating heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, proper brain function and most importantly converting food into energy. The function of the thyroid is to convert iodine, which is found in many foods, into thyroid hormones: thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). Thyroid cells are the only cells in the body that can absorb iodine. These cells combine iodine and the amino acid tyrosine to make T3 and T4. T3 and T4 are then released into the bloodstream and transported throughout the body, where they control metabolism (converting oxygen and calories into energy). Every cell in the body relies on thyroid hormones to regulate their metabolism. The normal thyroid produces approximately 80% T4 and approximately 20% T3, however T3 has approximately four times the hormonal strength of T4.

Without proper thyroid function, you can expect the following symptoms:

• Fatigue and weakness

• Low basal temperature (cold intolerance)

• Dry and coarse skin

• Hair loss

• Cold hands and feet

• Weight gain

• Insomnia

• Constipation

• Depression

• Poor memory, forgetfulness

• Nervousness and tremors

• Immune system problems

• Heavy menstrual periods.

The terrible thing about having a thyroid problem is that any symptoms I had could absolutely have been menopause or depression. All of these symptoms accompany many different problems, but these days most doctors will immediately jump to depression first without delving deeper into the problems. So I was NOT diagnosed with a thyroid problem for years.

I was told that after surgery by an endocrinologist I would be able to live a fairly normal life while taking thyroid medication for the rest of my life. Some of the research I had done prior to my surgery was into the various thyroid medications on the market today, most of which are synthetic. However, I found out that there was a thyroid medication that was made naturally from pig thyroid hormones. Learning all of this during my research makes me feel like I know my body and how it reacts to synthetic things and that my only option was the natural hormone. Armor Thyroid, the natural hormone, has been used successfully since 1891. In the 1960s, the major pharmaceutical companies replaced Armor with the synthetic brand, which is very different from Armor in that all synthetic hormones are T4 only. What's the problem with that, you might ask? If you remember from previous reading, T3 has about four times the strength of the hormone “T4”. T3 is the one that puts the spring in your step because it is so strong. Therefore, like many others, my doctor wouldn't even listen to me about wanting to start thyroid plating. She says we will go with Synthroid first and if there is any problem she will talk to me about armor. OK, I decide, I'm not the doctor, so against my better judgment I'll do what she thinks is best.

I continue for the next year and a half, taking Synthroid and getting sicker and sicker. All of the side effects of Synthroid AND hypothyroidism were mine. Over the next 8 months I gained 25 pounds. I had a lot of muscle pain that was definitely related to the weight gain. I'm five feet nothing and was always around 110 pounds after my son was born. With twenty-five extra pounds, my body always felt physically sick and then I was emotionally sick because of the extra pounds I saw. I was still so tired that I had resorted to drinking energy drinks to keep me afloat, so I'm sure I attribute that to weight gain. To make matters worse, I had severe constipation, which was accompanied by discomfort and bloating every day. I very rarely slept through the night, which made my daytime life a struggle to keep it together. I would forget things a lot and couldn't think straight so quickly that I became seriously depressed because of all these symptoms and the fact that my doctor kept telling me to stay put. I cried all the time and couldn't control my emotions.

My doctor told me it had nothing to do with the thyroid, but I felt like my body was rebelling against me and I had no control over anything. I went through dosage changes of Synthroid every three months until we got it right. The dosage change sometimes made the symptoms so severe that I just didn't know how to deal with it or with myself or my family.

During this time while taking Synthroid I researched and researched things that would help with all of my symptoms. It was Rebecca, my healer, who introduced me to a natural product that would help with some of my physical problems.

After reading all about this “Holy Tea” I was intrigued and because of its claims I gave it a try. I can say at this point, I will never be without it. I have had no physical slowing of my GI tract due to this detoxifying tea, which over time eliminates the so-called gunk that builds up in your system. It has been used with great results for many things such as: Crohn's disease, IBDs, colon spasticity, enlarged abdomen, excess stored fat, skin conditions, allergies, fibromyalgia, joint pain, insomnia, low energy, loss of clarity and forgetfulness to name a few. This wasn't a cure for me, but man, how good life becomes when your body feels like it's working again!

After having great success with the tea, I began researching their other products, one of which is Coral Minerals. Without my thyroid it is very important to keep my calcium levels high as the surgery also took most of my parathyroids. The main function of the parathyroid glands is to maintain the body's calcium levels within a very narrow range so that the nervous and muscular systems can function properly. I have found that calcium is the most abundant mineral in Coral Complex 3. Coral Complex 3 has helped people keep their bones strong, people with tendentious periodontal disease, varicose veins and even mood swings. I used this too and it was a great extra boost.

OK, so I found a few things that helped make life a little more bearable, but the next time I went to the endocrinologist, I told her enough was enough. I was ready to try the natural hormone and hopefully feel better. After a year and a half, she finally agreed. I can tell you that within two weeks all the pain I went through disappeared. I wasn't so sad anymore. I started sleeping through the night. My head was a little clearer and things were looking good. I still had a ways to go, but at this point life was finally good!! At this point in my life, three years later, I can say that I still have problems because I have not been able to maintain a dose for the last three years. It looks like I'm finally on that track now and it's only been 3 years in February. I'm sure I'll always have a struggle, but I'm on the right path, I can feel it.

At this point, I finally find the right medication that works with my body, and the manufacturer now has the product on national backorder. Boy, I felt like I couldn't catch a break. Don't worry, when I have problems with my thyroid I always go back to http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com. This is a website that has helped me with many questions and chat with people who have the same problems as me. Every now and then you learn something from someone that you had no idea would help you. It's a wonderful site and I recommend it to anyone going through these struggles themselves.

Over the last three years I have been able to find many things that have helped me in this fight. The main thing that got me to the point where I am today is my support system. I have the best husband, family and friends anyone could ask for. They helped me get through this time by listening to me talk about it or sometimes crying and complaining. They helped me understand everything every step of the way. So I have to tell everyone in my life: “I love you!” and thank you." This doesn't even make you understand how much each of you is an integral part of my life. I appreciate you all and feel blessed to have so much love in my life to get me through one of the most difficult times I have faced. And my husband, God love him, has been the best support system anyone could ever ask for. I know during this time how terrible I constantly felt and that things were never easy with me to deal with. But Dave stood with me and supported me every step of the way. What I learned most from all of this, and especially from my husband, is that you have to trust yourself and be your own advocate in this world, no matter what. You know your body better than anyone… including doctors. You know about medicine, but only you know when something is really wrong, and despite the fact that they may tell you that you're fine, you have to keep to yourself get yourself up and keep fighting until you know in your heart that everything is okay.

Thank you everyone for listening and be safe.

Inspired by Nicole Lawler