In writing this post, it is hard to comprehend just how much has changed and how far I have come on my Hashimoto’s health journey. I have met others with Hashimoto’s and a lot of them ask me, “how long did it take you to start to feel better?” I never have an easy answer for that because at the time of this writing, it has been almost 10 years of trial and error to get to the point of my Hashimoto’s being in remission without ever being on prescription medications. Keep in mind – “remission” is not the same as “cure;” I definitely do not have a cure for Hashimoto’s but I do have a fairly unique experience in getting to the vibrant state that I am currently in.
Let’s rewind a bit. At the age of 26, my health was a wreck. However, I was fairly unaware of it because I just figured that’s how everyone else felt – sick and tired. My symptoms were not as aggressive as others who suffer from Hashimoto’s, but instead they were just a random hodgepodge of problems. I was weighing in at 211 pounds on my 5’3 frame, my joints ached, I was completely dependent on energy drinks and caffeine, my skin was dull and splotchy, I had scraggly lifeless hair, chronic GI/digestive issues, frequent colds, and brain fog/difficulty concentrating. Basically, an assortment of symptoms that do not necessarily point to any serious health concern or particular health problem, hence why I never even considered that I was “sick.”
I remember my wakeup call/aha moment was at the mall one day doing Christmas shopping, feeling miserable and thinking to myself, “I’m young. WHY do my knees and ankles hurt so bad!?” I made a decision that day that my life would need to change. I started working out with my best friend and we ate all the same planned meals. Here cues my first hint that something was very wrong: within that first month, she had lost 10 pounds and I lost 2. I cannot even tell you all the tears that were shed because of that. You know that saying, “things aren’t falling apart, they’re falling into place,” well that’s a good way to describe what happened to me during that time. I had no idea that being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease would ultimately lead my life for the better.
Getting the diagnosis: I finally talked to my mom about these problems and she immediately took me to see an integrative medicine doctor (thanks mom!) The doctor ran a ton of testing including a full thyroid panel, food intolerance testing, made me poop in a cup for a stool test, and spit in vials for hormonal testing. Talk about being poked and prodded. She then diagnosed me with Hashimoto’s. Part of me was relieved, but the majority of me was in denial despite all those above symptoms. Me? Autoimmune disease? My body is attacking itself? Nope. I am too young to have a disease. I was scared and devastated. The doctor also mentioned leaky gut and looked me square in the eye and told me, “look, I can either put you on medication or you can make some dietary changes.” I was not even taking a daily multivitamin at that time, so the choice seemed easier to opt for the nutritional route. She put me on some natural supplements, mentioned to me about keeping a food diary, going gluten free, and recommended some books for further reading. I still remember the feeling of leaving her office overwhelmed and with a sinking feeling in my gut.
What was gluten anyways? My number one most pressing issue besides my thyroid being out of whack was my gut and its inability to retain any nutrients. The doctor said that to solve these problems, I needed to restore the integrity of my intestinal lining. Tha is where a gluten free diet came in. She explained the link between gluten and inflammation, and also advised me that I’d need to do an elimination diet. And oh yes – write down every single piece of food and drink that entered my mouth. Back then, this all felt like torture. But fast-forwarding to now, I dislike calling it an “elimination” diet – I hold the mentality of you are not REMOVING foods from your life, you are adding in nutrient dense and nourishing alternatives. It took me years to wrap my head around that concept, so if there is one takeaway from reading this far, I hope it’s that.
Going gluten free and following an anti-inflammatory diet was far from easy. Initially, I loosely followed the doctors guidance because I was stubborn enough to prove to myself that I was not sick. I remember within the first week of going gluten free, I had felt my energy increase significantly. However, my on-and-off again relationship with gluten continued for a period of 6 months. Each time I reintroduced it, I became miserable with digestive issues, rashes, inflammation, and fatigue. When I followed protocol, I felt amazing! The very last time that I ate gluten was a particularly bad episode in 2009. I won’t go into TMI details, but it was so bad that it was the final catalyst to make me realize my Hashimoto’s was real, that it wasn’t going away, and that I REALLY needed to stop eating gluten.
In following an anti-inflammatory diet/autoimmune protocol, I was able to discover foods that would cause flares and my symptomatic responses to certain foods became apparent. Within 7 months of first receiving my diagnosis, my labs were reflecting optimal levels and thankfully continue to do so to this day. To see all the hard work reflected in those numbers was probably the most eye-opening and rewarding part of all. This was an exciting part of the journey, because I was healing my entire digestive process and feeling all around wonderful about it. I finally felt seriously in tune with my body and all of its signals – and subsequently lost over 50 pounds and maintained the weight loss fairly easily.
The learning and support process: This has been one of the biggest factors contributing to healing. I did a ton of reading and research and continue to do so to this day. (That’s how I stumbled upon Buenqamino!) I learned of the importance having a holistic approach to Hashimoto’s, including aiding the body in eliminating toxins, effective stress management techniques, mediation, positive thinking, and getting ample rest. I slowed down to eat, I found supplements that work for me, and I found creative ways in the kitchen to balance my meals and never feel unsatisfied.
I cannot stress enough how having support from family and friends has been huge to healing. I often wonder what type of a place I would be in today if my dear mother had not taken me to get help. Marrying my amazing husband has been an integral part of my healing. He supports me, he never hesitates to step in and ask friends at parties and servers at restaurants what’s in food for me, and he does not care that he is “missing out” on gluten with my cooking. The man even orders gluten free pizza at restaurants so we can share! My husband makes me feel normal, and I’m forever grateful. In general, I have been particularly blessed to have friends and family go above and beyond; upon finding out I had to make these drastic lifestyle changes, my best friend did not even blink twice before saying, “let’s do this journey together” and she started following a gluten free diet with me.
Not only does support from others matter, but supporting yourself matters. This means giving yourself the same grace, compassion, and understanding that we so easily allow to others in our lives. It is giving yourself permission to have bad days. Giving yourself patience as you adjust to a new routine that becomes your lifestyle rather than a restrictive diet. Staying motivated to do meal prep, planning, starting a new bedtime routine, finding a sustainable fitness routine, and overall eliminating as many sources of stress as possible. Supporting yourself also means having flexibility and persistence in learning how to re-navigate your way around restaurants, grocery stores, the kitchen, and being open to continued learning, trial & error.
Acceptance, mindset, and advocacy are the last tidbits I would add in the journey to support yourself. Personally speaking, this meant accepting that I cannot just jump back into my old ways at any time, ever again. The mindset shift involves going beyond will-power and self-control. It’s seeing & smelling those gluten-filled gooey brownies at a party and instead of defaulting to the scarcity mindset of, “I want those but I can’t have them,” adapting the abundance mindset of saying: “I can have those but I don’t want them.” (FYI - that mindset shift works magically for a variety of other situations in life!) Lastly, I am firm believer that we must always be our own biggest health advocates. Read as much as you can to build the confidence to become your own best health expert in partnership with your doctor. There is not a “one size fits all” approach to healing, but the beauty is that it is possible to turn around our health. That itself is the most empowering motivator of all.