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UPDATE Sept. 2018 – While the info I share in today’s blog post (and all of my “Let’s Get Personal” blog posts) will be helpful to those who are starting out on their healing journeys, I felt it pertinent to post a quick update as to where I am now in my healing journey. It has been quite the adventure with all sorts of ups and downs, twists and turns. I got to a point where I no longer felt drawn to share so many intimate details so I stopped writing the Let’s Get Personal series in 2016. If you would like to get the most recent update on my health and healing journey, please read this post, 3 Reasons Why I No Longer Share About My Healing Journey Online. or watch the video below. You are always more than welcome to email me with any questions as well! Cheers! ~Jessica
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Featured Image courtesy of sxc.hu and Adrianoham
Welcome to this month’s health journey update! I’m not going to lie — this post was hard to write, for many reasons. The last month and a half have been a real struggle for me. It is really hard for me to talk about this stuff in public, but here it goes. And a shout out to my husband, Nathan. I have been a MAJOR pain in the ass to live with, yet he still puts up with me and loves me unconditionally. He is quite a wonderful man and I am honored to have him as my husband. ♥
DISCLAIMER: The content shared on this site is for informational and educational purposes only. Statements/products discussed have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease or illness. Please consult your own certified health care practitioner before making changes to your current diet or before beginning any herbal or vitamin supplement regimen or exercise program.
Dealing with the Blues
Since the middle of December, I have been battling some depression. It never really set in as a full-blown depression, but it was enough to make me melancholy about pretty much all aspects of my life. I know that this was all related to my health and in particular my adrenal and thyroid issues. But, even with that understanding, it was not enough for me to keep from falling into a slump.
The slump started when I hit a point in December when I just couldn’t take the constant influx of information and varying opinions regarding my health. None of the practitioners I was working with (save for my nutritional therapist Lydia) had any idea how to treat me. I honestly do not feel like I have made much progress since I started on my health journey (even though I know I have made a lot of progress) and it started to get me down. My labs are, for the most part, the same, but more importantly, I don’t really feel better. As a matter of fact, over the last month, I have started feeling worse. I know that we must all take control of our health, but for me, I mentally cannot handle the amount of information that is thrown at me every day. I get overloaded and then … I shut down.
One of my biggest struggles thus far is finding a doctor, be it an MD, ND, or anyone else, who really understands what I am going through. My MD flat out told me that he does not know how to treat me. My ND’s idea of how to treat me was to put me on a low dose, time released synthetic T3. While she did agree that in order to address autoimmune issues, you must first heal the gut, that’s as far as we got. She really pushed the T3, saying that she believed it would help me feel so much better. But, after much, much, MUCH contemplation, I decided that that was not a good option for me. So, I bid adieu to her and started looking for someone new. Lydia did not like the idea of starting on yet another synthetic hormone (and I was in complete agreement), so she encouraged me to continue the search for someone who could help me. Sometimes we have to turn over a lot of rocks to find the hidden key.
Some of the symptoms that were getting worse were:
- Lack of focus and motivation
- Brain fog and memory issues
- Fatigue at random times during the day
- Not feeling rested, even though I would get plenty of sleep
- The feeling of constant stress about just about everything
- Loss of interest in being social
- Loss of interest in yoga (I have not practiced more than 2-3 times in the last 2 months)
- Lost of interest in food and cooking (eating has become a chore, hence the reason I am not regular about adding new recipes to the site)
- Massive amounts of hair loss (which makes me feel like crying every time I shower)
- An overall sense of melancholy
I knew that I had to do something, as I could not let this continue to ruin my life. I could not let this affect my day job, which I need in order to pay the bills. And I was so, so, so scared that it would. At the same time, I kept having this thought that this was “all in my head”. Maybe I just needed more sleep, more exercise, less exercise, more vitamins, blah, blah, blah.
The Search for a New Practitioner
Several months ago, a childhood friend of my father’s was talking about how she had found a lot of success working with a chiropractic neurologist on her thyroid problems. She sent my dad a link to the doctor she worked with and he passed it along to me. She lives in another state, so I couldn’t go to her doctor, however, it did start me on the quest to see if I could find someone similar here in Denver. I had never even considered seeing a chiropractor about my issues. I actually had no idea the extent of conditions that some chiropractors specialize in.
After a lot of research, I finally found a practice that I felt would meet my needs. They specialize in the three overlapping areas of immunology, endocrinology, and neurology. They specifically mentioned that they treat autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s (me!) and they work with those who feel like they have no other options (me!). They are knowledgeable about real food and good nutrition and they see the importance of treating the body as a whole system, rather than just isolated parts, like my MD, who only treats my thyroid. So, I called and set up an appointment.
Meeting the New Doctor
During the initial consultation, I met with the new doctor, let’s call him Dr. Q, and got a feel for how they work and what they believe. From the first time we met, I felt like he “got it”. Turns out that he is friends with, and lectures with, Dr. Datis Kharrazian, author of the amazingly important book called “Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms, When My Lab Tests are Normal?” I love this book so much that I think I will do a review and giveaway of it in the near future. But anyways, back to Dr. Q. He actually understands the workings of an autoimmune disease and how to treat. Autoimmune can be very tricky to treat, for a number of reasons. While there are some fundamental elements that are present in all autoimmune diseases, every person is unique and different, so if your doctor just goes with a “one size fits all approach”, you’re not going to get anywhere. Treatment HAS to be customized to each individual’s needs.
After the initial consult, I went home with the paperwork, financial breakdown, etc. It took me a couple weeks to make the decision to go ahead and schedule my appointment at the new practice. There were many reasons that I was wavering, but the biggest was the financial aspect of it. They are not in my insurance’s network, so I will have to pay for everything out of pocket and then submit it to my insurance for partial reimbursement. Even when I called the insurance company to learn more about that, they could not guarantee me that my claims would be accepted. So, I just have to submit the paperwork and then cross my fingers and hope that I can get a little money back. In the grand scheme of things, the overall cost is not bad, it’s just the fact that I have to come up with the funds up front, rather than letting everything be submitted through insurance and then getting a bill later.
During this time, I spoke to one of my dear friends about all of my thoughts. I actually suggested that she set up a consultation with them to see if they could help her. While she is dealing with different issues than me, based on the research I had done of the practice, I thought that it was worth a shot for her to try. She took my recommendation and became a patient before I did. What really solidified my desire to commit to this practice is when she and I were talking one day and she said, “Jessica, I really think that Dr. Q can help you“. Having her “seal of approval” so to speak really boosted my confidence that this was the right decision. I assessed our budget and figured out a way to make it work. Will it be tight? Yes. Will it hurt each month when we look at our bank account? Yes. Would it be worth it? Yes.
So, I called and made my appointment.
The Return of Optimism
The first thing I had to do was fill out an intake packet that was about a gazillion pages long. Actually, it was 15 pages, but the print was TINY. I have never filled out that in-depth of new patient paperwork before. Every possible symptom that you could imagine, they ask about. Pages upon pages of medical history questions some of which I really had to stop and think about.
Then, it was time for my first appointment The first exam was a two hour, in-depth exam. It was awesome — something I never thought I’d say about a doctor’s appointment! I’ve never had a neurological exam done and I am totally fascinated with it all. There were all sorts of tests on brain function, eye function, nerve function, balance, smell, sound, etc. It was so cool! So many of the things discussed in the exam started to make many things clear to me. Some of the symptoms that I had been noticing were real! They weren’t all in my head — there was an actual explanations for why I was experiencing some of the things I was. Honestly, it felt like SUCH a relief.
After the initial two hour exam, I went home and felt excited. FINALLY, I felt like I was working with someone who could help me. I felt (and still feel) very optimistic about it all.
A couple days later, I went back for my “Report of Findings” meeting. This is where they go over all of the results of the two hour exam and my blood work. We went through the labs line by line, I kid you not — I’ve never had a doctor explain my labs to me in such detail and it was wonderful. Normally the doctor just give them to me with no explanation at all, and I’d go home and spend time Googling various things to try and figure out what it meant. For this meeting, we discussed primarily the autoimmune treatments, such as continuing to work on digestion and balancing my blood sugar. I learned all about TH1, TH2, TH3, and TH17 and how we will first figure out where my dominance lies, and then we will proceed with getting those areas balanced (more on this in a later post).
So, as of that meeting, the initial game plan is to start me on some new supplements and also do the TH1 / TH2 challenge to see which side I am dominant on. Once we know that, we will have a much better idea of how we can proceed with treatment. Based on my labs, they started me on some new supplements:
- A supplement blend to support blood sugar balance and insulin resistance (which my labs still indicate).
- An supplement blend to help support my adrenals and stress respond (an area I need A LOT of help on).
- An supplement blend to help support my buffering system and help boost my CO2 levels (which are really low).
- An supplement blend to help support my immune system, circulation, and bring down inflammation (which in turn will help calm my overactive TH17).
- A cream that I rub directly on my thyroid, three times a day, that will help with my immune response and calming TH3.
They had me stop taking my hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes for a few days, just to see how I did. I did notice some discomfort, bloating, and gas after meals, so I have incorporated those back into my regimen. I still take vitamin D and my fermented cod liver oil and will start adding in a regular fish oil as well.
At my next appointment, we will discuss the results of my neurological exam and also the proposed treatment plan to strengthen those areas that are weak and need some work.
The one thing that I LOVE about this practice is that they have a team-centered approach to treating their patients. While my primary doctor is Dr. Q, whenever I go, I am meeting with at least two people (Dr. Q and their nutritionist/metabolic expert), and sometimes three. It’s an awesome environment that allows you access to a wide range of knowledge. That is probably one of the things that I really appreciate about working with them so far.
Where Are We Going From Here?
I am still at the beginning stages of this new journey, but I am so excited and very optimistic. I know I’ve said it a couple times in this post already, but to feel like the doctors you are working with actually “get it” is HUGE. This is where I have really been struggling over the last few months and have been feeling very much alone.
I also want to take a moment to give a shout out to my nutritional therapist, and friend, Lydia from Divine Health. Without her help, I would not have made it this far. Not only did she get me started down the right path, regarding blood sugar balance, food allergies, healing the gut, and more, she has offered emotional support more times than I can count. While I am excited to be working with the new practice and am committed to their treatment plans 110%, I know that I will still utilize Lydia and her vast amount of knowledge. She is an indispensable resource and a true asset when it comes to taking charge of your health.
I will keep you posted on how my journey progresses. By the time next month’s report rolls around, I should be well underway and should have lots of interesting things to tell you, so stay tuned!
If you want to check out my journey so far, you can read all of my past posts here.
If you are interested in learning more about how Lydia from Divine Health can help you start on your journey to health, I encourage you to contact her here.
Now, I’d love to hear from you. Have you ever worked with a chiropractic neurologist? How was your experience? Do you have any success stories to share? Leave me a comment below and let’s start the conversation! This is how we all learn! 🙂
Health Journey Update – 8/18/15
Here are a few videos of my current progress. To see even more up-to-date info on my personal health journey, check out my YouTube channel here.
Support Your Stress Response, Adrenals, Thyroid, and Whole Body Through Herbs
When it comes to supporting overall wellness, herbs are a great tool to have in your toolkit, especially those who may be dealing with chronic illness of some type. Since 2009, when I started this site, I have met thousands upon thousands of people through my work and by far, the #1 health complaints are:
- adrenal fatigue (or adrenal dysfunction of some sort) (click here to read all of my adrenal health articles)
- thyroid disorders (hypo-, hyper-, or autoimmune) (click here to read all of my thyroid health articles)
Because of this, I wanted to add in a section into this post about the benefit of using herbs with chronic illness. Adaptogens are by far one of the most used herbs when it comes to working with people who have low energy, fatigue, and overall imbalance in the endocrine system (thyroid, adrenals, and blood sugar).
While the benefits of adaptogenic herbs extend far beyond just supporting that one system, this tends to be one of the main reasons people turn to adaptogenic herbs in the first place. That said there are a lot of other herbs out there that offer amazing support for the body, especially those dealing with chronic illness which is why I wanted to share this section today.
If you are dealing with any type of chronic illness, I’m sorry to break it to you, but caffeine may not be your best friend. 🙁 While you can find lots of info online in both the pro- and the anti-coffee camps, the fact of the matter comes down to the fact that are a lot of people dealing with chronic illness, especially thyroid and adrenal problems, that simply cannot tolerate coffee and caffeine.
While those with sluggish adrenal glands tend to feel run down and in need of a regular pick-me-up (like coffee and other caffeinated beverages), in the long run, caffeine can do more harm than good while you are healing. I go into the “whys” around caffeine and your adrenals in this detailed post here. In addition to the caffeine, there are other constituents, molds, and mycotoxins that can show up in coffee that some people find they react to and can further exacerbate the toxic load on the body.
When I was diagnosed with autoimmune disease and adrenal fatigue, one of the first things that had to go was coffee. In addition to dealing with these issues, we suspected that I was having some detox pathway sluggishness so we wanted to also focus on supporting the liver and lymph systems. Most people who are dealing with chronic illness are also going to have issues with detoxification of the body, which is why herbs can play such an important role.
To be honest, I never drank coffee because of the caffeine. I drank coffee for the taste and aroma, as well as the emotional experience I felt to my morning cup of joe. For me, it was a ritual that I looked forward to every day (and sometimes multiple times a day). Whether I was brewing it at home or going to my local coffee shops, the experience was one that I clung to tightly.
But, when I was faced with new health struggles, I knew I had to do whatever I could to support my body and give it the tools it needed to heal. Giving up coffee and caffeine was one step in this direction.
And it sucked.
I turned to the coffee substitutes on the market in a desperate attempt to recreate the ritual I had grown so fond of, but nothing ever tasted the way I wanted it to. Nothing ever gave me that same experience that my cup of “real” coffee did. I knew there had to be something better, but I simply could not find it on my health food store’s shelves.
Necessity is the mother of invention so that is why I created my own coffee substitutes. They were made with organic, sustainably harvested herbs with zero grains, zero gluten, and zero caffeine. Just herbs.
Herbs that not only tasted delicious but supported my body’s function, like liver detox, bile production, digestion, etc. All of the herbs used in my “coffee” blends have been used for thousands of years to support the body’s normal functions and help everything work a little better — something we all need in today’s toxic world! (psst, dandelion is one of the herbs!)
When it came to creating these blends, if I could get something to not only tasted amazing (and helped me recreate my dearly loved ritual), but also did amazingly supportive things for my body, then it’s a no brainer!
I sold these pre-made blends on Etsy for awhile and the demand was more than I could keep up with. People literally LOVED these blends and were stunned at how much like coffee they actually tasted. Customers who had been dealing with a variety of chronic illnesses had given up coffee to heal their bodies, but like me were deeply missing their morning cup of joe ritual.
After careful consideration and work with some highly experienced advisors, I decided to stop selling the pre-made blends and instead share my proprietary recipes in the form of an eBook. That way I could arm people with the knowledge and recipes they needed to make their own caffeine-free, gluten-free, grain-free blends in the comfort of their own home.
That is why I created the best-selling DIY Herbal Coffees eBook: A Complete Guide To Making Delicious Herbal Coffees to Support Healing & Stress Relief.
Now in its second edition, this ebook features:
- All of my proprietary herbal blend recipes to you can craft a homemade herbal cup of “coffee” at home.
- A ton of researched information about coffee’s impact on the health of those dealing with issues like adrenal fatigue, blood sugar dysregulation, autoimmune disease, thyroid disease, and any other chronic illness.
- Information about all of the herbs used, why I selected them, how to source them, how to prepare and store you “coffees”, and much more.
- Access to your own personal coffee shop where I show you how to recreate your favorite coffee shop drinks and pastries with wholesome, nourishing real food ingredients. No junk here. Only real food.
This book truly is a comprehensive guide to supporting your health, reducing your stress, and bringing a little something special back into your healing journey. You can learn more and download your own copy of this revolutionary wellness guide here, or simply click on the image below.
Delicious Obsessions is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.Read our full terms and conditions here.
Glad you are finally figuring this out! It’s crazy how this is so unknown in the medical world and they only treat symptoms. I was diagnosed with stage 2 adrenal fatigue about 8 months ago and thankfully found a holistic nutritionist/dietitian that really knows about this and how to heal the body as a whole. I also had a bad bout with depression/anxiety and it’s so much better now. So glad to be on the right path at least 🙂
Hi Kristen – It’s funny, because I actually am experiencing the opposite. All of my previous doctors have treated me simply on labs and have not paid any attention to my symptoms and how I’m really feeling. They just look at the numbers on the blood work and base everything on that. I think that true treatment comes with a find balance of both. That’s what I appreciate about this new doctor is that they seem to look at comprehensive lab work, but they also take time to understand all of my symptoms, since symptoms can vary so much. Their focus is very much a whole-body approach, rather than just focusing on the “broken” element. I am hopeful that this is a good decision and will help me get some results! I hope the same for you! Good luck on your journey and thanks for stopping by!
Wow, I remember my return of optimism! How great it is that you found this team of people to help you. I know about that overwhelming information overload. I do feel compelled to ask if you have had your B12 levels tested though! Best of luck on your journey.
Thanks Tara! Haven’t checked B12 yet, but it’s on the list! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Also, good for you in sharing all of this because it is sure to help someone else!
Truly awesome that you found a practitioner who seems to know what he is doing, and is making sense!
Would love to find such a doc in my area. Could we connect via email?
Hi Suzie – Me too! I am really excited! I will send you an email today! 🙂
This new doctor sounds great. I hope he helps you!
I seemed to get over my Hashi’s spontaneously. I can’t explain it, and I still have the goiter, but all hypo symptoms are gone. My eyebrows even came back. I took Armour for a short time but developed hyper symptoms.
Are you taking cod liver oil and eating plenty of liver? What about raw milk/butter/cheese? I’m not good about eating coconut oil. Everyone’s different so I don’t know that it will help you but I’ve been mostly following a wapf diet and maybe that’s what helped me. I’ve been gluten-free for a little over a year, but the hashi’s was gone long before that.
Laurel – Are you sure you had Hashi’s? You don’t ever get rid of Hashi’s, but it can go into remission if your immune system heals enough. But, you will forever have it. Even if it goes into remission, there is always the risk of flareups during various times in your life. Did you get blood work done that tested for the thyroid antibodies (TPO Ab and TGB Ab)? That’s the only true way to diagnose Hashi’s is to take a look at specific thyroid antibodies. The other thing about Hashi’s is that one of the things it does is causes people to swing from hyper to hypo. I have noticed that in myself. I take fermented cod liver oil, but I am not eating a lot of liver due to high copper levels. I am dairy free, because casein has been closely linked to Hashi’s, just like gluten. Most practitioners recommend anyone with Hashi’s to be gluten and diary free, and sometimes grain free, because there are a lot of gluten-cross reactive grains. I have been gluten, dairy, and grain free for going on 8 months now. Just my thoughts! I’m glad you are experiencing wellness, so whatever is working for you, keep it up 🙂
Jessica,
I’ve been recently diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. (Only 2 days ago). I knew something was wrong for a while, just ignored my symptions and did not want to go to a “mainstream” doc. I found an Intigragive care proveder by going to www.foreverhealth.com. Still in my beginning stages. Am going for more blood work and some specific tests in a few days. Have to discontinue my vitamins for at least 3 days prior to having these tests. This care provider had an ultrasound maching in his office and looked at my thyroid – todally abnormal! Hoping to level out all hormones soon. Our bodies need balance! Will keep watching your posts! Hang in there!
Sincerely,
Antoinette
Hi Antoinette – Thanks for stopping by! I am sorry to hear of your diagnosis! I am happy that you were able to find a good practitioner and I hope they are able to provide you with the level of care you deserve! My MD sent me out to get an ultrasound of my thyroid last summer. I had to go to a separate facility to receive it. That’s nice that your doc has everything there! It’s all a fine balancing game. You can’t do one thing without doing something else. I love that my new doc is looking at my whole body as a system, rather than just broken parts! I look forward to “seeing” you around and hearing more about your journey! 🙂
Hi Jessica,
thank you for sharing your story, hope it is all on the way up for you now. I have recently listened to an interview of Dr. Sara Gottfried on hormone imbalance. There is a book out in a months time of hers’ the hormone cures’ , you can buy it on amazon or on her website. Having heard her talk and tell her story about how she recovered from severe imbalance I think I am keen to buy the book as my hormones need tweaking. Not sure if this is anything for you………
wishing you all the best
Veronika
http://instantteleseminar.com/?eventID=38063244
http://www.saragottfriedmd.com/
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/undergroundwellness/2013/01/23/dr-sara-gottfried–energize-your-sex-drive?inf_contact_key=a6ea344e0b682c8d5397e49ba01db8f174e3a309a4bec4d4cb2e2b0b31338a03
Hi Veronika – Love, love, love Dr. Gottfried. I read everything she puts out and I can’t wait to get her book! I have followed her for years and I really appreciate her approach. I wish she could be my doctor! I have serious hormonal imbalance — all due to autoimmune, thyroid, adrenal, and blood sugar imbalance. It’s amazing how everything is so delicately tied together. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Jessica,
Have you considered having a sleep study done? Our babysitter just told me she had one done last time she was at home from college. She also felt like she was getting plenty of sleep, but always felt so very tired. It turned out she has a seizure disorder. It might be worth asking about.
Wishing you the best!
Karen
Hi Karen – I have considered it, but we do not have the money for that right now and it is not covered by insurance. I know that my sleep issues are due to my adrenal and blood sugar issues, so I am fairly confident that once that is regulated, things will even out. It ebbs and flows, but I feel like things are getting better … slowly 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Wow, Jessica. Whenever I read your “Let’s Get Personal” posts, I feel like I am reading about my own experience. I have also been going through a really rough patch lately, where I’ve been starting to lose hope and I’ve been in a really deep depression. I’ve had days that I’ve called out of work because of it, and other mornings that I’ve had to force myself to stop crying so that I could put my makeup on and get my butt into work. And there have been plenty of days that I’ve fought back tears at my desk, counting down the hours and minutes until I could go home and just hide. I do worry that I’m letting this affect my job. And I need the money to keep trying the next doctor, the next lab test, the next supplement! So believe me, I know what you’re going through!
I have to give you major kudos. I have been so fatigued lately, that sometimes (ok, almost all the time) just getting through the day is a huge accomplishment. And then I’ll see you post something on Facebook, or put up another blog post, and I think to myself, “If that was me, I’d never be able to find the energy to keep up with those things.” And now after reading this post and knowing that you’ve been dealing with the depression and lack of energy as well, I’m even more impressed. I have actually had this post open on a tab in my browser since the day you wrote it, with so much that I wanted to respond to, but I didn’t have the energy to write a response. I have found some energy somewhere the last 2 days, and so wanted to take advantage of it before it goes again!
I know how you feel about finding a doctor who gets it, and how hard it is. I thought that my most recent doctor “got it”, and he definitely took the investigation further than anyone else had, but he didn’t really follow through. I got all of these tests done, and it was great to get black and white results, as everything up until that point had just been a guessing game. But there were some things that didn’t make sense – like a deficiency in B1, B12, and low ferritin levels (which indicates the beginning stages of anemia, even with a high serum iron level, which I had) – yet I eat a paleo diet, with lots of grass fed beef, and liver, eggs, spinach, oysters and shellfish, etc. Low B12 and low ferritin make NO SENSE! Instead of looking further into why I’m deficient in things that I shouldn’t be, and looking at them as clues that link to other strange results (like how I’m low in beneficial bacteria despite supplementing w/the highest potency probiotics I can find for more than 6 months), he sold me supplements for B1 and B12 and told me to take probiotics, even though I told him I was already taking them. So he said I should switch brands, and I told him that I rotate brands w/every bottle. He had nothing to say to that. I specifically asked him about the normal/high serum iron levels and low ferritin, and he had no answer for that either. I’ve been going through my lab results with a fine toothed comb and doing all of my own research online to find answers. With the amount of money that I’ve paid this guy, I should not HAVE to do that!
There is a holistic health center not too far from me which specializes in functional diagnostic nutrition (FDN). I don’t know if you’re familiar with Underground Wellness (blogs and podcasts, all great info.), but he put out a few YouTube videos which describe FDN, and it seems like the kind of thing that I’m looking for – linking clues together to get the big picture about what is going on the body. Setting up a consultation with them will be my next step when I decide to see a doctor again. I’ve got a few things that I’m trying out on my own in the meantime though.
As a matter of fact, over the last month, I have started feeling worse. I know that we must all take control of our health, but for me, I mentally cannot handle the amount of information that is thrown at me every day. I get overloaded and then … I shut down….
I could have written this! Each time I think I’ve got a good lead on what’s going on with me and the next thing I need to try, I read something that completely contradicts it. It’s so frustrating! Yet I still feel that I’ve gotten closer to figuring out what’s wrong with me than any doctor so far. Of course, because nobody has more motivation to improve my health than I do! It’s still frustrating though. One thing that you can be grateful for – you at least know what you’re dealing with. It’s a start, and a big one! I know it probably doesn’t seem like much, especially when you still feel like crap, but I am still taking shots in the dark on figuring out what the heck is going on with my body.
Some of your symptoms mirror mine exactly:
• Lack of focus and motivation
• Brain fog and memory issues
• Fatigue at random times during the day (all day every day, most days for me)
• Loss of interest in being social (I don’t leave the house much anymore, because I have no desire to)
• An overall sense of melancholy (for me it stems from feeling hopeless that I’ll ever beat this thing, whatever the heck it is)
I love the phrase “the return of optimism”. I get that here and there, and it’s always so welcome. I don’t think there’s anything that is worse than feeling like there is no hope.
Have you done any research on iodine and its effect on the thyroid? I’ve been supplementing with it for almost a year now, and I’ve had to go really slow because I got serious detox symptoms from even small doses. Iodine displaces the other halogens – bromine and fluoride, and apparently I was pretty toxic with bromine. I had classic symptoms of bromine toxicity when I started off with too high of a dose of iodine. But once I started going slow, I started feeling better and happier than I had in a LONG time! I’ve been up and down with it since, but recently have started becoming more aggressive w/the dosage. After a year of taking a low dosage, I think I gently detoxed most of the bromine, because now I’m handling the higher dosages very well, and I think my handful of energetic/optimistic days here and there are because of it.
Here’s a link that gives an overview of the relation of iodine and the thyroid – http://www.womentowomen.com/hypothyroidism/iodinedeficiency-thyroidhealth.aspx.
There’s also a mega iodine thread on Mark’s Daily Apple which has tons of good info (and some useless cattiness, but I guess that just can’t be avoided when it comes to public forums).
The only chiropractor that I have worked with was also a kinesiologist, which was the whole reason that I went to him. I think that of all the doctors, he and I saw eye to eye the most, but all he did was sell me supplements. Enough with the g-d damn supplements!
I am so hopeful for you and your new path of working with Dr. Q! I can’t wait to hear about your progress!!
WOW Beth! Thank you for sharing so much!! You and I are going through such similar things. I really appreciate your openness and willingness to share your experiences. It does help me and I appreciate it more than you know. I am sure it is also helping others! Regarding the iodine, no, I do not supplement with iodine, b/c is is dangerous to do so with Hashi’s. It can actually make things much, much worse and cause your thyroid to burn out faster. Any iodine I get, I get from food. I know Chris Kresser has a good article on this on his site. If you’re straight hypothyroid and don’t have the autoimmune element, I have heard that iodine can be quite beneficial. Have you been tested for autoimmune? I can’t remember if you had mentioned that before or not. My new doctor says that all autoimmune diseases are the same — the only difference is what tissue the body decides to destroy. For some, it’s the thyroid (Hashi’s or Graves). For others, it’s the joints or the nervous system (RA or MS/Parkinson’s). Just wondering if you had explored that at all. One doctor I read speculates that upwards of 80% of thyroid disorders are actually autoimmune, but b/c doctors never check for the antibodies, they go undiagnosed. Just curious. I see that you have another comment that I need to approve and you share more of your story there. Off to read that!!! :):):):)
You are very welcome. I’m happy to share my frustrations and research, as well as what I’ve tried and am looking to try. Thank YOU for getting (and keeping!) the conversation going by putting yourself out there in these posts!
I had completely blanked on the fact that you have Hashi’s. Brain fog in full effect! But I remember hearing recently on a podcast that the reason that iodine affects people with Hashi’s negatively is because they are low in selenium. I couldn’t remember the podcast, so I did a quick search online and found this article – http://jeffreydach.com/2011/09/14/iodine_hashimotos.aspx, which was actually written by the doctor I’m currently seeing. He sure sounds like the kind of doctor you want on your side, I wish I could say he’s done more for me. He did test me for thyroid antibodies though, and I tested negative. That link is to part 2 of the series, but it links to part one at the beginning.
Speaking of Chris Kresser, he has talked about LDN (low dose naltrexone) for autoimmune issues many times. I know that we just mentioned the frustration of information overload, but I feel that I would be remiss if I didn’t mention these things. It might be something worth taking a look into at some point – the more tools we have in our arsenal, the better! 🙂
Thanks for the tips Beth!! I’ll check that stuff out! 🙂
In the hope that maybe it will help someone else, here’s my health journey update (my first reply was already getting too long!).
I launched what I called “Operation Heal Leaky Gut” for about 3 ½ weeks, starting right after Christmas. I cut out alcohol, gluten (which I only “cheat” with, and rarely) and sugar. I kept my diet clean and didn’t give into dessert, even paleo-friendly ones. The result? No change! I didn’t even lose any weight. My mysterious persistent bloat, well, it persisted! It has actually gotten much worse over the last 2 months, to the point that even the bigger slacks that I bought for work not that long ago are now uncomfortable. Things that used to make a difference (VLC diet, GAPS intro, just eating super clean), no longer have any effect. I even have tried fasting for 48 hours once or twice a week (while still having coffee and 2-3 Tbsp. of coconut oil). Initially that would cause things to improve, until I started eating again, and then it would all come back in a day or 2. Even that has stopped being very effective. I fasted on Wednesday, and on Thursday, I was EXACTLY the SAME WEIGHT! Talk about frustration! I’m at my wits end. I’m tired of buying bigger clothes. And I’m now pretty sure that leaky gut isn’t the cause of my symptoms.
I know it is purely water weight because the rest of my body looks normal. The friends that I’ve opened up to keep telling me, “But you look exactly the same!” And then I lift up my shirt and show them my stomach, which looks like I’m about 7 months pregnant (and sometimes more!). I’ve gotten good at camouflaging it with flowy shirts. I recently found a forum online with a topic that is THIRTY-EIGHT PAGES long, full of people who are all experiencing the exact same symptoms that I am, some of them for much longer than me. The consensus? There isn’t one, except that no one has found an answer, in the 3 years since that thread began. It’s incredibly disheartening.
After deciding that it didn’t make sense to keep treating leaky gut, I started looking elsewhere for clues. Back to my lab results. And I started looking at that “Parasite Present, Taxonomy Unknown” result from Metametrix. I decided to just go ahead and start treating for parasites with natural anti-parasitics and see what happens. I started to feel optimistic again. I’ve read that high amounts of iodine can eradicate pretty much any nasty bug which decides to set up shop, which is why I decided to start being more aggressive with my dose (I’m currently on 25 mgs of Lugol’s daily, some people on CureZone use 150 mgs and above!). I bought some caprylic acid and cloves (cloves are supposed to be able to kill the eggs). I’ve just started supplementing with those, and no die-off symptoms yet. Just as I was starting to feel hopeful, I remembered that I had taken a product called Candida Clear a few months ago, back when I thought I had candida, and it’s full of anti-fungals and anti-parasitics. All it did was give me a rash (maybe that was die-off?). In any case, it’s made me feel that maybe parasites aren’t my problem. I’ve done a lot of research lately, and apparently parasites have a life cycle that will cause symptoms to wax and wane. Mine don’t. They’re chronic and worsening. And if it’s not leaky gut, and it’s not parasites, then I have no clue whatsoever what else it could be. I’ve already ruled out candida and mercury toxicity.
I’ll keep supplementing w/the anti-parasitics for now, since I’ve got them. My next step is to do a juice fast. After going paleo, I had pretty much written off anything touted as a “cleanse”. And I also figured that Grok certainly didn’t juice! But for some reason earlier this week, the idea just resonated with me. I did a 7 day juice fast about 10 years ago, when I was having serious issues with food obsession and binge eating, and it was one of the best things I’d ever done. I lost the weight that I had gained from binging and lost a lot of my food addictions for a long time as well.
As I’ve got a 3 day weekend, I figured it would be a good time to start. I can assess if I want to continue after that. If I decide to do it for a stretch (maybe 14 days), I’m planning to then transition into GAPS intro afterwards, with just broth for a few days, and then slowly add in egg yolks and cooked meats.
Another thing that I came across this week that resonated with me was castor oil (of all things!). Supposedly taking castor oil internally can suffocate parasites and loosen their hold on the intestinal lining (in addition to really cleaning you out, which is why it’s called a castor oil “cleanse”!). Wish me luck on that one tomorrow! LOL. I also read about castor oil packs, which I had come across before but didn’t have any interest in at the time. They are commonly used on the abdomen and are soothing, in addition to helping the liver with detox. I gave it a try the other night and it was definitely very soothing and relaxing (I fell asleep!). Supposedly it also helps to pull out toxins and stimulate the lymphatic system. Even if it doesn’t do any of those things, at least it feels nice!
So that’s where I’m at. After the bloat, the most frustrating thing is the up and down energy. On my few “good days”, I feel motivated to make positive changes, like getting back in the gym, among other things. Then all of a sudden I’m back down in the depression hole, and it’s all I can do to get out of bed in the morning, and the goals that I’d set for myself fall by the wayside. One thing that’s been helping which I started recently is mindfulness meditation. I was listening to one of Chris Kresser’s podcasts, and he mentioned a book by Jon Kabat-Zin called Full Catastrophe Living, and I was intrigued. I’ve been reading it and have started practicing the meditation exercises, whether I feel like it or not (as the book suggests). I’m hoping that this will help me start accepting myself as I am, instead of being so focused on the things that I don’t like about myself right now which aren’t even within my control.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Beth, for sharing your story!!! It will help more people than you know! I know exactly how frustrating it is to be faced with all of this contradictive information from all sorts of sources. All we can do is just keep on moving forward, at a pace that we can tolerate. I’m like you, with really good days where I feel excited and optimistic and really bad days where I feel like everything is just crumbling around me. I think there is a lot of mental healing that must take place, right along with the physical healing. AND, the more I am reading, the more I am feeling like I need to get my head right before I will make much more progress. I feel as though my brain is sabotaging my progress. Thank you again for opening up and sharing! 🙂
Hi Jessica,
I’m just getting around to reading this update. Boy have you gone through the wringer. My heart goes out to you. That’s fantastic you’ve found medical care that suits you.
I’m interested in dental care and was listening to an interview on oneradionetwork.com with Candace Carol Vander Stoep that aired a couple of weeks ago. She is a dental hygienist whom Dr. Mercola recently interviewed (http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/02/24/invasive-dentistry-benefits.aspx?e_cid=20130224_SNL_Art_1&utm_source=snl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20130224).
What caught my ear was the consequences of being a mouth breather. I’ve been a mouth breather for years. I never knew that, among other things, it reduces the CO2 in the body.
Oneradionetwork did an interview with an Irish guy I think it was last week who teaches proper breathing. He said he’s a mouth breather and has taped his mouth when he sleeps and has been doing it for years. He goes into more about what happens when we are mouth breathers. I haven’t gone that far yet, but I am more careful about breathing through my nose with my mouth closed.
Anyway, something you may want to look into that you can do for yourself in your own home for free.
All of the interviews I mentioned are free.
You are doing an awesome job, and I thank you for sharing your journey. I look forward to the day soon when you are on the other side of this and getting healthier and healthier.
Hi there! Thanks for stopping by! I didn’t know that about the mouth breathing. I’ve never been a mouth breather, but that is interesting to know! I saw that post on Mercola’s site – great post! He puts out such good info! 🙂
This is so great to read! As a brand new NTP myself (and a big fan of Lydia!) I find inspiration in your journey, both for myself and my own journey, and for my future clients! There is hope! 🙂
Hi Rachel! Thank you so much for stopping by! I really appreciate the feedback and am so happy that these posts offer some inspiration to you! You’re gonna do great! 🙂