Feeling Better! Hashimoto's and the Path to Healing: Part 2

It's been just over a month since I posted my first story about my path to healing Hashimoto's thyroiditis. I am pleased to report that I am feeling so much better! It happened about two weeks after my post back in October. I woke up, went through my day and kept thinking, "I feel so joyful. I feel so energetic! Look how beautiful the trees are! I feel so good!" I couldn't help noticing my new sense of vitality and a very new sense of loving my life! I have said to friends that it's been years since I've felt this good. But, in fact, I'm not sure I've ever felt this good.

When I was seven years old, I was hospitalized due to symptoms of diabetes. The doctor did some blood tests and discovered that I had hypoglycemia. I was sent home with this diagnosis. However, my parents didn't really know how to deal with it so I kept eating sugary desserts, drinking cow's milk (to which I later found out I was very allergic), and not surprisingly feeling crummy. Not only did I suffer from anxiety and bouts of depression even as a young kid, I also had a chronic cough that wouldn't stop. My family, and even my neighbors noticed it and told me to , "Stop coughing, already!!!" It's was annoying to them and me, but no one knew about food allergies or food sensitivities back then, so no one knew how to stop it.

Throughout my childhood and more dramatically in my college years, I suffered intense sinus infections and ear infections, no doubt caused by my compromised immune system. Doctors prescribed antibiotics, of course, which only served to rob my digestive tract of good bacteria and treat the symptoms but not heal the underlying cause. On top of all of this, I was a very active athlete. In high school I swam 2-3 hours a day and lifted weights twice a week for an hour each day. In college this increased to five hours of swimming a day and three weightlifting sessions per week. I don't remember missing more than 1-2 practices my entire college swimming career. I swam through sinus infections, bronchitis, colds, you name it. This is how it was throughout my childhood and adolescence as well--I didn't miss more than 3-4 days of school per year. I went to school even when I was sick, with the exception of the stomach flu. In my late twenties I came down with pneumonia. By the time I went to see the doctor, she told me that if I had waited much longer to see her, I might have died. In my thirties, I developed serious bronchitis three different times and was laid up for at least 1-2 months each episode. In retrospect, I believe the antibiotics, food allergies, and my active lifestyle all contributed to the breakdown of my immune system. By the time I turned 35, I was exhausted! By the time I was 40, I was dealing with depression, anxiety, extreme fatigue, heart palpitations, insomnia, and serious PMS.

That's when I knew I needed to get help, and fast!!!! First I went to a nurse practitioner who tested my Vit D and Vit B levels. I was significantly low in both. She gave me supplements. She also tested my hormone levels and noticed that my testosterone levels were low. She prescribed DHEA supplements. However, she didn't prescribe an adrenal test, nor did she test my neurotransmitters so I decided to get a second opinion. I went to see a Physician's Assistant, that was recommended to me by a friend (Thanks Lynn!). She immediately tested my neurotransmitters and adrenals. My serotonin levels were very low. My GABA was out of balance. My adrenals were overproducing cortisol at night and underproducing during the day, which meant they were being overworked. She prescribed 5-HTP (an amino acid which is a precursor to serotonin production), Taurine (to rebalance my GABA and help with my anxiety) and a vitamin supplement to support my adrenals. The PA moved to Boulder, CO. a month later. I was bummed. But I asked her to give me a referral to another doctor--one who worked in the same way as she did. She gave me the name of an MD who practiced integrative medicine.

I love my doctors! Dr. Maggie Yu, M.D. and Carrie Jones, N.D. work together to serve their patients at Sherwood Family Medicine. Dr. Yu heard my symptoms and immediately ordered a Hashimoto's antibodies test. Sure enough! I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Dr. Yu and Dr. Jones prescribed a gluten-free diet, stress management, selenium supplements, an adrenal supplement called phosphorylated serine, and regular meals to keep my blood sugar levels in balance. She continued the 5-HTP, Taurine, and prescribed a sublingual Vit B supplement.

In addition, I did my own research on diet, exercise, and nutrition. Dr. Jones recommended that I read, Dr. Datis Kharrazian's book, Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms? From his book, I discovered a nutritional therapist in the Portland area--Nora T. Gedgaudas--who wrote Primal Body-Primal Mind. I also did a lot of online research. I found a wonderful website to help me eat gluten-free: http://www.simplysugarandglutenfree.com/. I met with an Ayurvedic practitioner, Richard Haynes, who prescribed deep breathing, oil self-massage, and specific foods for balancing Vata and Pitta. He also suggested that I forego intense exercise and take slow walks instead, in order to rest my adrenals. According to Ayurvedic medicine, Hashimoto's disease is the result of a Vata imbalance. As a result, light walking and gentle yoga are recommended for rebalancing the nervous system. Dr. Kharrazian confirms this in his book as well. He discusses how weightlifting burns sugars which taxes the adrenals, whereas light aerobic exercise--like walking, slow biking, and swimming-- burns fat. By burning fat, you maintain proper blood sugar levels, putting less stress on the adrenals.

I've also made other lifestyle changes that have helped me significantly. First off, is maintaining a regular restorative yoga practice. I practice three days a week at Om Base Yoga with Todd Williamson. He incorporates meditation and slow stretching with light strengthening poses. I leave there feeling peaceful, relaxed, and with a heightened sense of well-being. Plus, Todd is so fun to talk to, so playful, such a light, that you can't help but smile as you walk out of the studio. Without my practice at Om Base, I would still be a full-on "Type A" personality! I also practice Yin Yoga at home, using one of Paul Grilley's DVD's. He uses 5-minute poses to gently stretch the myo-facial tissues which encase the muscles. It's gentle, relaxing, and feels great afterwards.

Another lifestyle change I made was to cut back on work. I am lucky that I am able to do this. I am an adjunct faculty member at a local college so I set my own schedule each quarter. I've created a sustainable schedule in which I work every other day. That means that my stress levels don't have a chance to accumulate throughout the week. I use my days off to do yoga, nap, cook, write, walk, watch a movie or read a book.

Next, I've proclaimed one day per week as "ME DAY." No appointments, no friends dropping by, no arrends to run, no cleaning the house. This was a recommendation from Dr. Kharrazian. For parents, he recommends taking at least a half-day per week for yourself. It has a made a huge difference! I used to schedule dr.'s appointments, arrends, and dates with friends all on the same day which meant I was driving all over town and totally exhausted by the time I got home. Now, I try to schedule just 1-2 items per day, in the same part of town to minimize driving.

Other changes I've made: 1) Going to bed by 10 or 10:30 and waking up no later than 7 or 8am. This one is hard to do, especially on the weekends. But, when I do it, I feel better--more rested and rejuvenated. 2) Eating my big meal of the day at lunch time, no later than 2pm. This is when our digestive system is at it's strongest and most efficient. It also means less snacking at night time. 3) Reducing time on the computer and in front of the TV. It's helped calm my mind and rest my body. 4) Maybe you'll like this one! At least once a week I hit some pillows with a tennis racket and yell, "No!" at the top of my lungs. I do this to release energy that is stuck in my throat or belly. As women, we're often told that getting angry is not ok. So we stuff it. As they say, "Depression is anger turned inward." Every time I do this when I'm feeling down, it helps me feel lighter and more joyful. Even if my neighbors may wonder what the heck is going on in there!!!

A friend recently reminded me that it's only been 4 months since my diagnosis. She observed how much progress I've made in such a short time. This made me feel really good. I've worked hard to sift through all of the information, make changes in my lifestyle and eating habits, and put myself first even when it's uncomfortable or at the risk of people being disappointed or annoyed. Through this disease my thyroid has been my greatest teacher, and I am so grateful for it's lessons. While the process has been tenuous, uncomfortable, and frustrating, ultimately, I've learned how to love myself, slow down, enjoy life, and relax. I'm not driven by perfectionism or achievement as much as I once was. I exercise to feel good, not to lose weight. It may sound contrite, but I feel like I've got ME back. Not all the time. I still have my lows. But they don't last as long. And I have ways to help myself feel better again. Usually, it just means resting more, and doing less.

My next step? Maintain the changes I've made. Talk to my doctor about the results of my recent food intolerance and adrenal function tests. Gradually increase my exercise to include more of the activities I love, like swimming and biking. Take more baths to reduce stress. Find ways to make work fun. Love my husband and let him love me. Do you see a trend here? Self-care to the max! Self-indulgent? Maybe. All I know, is I feel happier. As someone who is happier, I complain less and laugh more. I have more to offer the people around me. Remember what they tell you on airplanes? Put your oxygen mask on yourself first, then your child. We gotta help ourselves before we can be of any help to others. I always knew this in theory, but now I'm living it. I can tell you this--- it works!

Hashimoto's Disease and The Path to Healing

It has been awhile since I've posted. I've been absorbing a lot of incoming information since being diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease about two months ago. Hashimoto's (aka, "Harry Schmoto's, as a friend of mine likes to call it) or thyroiditis, is an autoimmune disease affecting thyroid function. It is one of the most common causes of hypothyroidism and fortunately, quite treatable. Basically, the body attacks the tissues of the thyroid, causing symptoms of an underactive (depression, weight gain, fatigue) and overactive (anxiety, insomnia, weight loss, heart palpatations) thyroid intermittently. My diagnosis is a huge relief as I have been struggling with alternating periods of anxiety and depression over the past few years--a lot of peaks and valleys without much of an even ground. Now I realize that I'm not off my rocker, I'm just dealing with an endocrine system that is out of balance.

While, yes, it is a relief to know what's happening, it is also a bit overwhelming as there is so much information out there to sift through and many different treatment protocols, depending on what doctor you talk to or what research you read. The more I learn about the thyroid and the healing process of this disease, the more complicated it feels. But alas, I have a great team of healers on my side, guiding and encouraging me. I am seeing an ND, an MD, and recently sought advice from an Ayurvedic practitioner. I've also emailed several friends of mine who are naturopaths and they have been gracious enough to give me friendly advice free of charge. In addition, I am reading a very enlightening book by Dr. Datis Kharrazian called Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms? While it does contain a lot of information--some of it confusing scientific terminology--it has helped my understanding of the disease and how to treat it naturally.

This onslaught of incoming information is certainly exercising my muscles of discernment. One doctor says this, another says that. Sometimes they agree, sometimes they disagree. Ultimately, what I've decided to do is try out different ideas and see which feels better. For example, my MD suggests that I eat six small meals a day to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, while my Ayurvedic practitioner says that eating three meals a day (a light breakfast, good-sized lunch, and healthy dinner) better enables my digestive tract to heal. I like the three meals a day plus a snack. My MD reiterates, at each visit, the importance of balancing my adrenals, while a chiropractor on the web prioritizes detoxing the GI tract of parasites and yeast. I'm focusing on both by eating regularly throughout the day, practicing deep breathing, and taking probiotics. Needless to say, it's easier and far more reassuring when the advice overlaps. My ND tells me to work on "stress management" and my Ayurvedic practitioner spends an hour teaching me deep breathing exercises. The advice I received from both my ND and MD was to go gluten-free. Likewise, my three naturopathic friends confirmed that they'd seen patients benefit from removing gluten from their diet. As an aside, supposedly the molecular structure of gluten resembles that of the thyroid gland. For those patients with Hashimoto's disease, eating gluten triggers an autoimmune response in the body which heightens the symptoms of the disorder (Kharrazian, 2010).

In a nutshell, what I've discovered so far, from my reading, my consulting, and my appointments with various healers is that the endocrine system (of which the thyroid is a part) is intricately connected and dependent on other systems in the body. An example of this is the the nervous system. A calm nervous system leads to healthy digestion and therefore, prevents overtaxed adrenal glands and an overactive inflammatory response. More specifically, when our sympathetic nervous system (aka, "fight or flight") runs the show, it actually subdues or shuts down digestion (after all, who needs to digest food when you're fighting or running away from a sabre tooth tiger) which causes the adrenals to pump out cortisol. This triggers the autoimmune (or inflammatory) response which causes the body to attack the tissues of the thyroid. An inefficient digestive system can cause all sorts of problems from neurotransmitter depletion to "leaky gut". In fact, the largest producer of serotonin is not in the brain but in the GI tract (www.drkaslow.com). "Leaky gut" happens when damage to the intestinal lining causes intestinal permeability which, in turn, allows partially digested food, bacteria, and waste to be released into the bloodstream. This triggers an inflammatory response in the body (www.drweil.com).

Phew! See? There's a lot of information to synthesize and make sense out of. It's been frustrating not having a clearly marked path of healing to follow. It's also been disheartening to feel crummy more days than not even though I've made dietary and lifestyle changes. But it's early in the healing process and, again, there is no black and white, "magic" path. I ran into a woman at the grocery store the other day who said it took her 14 months to feel better once she changed her diet. That's not to say it will take me that long, but it was comforting to hear her story because it reminded me to stoke the fires of faith and patience--two key ingredients for calming the nervous system! If I'm constantly worrying about what supplements to take, what foods to eat, how much to exercise, how often to rest, I'm going to create more anxiety and thus more stress in my body which will trigger the autoimmune response. It would almost be better to peacefully, quietly eat a chocolate chip cookie while breathing deeply afterwards than to worry about every little thing I put into my mouth and what it will do to my body. Eating the cookie sounds like a lot more fun and it doesn't cause the domino effect of the autoimmune response. Eh hem, to be clear, I am not suggesting that people eat more cookies. However, Ayurvedic philosophy suggests that how you eat (chewing slowly in a peaceful environment) is more important than what you eat. Hmmm....something to ponder.

It's funny, the behavior that got me into this mess in the first place was that Type A, high-achiever attitude that wants to "fix" things, perfect one's performance, please others, and do whatever it takes to win, succeed, be healthy, etc. What I'm realizing first hand from this diagnosis is that being (the term my yoga teacher uses often) is the door to health: taking baths, deeply breathing as I take my dog on a walk, feeling my body in the yoga poses instead of reciting my "to do" list, noticing hunger in my body and then eating slowly and chewing my food thoroughly, or feeling my chest tighten when I'm feeling angry or scared or sad. These kinds of activities are antithetical to the persona of "athlete", "heroine", "warrioress" with which I used to identify so closely. It's not easy to remember to "be" instead of "do", but when I do remember, I feel so much better.

One of the best pieces of advice I've received recently is from one of my naturopathic friends, "Be happy, focus on health and vitality and don't worry about...(insert a list of issues that I was concerned about)." Underline the word "be".

P.S. I'm realizing that while taking care of myself is really important, things like teaching my students, listening to my husband, reading and spending time with friends, also help me get out of my head and remember that there is a whole world out there! It's a fine balance between self-love and self-absorption. A dear mentor of mine taught me a very useful affirmation, "I am not my body." Right now, he is living with Parkinson's disease and, yet, he has not abandoned this affirmation. Go Matt! I have another friend who is fighting cancer. She manages to keep a sense of humor even when she's faced with one diagnosis after the next. Her body may be frail right now, but her spirit is still robust and strong. Go Kath!!! Caroline Myss is another inspiration to me. Her book, Anatomy of the Spirit, relates countless stories of people who live with physical disease in their bodies but their spirits are still going strong. Grieving and feeling are certainly part of the process, empathy and encouragement from loved ones is a necessity, but I'm re-realizing that also vital to the path to healing and vibrant health, is strength of spirit.