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A Thynundrum Indeed
Dear Thyroid,
I’ve been so angry at you these past few years – ever since you turned on me. I thought we were close. I thought we were looking out for each other. Then you started holding back. You stopped giving me what I needed from you. Of course, I thought it was just me. I thought I was going crazy. Then I found out it was all you!
But now I realize it wasn’t just you. In fact, it’s not even your fault. You’ve been suffering as well, dear thyroid. I’m sorry I didn’t see that sooner. I had no idea you were being attacked daily by my immune system. It must be so hard on you. I wish you could speak to me and tell me why this started happening to you. Is it something I ate?, Is it something I did?, Is it something in the world around me that I should get rid of?, I want to know what it is, but our doctor doesn’t really seem to care about you. He tells me there is nothing that can be done – that you are going to slowly die from these assaults. He says I can live without you. All I need to to do is take a little blue pill every day for the rest of my life.
I DON’T WANT TO TAKE A FREAKING PILL! I WANT YOU TO LIVE!, I WANT YOU TO BE HEALTHY!! I WANT TO BE HEALTHY!!
We’re in this together, thyroid. The doctors don’t care. They don’t care WHY this is happening. All they know is it’s easier to give us a pill and tell us to go away than to work with us on finding a solution. It’s going to be up to us to figure this out. Here’s what I’m doing s far. You tell me if any of this is working:
I’m reducing stress in my life. I’m taking time to meditate and relax.
I’m getting more sleep so you can regain your strength.
I’m exercising.
I’m eating more organic foods.
I’m taking supplements to give you and the rest of my body what it needs to stay healthy.
I’m working with an acupuncturist and holistic practitioner who sees our problem as a whole body issue, not as isolated things. I’m trying to find others who are in the same situation to see if they have any advice or have had any success. I’m talking to my gut to find out if they are allergic to gluten. I’ve been reading how gluten can upset the gut, and when the gut gets upset, it bothers the immune systems, which can then turn around and attack you, dear thyroid.
All I ask is that you let me know if anything I am doing is helping. We’ll get through this.
Love ya!
Matt
(Bio) , I’m 41 years old and live in Los Angeles, CA. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis about 3-1/2 years ago.
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8 Responses to “A Thynundrum Indeed”
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Awesome letter, Matt. I’ve often wondered the same thing….what causes this in the first place! I’ve read that it can be genetic, which in my case makes sense. My family tree is so loaded with arthritis….my grandma was the 2nd person in the U.S. to receive an artificial knee and the 1st to receive an elbow and shoulder! (In around 1976) She had severe rheumatoid arthritis.
So, if immune disorders are genetic, I guess I’m one of those truly screwed people.
I would love to know how to help my immune system, bolster it’s strength, get it’s defenses aimed at the proper targets, and help it to know when it’s ok to rest!
Keep us posted, Matt.
Yes the overactive immune system. The one that gave me anaphalaxsis when I took an aspirin. The one that thinks tree pollen is the flu in disguise and pulls out all the stops to fight off the deadly tree pollen.
I’ve read that all this is just too much of a good thing. That an asthma attack will kill off all the giardia in your body. Didn’t work-I kept my internal parasites while having all my allergies. They say that Graves was just another case of mistaken identity. What did my immune system think my thyroid was? Another anakasid like the one it didn’t kill a few years earlier?
And why, you stupid immune system, do you persist in keeping me sick long after the cold virus is gone, giving me asthma, so I have to take medicine to clean up the mess you made after (admittely quickly, mercilessly, and efficiently) slaughtering all those cold virus germs. You really need to know when to stop.
On the other hand, I hardly ever get really sick now with germs, just the aftermath of you killing them off. I suppose that’s good.
Matt, rants aside, I hope all your efforts work out. It they don’t, please know that taking a little pill the rest of your life beats the shit out of living with a badly dysfunctional thyroid gland.
That the doctors don’t understand this that well isn’t really surprising, and not even really a negative. It just proves how vastly complicated our bodies are. Not to start any religious arguements here, but how presumptuous to think we could understand something that it took a Supreme Being to dream up in the first place.
Hang in there Matt
Zari
I envy your positive outlook, Matt. What you are doing to help sounds wonderful. To Matt’s thyroid..you’d better be listening, buddy..You’ve got one hell of a generous and kind owner. You’d better appreciate that and do something to help. Let us know how you’re doing, Matt and what is working. We all want what you have..that positive outlook!
Matt,
What a fabulous letter and great approach to partnering with your thyroid on the road to improved health. I needed to read this today.
Thanks!
Thanks for all the support! Since I wrote this letter to my thyroid, it had a complete meltdown. I haven’t felt that horrible since before I was diagnosed. It was really scary, actually. Here I am, popping my little blue pill every morning. Then one day, all my symptoms are back…even with the pill! I had to take off of work because the mind fog hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn’t concentrate. I couldn’t remember anything. My eyes were heavy and burning. I couldn’t stay away.
With all the mind power I could muster, I went online and did some research. I think I found the culprit. As you know, one of the by-products of hypothyroid is high cholesterol. I swore of statin drugs and started taking red rice yeast and niacin instead. That did the trick, but I think I was taking them to close to when I pop the little blue pill. They probably canceled each other out. My poor thyroid just couldn’t produce enough T4 and my body just ran out of steam. I stopped taking the red rice yeast and moved the niacin to before bedtime. Started feeling better within a day or two.