Even though I exercised my freedom of speech rather assertively when I responded to “ME”, I am surprised that “Me” didn’t respond. That’s just an aside.

The beauty of this community, IMO is that we are going to disagree. We’re going to engage in healthy debates.

Before Liz’s column, I was so uneducated regarding nutrition and how nutrition impacts my thyroid. Though Andrea’s story is shocking because I’m so cynical, I greatly appreciated hearing it. In some small way, whether I buy into her story or not, it is a victory and makes me feel like anything is possible. Does that make sense?

Robyn — We’re super same paging regarding extremes. Striking a balance is very important. Each practice of medicine (Eastern/Western) has a place. As thyroid patients, I think we have a responsibility to work with our Western practitioners and maintain an open mind to Eastern and nutritional ideas that could enhance the quality of our lives. Again, in my opinion, I think it’s important to keep our doctors in the loop about the things we wish to incorporate into our lives. If they disagree, we have to find out why they disagree. If they agree, go us. In my experience, so far, none of my doctors have disagreed. My primary care physician has offered up several alternatives in addition to what I’m doing.

Lori — Just an FYI, for what it’s worth, I never thought you were “Me”. YOU ARE LOVED AND WELCOMED ALWAYS, even when we disagree, just an FYI’r. I hear you regarding what you’ve been through and how horrific, vile and unforgivable it is. You’re right, if anyone has the right to hate the Western medical community, it’s you. I congratulate you on successfully educating one of your doctors, that’s a victory! (PS: I hope that next time you won’t feel uncomfortable and will share what you’ve been through.) You make us think and feel every time you speak up, my dear. When I read this installation of HTKYTA, it didn’t read extreme to me, that’s just my opinion. To me it read like “Here’s the story of a person who chose to go this route and this was her end-result, I thought it was positive and uplifting and wanted to share it.” I liked hearing it, even if have my doubts, it gave me hope.

Lolly — We’re same paging hard. Great point re: GO, being informed, doing the research and making a decision from there.

Natasha — We’re same paging. Beautifully said “I think the thing that people tend to forget is that treatments, dietary changes, etc affect all of us differently. A miracle cure”. I think this is also the heart and soul of the HTKYTA column. It presents new ideas, not miracle cures. Rather, it helps us as patients to consider new information and new ideas. Natasha, I can’t believe that going GF got your TSH in the normal range! I’m beside myself, what a fucking fabulous victory!!!

Thank you for your kind words. It means a lot to me.

I am so glad you found LDN and have had relief. And I’m so glad you mentioned it. I read something about it recently and have had it in the back of my mind for if some of my ‘pain issues’ (neuropathy, fibro, CMP, RSD) are not resolved enough when hashi is optimally treated. It seems to have benefits in so many areas. This is one treatment that truly does sound remarkable. I had no idea it helped with GO. That is wonderful news. I need to find out if it is even used is my part of the US. I am seeing a pain specialist in January and I’ll be sure to ask about that. I’m sure I would not have thought of it at my appointment.

It is too bad “Me” did not put their name to their words, as this is the safest and most caring place.

And I do think in generations to come MDs will come out of med school with more “nutrition” education and ways to use it in unison with their more conventional lessons. And that will happen because of us. We need to keep telling them we need more and staying in their safe box is not helping us.

I left my endocrinologist’s office in September in tears. I was told that if my TSH levels did not improve (it was .04) I would have to either have surgery or RAI. No discussion, no debate. In June I went completely gluten-free (I’m a vegetarian so it hasn’t been as challenging as I thought it would be). At my endo appointment last week I found out that my TSH was completely in the normal range (in my excitement I forgot to write down my numbers). Normal range! I assure you the improvement was not from taking my meds regularly as I have been having a really hard time with them since mid-October. Could my new diet have helped? I think so. Does my doctor think so? Not really but she is only focusing on the numbers, not what it took to get there. Do I feel less depressed, has my asthma gotten under better control, have my skin/chronic rashes lessened, do I feel more alert and alive since going gluten free?? Yes, yes, yes, and yes!!! Would it have been worth it even if my TSH hadn’t improved? YES!! Would I be better able to mentally process what it means to kill my thyroid because my outlook on life isn’t as dark?? YES!

Humans are complex beings. Thyroid disease is even more complex. We owe it to ourselves and our health to investigate *ALL* forms of treatment – traditional and nontraditional!

~natasha

ps I am going to miss you during the hiatus!

I find you so sincere in what you have written and yes you are so right, there are people out there who will want to take your money with a cure all. That is why it’s very important to research before parting with any cash.I too would be dubious of these kind of people too, although I took LDN Low Dose Naltrexone for my eye disease I can honestly testify that it actually improved my eyes tremendously too (now in the inactive stage of GO) with LDN it was word of mouth, research and with caution Plus the great Elaine Moore and other thyroid peeps who had tried before me.

Also another thing you are spot on that it’s the MD’s who need more awareness about thyroid disease and the effects it has on each and everyone one of us as a whole. Conventional medicine, dietary and alternative medicines do and can play a big part in aiding our recovery, I think they all work well hand in hand and in some cases depending on that particular person alone.

I do understand your thinking though if only ME the person with no name had put it that way maybe it wouldn’t have sounded so dismissive and also personal. Just my opinion.

Lolly

As you know my original reaction to “Don’t believe the hype about thyroid disease” sounded to me like it promoted total rebellion from the medical community. It seemed rather extreme and my first thought was how dangerous this could be to someone that is not diagnosed properly or completely yet with something such as cancer.

What is very surprising to me is that I even reacted the way I did. You see, if anyone has reason to abhor the medical community it is me and believe me, I did for many years. I am surprising myself a lot lately. I don’t know anyone who has experienced/endured what I have but you would think I would be the first person to grab hold of Andrea’s “coattail”. Because of what has happened to me, I am extremely cautious about anyone who has claims to “cure” health of any type. For me personally, I need proof. Like I said everyone’s experiences and circumstances are different.

My statement previously about wanting documentation is because she wanted a lot of money to learn her secret to cure the thyroid and I didn’t see anything to prove her claims. This “need” is “mine” whether it be her, non-MD, MD, DO, DC, etc, because of my personal experiences and need to protect myself. Right or wrong that’s where I’m at.

Anything I said was nothing personal towards you, Liz. I instinctively trust you and Katie completely. I love what you are doing. I love this whole community more than you know. You and Katie and everyone else here are where I get my strength from.

I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable so I won’t write what happened, plus this is probably not the approprite place, but it took me more than eight years to go back to a doctor after a series of wrongs. I have built a trusting relationship with my curent MD, even though she can’t totally help me with my thyroid, she has been open to what I have learned, and has gone out of her way to learn herself. I have a current issue she doesn’t know how to deal with and has found the best person she could that would “listen” and treat me with what I need. It’s taking too long but that’s another story. She is the one who told me she thought wheat may be causing a problem. She actually spoke with a nutritionist friend of hers. She agreed with the probiotics, which I have been on for three years, she found my vitamin D deficiency, and the omega-3 she prescribed for my cholesterol, endedup treating my depression. The one thing it took her way too long to diagnose was my thyroid disorder, but at least I have changed one doctors ways. She was doing what she was taught and what most endo’s have been taught. I don’t think it will take so long for any of her other patients to be diagnosed now, and I am happy and proud of that. I hope that she will tell other doctors about our experience. I think it’s the MDs that treat us so wrongly are the one’s that need awareness.

Sorry I went on again but I just didn’t want you, Liz (or Katie), to think that my opinion was meant in any way negative against what you stand for and your success, because you both inspire me more than you know and I have learned so much already.

Liz, I love HTKYTA. Because of it (and you), I went gluten free. And it totally HAS changed my life for the better. And my endo, whom I actually like, has no experience or knowledge about it–and for me, that’s okay. I don’t expect my MD to FIX me. I expect ME to fix ME, using all available resources, including him. I had already been taking probiotics, fish oils, and VitD prior to my diagnosis due to my own research on health. Omitting gluten has been that last integral piece of the puzzle, though, and I’m eternally grateful to Liz–I don’t think I would have attempted it otherwise. And I hope my contention is only viewed as exactly that–great minds can not advance if there is no disagreement. Total agreement leads to no new ideas, no broadening of our vision, and no benefiting from other’s experiences and wisdom. My best friends are those with whom I can have a hot debate on *whatever*, then laugh and hit the pub.

I think my main concern with the “Don’t believe the hype…” article was it’s tone. Very extreme in tone to my mind. But I have not read the others, and will, so maybe my fears are premature. My goal is not to dissuade anyone from trying anything, I just worry when anyone touts something as an “only way” against all other options.

Now I know why I love Ya!!!

Liz in the new year I’m going pick your brains in the to see what I can do to help myself better than I am now. Maybe I too should go vegetarian, as I’m not a great lover of meat anyway going gluten free I found really hard but I willing to give it another try, as long as I got me some decent recipes.

You gals rock and so does DT.