My Thyroid Journey

Learning to take a more holistic approach to health can be a wonderful journey. The most important thing I learned along my journey was view the body as a whole system instead of several systems that work independently of one another. It differs substantially from conventional medicine which treats the symptoms of an ailment and often does not cure the underlying cause of those symptoms. I learned this the hard way when I was diagnosed with a Thyroid condition almost 8 years ago. 

I had taken my two oldest children to the pediatrician for their yearly checkup and while speaking with the doctor she gave me this peculiar look. For some reason she was staring at my neck while I spoke, which to say the least, was making me rather self conscious. She asked if she could feel my thyroid. This was the first time I had ever even given thought to any Thyroid, let alone my own. She had spotted the nodules on my Thyroid that I didn't even know were there. She told me that I needed to go have it looked at...thus began a long and arduous journey of begging various doctors to pay attention and tell me what was wrong with my ever weakening health. 

If you've never heard of the Thyroid, it's a little butterfly shaped organ at the front of your neck. This organ regulates, in conjunction with the pituitary gland, all of your hormones. As tiny and insignificant as this little thing may seem, if it goes wonky, you will literally feel like you're dying.  After years of blood tests, neck ultrasounds, fine needle aspirations (FNA, they stick 6 to 8 needles in each nodule in your neck to check for cancer), and x-rays, they still don't know exactly what is causing my issue.

 They do know that I have hyperthyroidism, or Graves Disease, for which there is no cure. They have offered to irradiate my thyroid, remove my thyroid, and kill my thyroid with pills. What I had to find out on my own is that this does not cure Graves Disease and can in fact push things in the other direction causing me to also suffer from symptoms of hypothyroidism. Being that I'm not much for being on pills for the rest of my life, I have opted to skip treatment from my conventional doctor at this time. This is where a holistic approach and treating the whole body comes in to play. Does this mean I have figured out a cure? Not even close! But it does mean that I have learned different approaches to calming down the chaos in my body and being able to live a normal life. 

I am also still learning what helps and what does not. There is a lot of information on the internet regarding Thyroid health, although Graves disease is one of the more rare conditions. To give you an idea of what someone faces with Graves disease, I will try to explain some of the more prominent symptoms. Anxiety is a big one. Graves disease is an overactive thyroid, too much of a lot of good things and you end up with a higher heart rate, a faster metabolism (i.e. just call me Mrs. PoopsALot), a lack of concentration, a failing memory, and last but certainly not least the shakes (like a squirrel on Red Bull laced with speed). Sometimes it's great...seriously, I can run circles around myself and everyone else. Then I crash. I also suffer from insomnia which means a lot of my days are spent in a fog. I forget my phone number, my address, and sometimes even my name on a regular basis. 

The primary thing that I have found really helps curb my symptoms is diet and exercise. Since our move from Wisconsin I have been terrible with both and my symptoms have really rared their ugly heads. Getting back to eating whole foods, no sugar, no caffeine, and all the good fats will make a huge difference. I was also getting at least 10,000 steps per day and using my Wii Fit every night and I just felt more balanced all the way around. There are also herbs that I rely on to keep things in balance. Ashwaghanda is one of these herbs and is taken in tincture form. It is one of the adaptogenic herbs and I will talk more in the following terms about what that means. 

Lingo

Adaptogenic Herbs- 

Adaptogenic herbs are sort of magical in the way that they work. They find the imbalance in your system, some work for better parts of your system than others, and they balance it back out. Ashwaghanda, for instance, works particularly well for the endocrine system. These herbs are not meant to be taken long term, only long enough to find balance.

Infusions-

An herbal infusion is a long brewed tea. It's typically 1 ounce of herb to 1 quart of boiling water, steeped overnight. An infusion should be consumed within the first 48 hours to not only ensure freshness but also quality of herb. Infusions are great for helping to end a cold, or relieve the symptoms and longevity of the flu. 

Antibiotic Resistance

When getting into using herbs and essential oils it is really important to understand the term Antibiotic Resistance. You need to understand that the overuse of antibiotics in the last 20 years has led to the creation of superbugs and the issue of antibiotics simply no longer working for certain people. This same thing can occur with the overuse of herbs and essential oils. For example, if you go about using Rosemary essential oil every single day because you feel like it will boost your immune system you will find that when you actually do get an infection the Rosemary essential oil will be useless to you. There are much better choices for boosting the immune system that can be used daily. Save the big guns only for when you really need them. And even then, limit their use to only as long as you absolutely need them. 

Wild Crafting

Wild crafting is one of my favorite past times because it helps you become educated about wild herbs, foods, and plants in your local area. What could better than going out in the wild and picking your own herbs to dry and store for later use? It does take a lot of knowledge and time to get used to spotting things that are safe for consumption. I definitely suggest getting a good field guide for your area. Samuel Thayer has written many a book on the subject and really any of them are as good as gold. If you are going to learn wild crafting, I suggest learning as much as you can before going off hunting. Be sure to know what not to touch just as well as what to gather. There's magic in the weeds but they can also give you a very bad day if you're not careful.

Oregon Tilth

You may have seen the Oregon Tilth label on herbs and essential oils. Oregon Tilth is a non profit organization that strives for organic and sustainable practices. If you see the Oregon Tilth label you know that it's either been farmed, gathered, or created in an organic and sustainable way.

Diffuser

A diffuser is a device with which to permeate the air with essential oils. There are various brands on the market. I had a friend in Wisconsin that would watch the local GoodWill for them and usually picked them up for less than $5 each. I personally like ones that have an automatic shutoff but other than that read reviews and get an idea of which features you find important. My favorite was a simple setup that was not terribly large, it did not get hot to the touch so I knew the kids were safe and it had an auto shut off when the water got to a certain level. A good diffuser is a must have especially during cold and flu season. 

Tea Ball

When making herbal teas, I prefer a metal tea ball. For one thing I don't want to have to worry about keeping empty tea bags stored and then having to crimp them shut somehow. Plus, there is some question whether the glue used in many tea bags is carcinogenic. A good metal tea ball can be picked up for a few bucks and will last a very long time if taken care of. 

Thank you for stopping by to check out Part 2, if you missed Part 1 you can find that by clicking here!

In Part 3 I hope to talk more about specific herbs and essential oils to keep on hand and their uses.