Hi fellow Steemians,
Today I would like to share my story about Hashimoto Thyroiditis. In the passed 10 years I’ve been on and off medication for treatment of my thyroid. The thyroid is small butterfly shaped gland at the base of our neck below. The thyroid gland is part of our endocrine system, which produces hormones that coordinate many of our body's functions. The thyroid is responsible for regulating our metabolism, growth, temperature and energy. So the thyroid is obviously very important.
My T3, T4 & TSH value levels always have been just below normal. So when I used to take in
medication for my thyroid it always lasted a few months and before I knew it my thyroid would
be back to normal.
Last year January my neck looked a bit swollen so I asked my doctor for a check up of my thyroid. I did blood tests and made an ultrasound of my throat. The results concluded that I have a swelling of my Thyroid Gland. Because of that my doctor referred me to a surgeon. The surgeon asked my questions about my thyroid history, he did his own little research and concluded I have nothing to worry about, he said the swelling will go away on its own, there will be no need for surgery. He did say he finds it strange how my thyroid levels keep changing over time and was wondering what the cause could be. He also said if I start having problems with breathing and swallowing I would have to come back right away. He was right, after a while the swelling went away on its own and I didn't have any problems with my breathing and/or swallowing. So I left things be..
But then somewhere at the end of last year I’ve been having an uncomfortable feeling in my
throat area; it sometimes feels swollen, other times it actually is swollen, other times I have the
idea that I am not breathing properly, depending on how am laying down it tends to hurt or if you
touch my throat area it feels painful. Mostly it feels like there is sometimes stuck in your throat
that I can’t get out, very uncomfortable. Of course my first thought was my thyroid is off balance
again.
So January of this year I went to see my doctor and asked her if we can do another blood test
and ultrasound of my thyroid. The result of the ultrasound indicated that I may have Hashimoto
and the levels of my T3, T4 & TSH were higher than regular. So I got referred to an internist.
Come to think of it, I don’t know why last year I wasn’t referred to the internist instead of the
surgeon. During my appointment with the internist she asked me my health history; if I have had
any surgeries, about my thyroid, my living situation and work situation. She said before we
make a treatment plan she would like to do additional blood tests to figure out what the reason
is that my thyroid keeps going off balance. She made me take about 10 different blood tests (February).
This month (March) I went back to the internist for my second appointment to
discuss the results of the blood tests. And yes the blood tests confirmed that I have Hashimoto’s
disease. This month I have to go do another blood test to see if the levels of my T3, T4 & TSH
are higher compared to January & February. So that in april we can start treatment.
Image source: some facts about Hashimoto disease
Many of you must wonder what the Hashimoto's disease is. Hashimoto disease also known as
Hashimoto thyroiditis is an autoimmune disorder affecting the thyroid. Our immune system is
designed to attack germs and make the body well. Hashimoto disease occurs when the body
attacks the thyroid as if it were a virus. This leads to a decrease in thyroid function and hormone
production. Source: Healthline.com
After reading and doing my own research on Hashimoto’s disease, it all started to make sense why I have been feeling the way I’ve been feeling lately. The picture below kinda describes it all
Image source: Hormones & Balance
I’ve been going through most of them. And at times I’ve been wondering where it’s coming from, especially fatigue, I’ve been feeling tired all the time, brain going on zero, mood swings and now it all makes sense. I’ve read many people that have Hashimoto’s disease live years without any visible symptoms. So I wonder how long I've had it and have not been treating it proper.
Image source: jessicasepel.com
Since I am not looking forward to be taking medication for the rest of my life. I started to look
into Hashimoto diets; what to eat and what not to eat. I’ve read that Iodine, Selenium and zinc
rich foods are good for the thyroid. And a big no no is Gluten. I started with adjustments to my eating habits, it's not there yet where it suppose to be but I am getting there.
I read that green smoothies are also good for the thyroid so I will be trying
those next. I will let you know how that goes..
If anyone here has any diet tips for a healthy Thyroid, feel free to share them with me 😉
Okay bye for now and until next time.