Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
About three years ago, I began to feel very tired… All. The. Time. I would wake up tired, go to bed tired, and was tired all day long. This was not the fatigue of having kids.
I had lots of tiring days when my boys were little. My oldest was just five when my youngest was born. I had a newborn, a one and a half year old, a three year old, and a five year old. I often had ‘normal’ mum exhaustion, but this recent spell of lethargy was different, and no amount of rest made me feel better.
I was so tired that I stopped moving; stop weight training, stopped walking, and the couch became my sanctuary. Initially, I thought I had the flu or a virus. I would get over it soon enough, I guessed.
But after weeks, and weeks, and no sigh of improving, I went to the doctor. That was a waste of $$ because he said my blood tests were normal. I began to read up on health issues. After a little research, I requested a couple of blood tests for specific aliments, and the tests confirmed that I had Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease of the thyroid. Autoimmune diseases are when the body attacks its own cells, resulting in an array of diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohns and Hashimoto’s.
My symptoms of Hashimoto’s (there are others)
- Tiredness, and lacking motivation.
- Weight gain.
- Irritability.
- Very sensitive to the heat, and the cold.
- Chronic constipation.
- Often unable to sleep at night, though exhausted all day.
- A foggy, groggy brain; forgetting names, and dates.
- A general feeling of CBA (Can’t be arsed)
To recover my health, I shut the world out, and centered on my home life and myself. School went on, but at a slower pace, with lots of Khan Academy and reading. My oldest took over cooking the breakfast and lunch, and I lowered my standards with the house. I drove to the park, waited in the car and sent to boys out to play. My boys need to move, or their energy turns destructive! Even after short bouts of ‘doing’ I would collapse on the couch, sometimes unable to lift my head from exhaustion.
I rested at every opportunity, and spent my days preparing healthy food to help my body. That meant no grains, dairy, legumes, nightshades, and sugar. I slowly began to regain my health, and motivation. Eventually, I felt 90% of my old self. Through super strict eating, I stopped gaining weight, but I didn’t lose it either.
I have struggled with my weight my whole life. I would exercise and diet to keep thin. Sometimes allowing myself to slow down, and quickly gain back the weight. With Hashimoto’s weight loss is even more difficult. Normal calorie restriction does not work for me, and many other middle-aged women. Our hormones are out of whack, and our cells think they are starving. We need to have even more willpower than most, and I tell you… It’s not easy!!
Fast forward three years. I am not so tired anymore, with the help of thyroid medication, and other ‘natural’ ways to control the symptoms. But I have kept all the weight I initially gained, and have added some. Even with a Paleo diet, weight gain can happen.
Unfortunately, I have also been sneaking in the ‘bad’ foods again. What started at an occasional bar of 85% chocolate, has turned into a daily habit. The occasional handful of dried fruits has also turned into an addiction. I heap sweet potato on my plate, and drink way too much coffee.
I also have a second condition. The symptoms are similar to the above symptoms of Hashimoto’s. I have a serious case of Lazyitis. After giving myself permission to not move for so long, I have gotten used to sitting about, taking the lift instead of the stairs, getting my boys to “run upstairs and get my phone”, and ‘conserving’ my energy. This condition is widespread in woman my age, but we can reverse the symptoms, possibly curing ourselves.
So, my plan of attack.
- Walk, walk, and walk some more. I have already started with this. I will tell you about my Fitbit soon.
- Go low carb Paleo. (I am already eating a Paleo diet). Little processed food, no grains, no/little dairy, with lots of meat and low carb veggies.
- Going sugar free… again. No sugar, fruit, or chocolate. (Chocolate, I will miss you, my love)
- Cut down to one cup of coffee a day, from about eight. Yes, I’m an addict!
So there you go. If I write it all here, I hope it helps me stick to it, and maybe encourage some others to regain their health.
Let’s Do It!
P.S. You may be wondering what flowers have to do with Hashimoto’s, and the answer is: nothing. I just like them, and used this post as an excuse to take some flower pictures 🙂