A Bit of a Disclaimer

I tend to be a realist in life. I don't see a glass of water as half full or half empty. I just see a glass of water. With that in mind, please note that I will never sprinkle glitter on my experiences with this disease. I want to give sufferers of the disease hope, but I'll only offer it in real values. I'm here to give readers an up close and personal look in to my own life with Hashimoto's. My blog is not about how you can heal yourself by doing (insert miracle cure here). Love it or hate it, I'm dedicated to being wholly honest and forthcoming about my symptoms, treatments, reservations, anxieties, etc., and I won't censor my struggles in posts, even if they require me to be utterly vulnerable. I am not going to point out anyone in particular, but I've came across many forums and blogs that are dedicated to fluffing up thyroid problems and the ease in treating Hashimoto's. I will not claim that what works for me will or should be what works for others, though I may suggest things from time to time. Diseases and illnesses always affect patients differently, despite there being standard symptoms, so please know that I'm not surprised if your own struggle is drastically different from mine. I will never compare myself to other women, who have thyroid problems because we all have different scales that we live on, and who am I to say that I am in their shoes? I don't know what it's like to have children and struggle to raise them, hold down a job, and deal with this disease all at once. Believe me, I have nothing but respect and support to give those women. I do, however know what it's like to work 12 hour days and juggle being sick with a marriage, illness, and accomplishing important goals in life. I also know just how often women get this disease postpartum and that I already have it prior to pregnancy. No, the disease hasn't caused me to gain much weight, but I do have my own sufferings with my body and metabolism. I've lost much muscle and have cellulite in places that I know are caused from Hashi's. I also have a hard time digesting fat due to my gallbladder problem, so I haven't gained or lost more than a few pounds.  The bloating is enough to cause me to carry what is an unusual pot belly on my frame, however it may not be noticeable to anyone, who doesn't known me well. 
I have exercised virtually my entire life. I'm a former vegetarian and I studied dietetics in college. My goal was to help both people with weight-loss goals, and people trying to manage conditions or diseases. I've worked in gyms and weight-loss institutions. I guess I fit in to the category as a 'petite' girl, however I do not come from a particularly petite family. I even have very small hands and ears, but I was an early bloomer and I can remember wearing a bra well before my friends, which I hated at the time. I've seen multiple women, including my own mother struggle to lose and maintain their weight. At a young age, I made a pact with myself to live a healthy and active lifestyle. Also, I haven't been through childbirth, so who's to say that I will be able to lose the 'baby weight' or that I won't gain more weight? So, despite the absence of my battles to lose more than about 10-15 pounds at one time, I am not a naturally skinny woman. My genetics and my family history tell me otherwise.  

If a treatment doesn't work for me, it doesn't necessarily mean that it won't work for you either, and the same thought applies if something works for me, then it's possible that it won't work for you. We may have completely different symptoms, or you may find yourself in my posts. I started this blog not just to share the trials and tribulations of my story, but to also share information with women that their healthcare professionals may not mention or know to share with patients for whatever reason.
Also, whether I try synthetic or natural thyroid replacement, supplements, bio-feedback therapies, etc., I'm not here to jump on a bandwagon of specific treatment options. I will never claim to be an expert on any topic at hand either.  

My overall goal is to offer readers my own tale of the disease, combined with my personal opinions, and concepts or ideas that I developed from an abundant amount of medical research. My hope is that readers find comfort and support in knowing that what they have is possibly more tangible than recognized by their doctors, that someone else is listening and understands the complexity of thyroid imbalances from a functional perspective, and I hope that I inspire people to never settle for being told that they have no options in properly managing Hashimoto's. :)

“A further sign of health is that we don't become undone by fear and trembling, but we take it as a message that it's time to stop struggling and look directly at what's threatening us. ” 
― Pema Chödrön, The Places that Scare You