Aa
Hi, My name is Hashimotos. Id like to introduce myself to the new readers
Hi. My name is Hashimoto's, and I'm an invisible autoimmune disease that attacks your thyroid gland.
I am now velcroed to you for life.
Others around you can't see me or hear me, but YOUR body feels me.
I can attack you anywhere and anyhow I please.
I can cause severe pain or, if I'm in a good mood, I can just cause you to ache all over.
Remember when you and energy ran around together and had fun?
I took energy from you, and gave you exhaustion. Try to have fun now!
I can take good sleep from you and in its place, give you brain fog and lack of concentration.
I can make you want to sleep 24/7, and I can also cause insomnia.
I can make you tremble internally or make you feel cold or hot when everyone else feels normal.
I can also give you swollen hands and feet, swollen face and eyelids, swollen everything!
Oh, yeah, I can make you feel very anxious or very depressed, too. I can also cause other mental health problems.
I can make your hair fall out, become dry and brittle, cause acne, cause dry skin, the sky is the limit with me!
I can make you gain weight and no matter what you eat or how much you exercise, I can keep that weight on you. I can also make you loose weight. I don't discriminate.
Some of my other autoimmune disease friends often join me, giving you even more to deal with.
If you have something planned, or are looking forward to a great day, I can take that away from you. You didn't ask for me. I chose you for various reasons:
That virus or viruses you had that you never really recovered from, or that car accident, or maybe it was the years of abuse and trauma (I thrive on stress.) You could have a family history of me. Whatever the cause, I'm here to stay.
I hear you're going to see a doctor to try and get rid of me. That makes me laugh! Just try. You will have to go to many, many doctors until you find one who can help you effectively.
You will be put on the wrong thyroid meds for you, pain pills, sleeping pills, energy pills, told you are suffering from anxiety or depression, given anti-anxiety pills and antidepressants.
There are so many other ways I can make you sick and miserable, the list is endless - that high cholesterol, gall bladder issue, blood pressure issue, blood sugar issue, heart issue among others? That's probably me.
Can't get pregnant, or have had a miscarriage?
That's probably me too.
Teeth and gum problems? TMJ? I told you the list was endless.
You may be given a TENs unit, get massaged, told if you just sleep and exercise properly I will go away.
You'll be told to think positively, you'll be poked, prodded, and MOST OF ALL, not taken seriously when you try to explain to the doctor how debilitating I am and how sick you really feel. In all probability you will get a referral from the 'understanding' (clueless) doctor, to see a psychiatrist.
Your family, friends and co-workers will all listen to you until they just get tired of hearing about how I make you feel, and just how debilitating I can be.
Some of them will say things like "Oh, you are just having a bad day" or "Well, remember, you can't do the things you use to do 20 YEARS ago", not hearing that you said 20 DAYS ago.
They'll also say things like, "if you just get up and move, get outside and do things, you'll feel better." They won't understand that I take away the 'gas' that powers your body and mind to ENABLE you to do those things.
Some will start talking behind your back, they'll call you a hypochondriac, while you slowly feel that you are losing your dignity trying to make them understand, especially when you are in the middle of a conversation with a "normal" person, and can't remember what you were going to say next. You'll be told things like, "Oh, my grandmother had that, and she's fine on her thyroid pill" when you desperately want to explain that I don't impose myself upon everyone in the exact same way, and just because that grandmother is fine on the medication SHE'S taking, doesn't mean it will work for you.
I've been trying to keep this next part quiet, but since you're reading this you already know.
The only place you will get the kind of support and understanding in dealing with me, is with other people that have me. They are really the only ones who can truly understand.
I am now velcroed to you for life.
Others around you can't see me or hear me, but YOUR body feels me.
I can attack you anywhere and anyhow I please.
I can cause severe pain or, if I'm in a good mood, I can just cause you to ache all over.
Remember when you and energy ran around together and had fun?
I took energy from you, and gave you exhaustion. Try to have fun now!
I can take good sleep from you and in its place, give you brain fog and lack of concentration.
I can make you want to sleep 24/7, and I can also cause insomnia.
I can make you tremble internally or make you feel cold or hot when everyone else feels normal.
I can also give you swollen hands and feet, swollen face and eyelids, swollen everything!
Oh, yeah, I can make you feel very anxious or very depressed, too. I can also cause other mental health problems.
I can make your hair fall out, become dry and brittle, cause acne, cause dry skin, the sky is the limit with me!
I can make you gain weight and no matter what you eat or how much you exercise, I can keep that weight on you. I can also make you loose weight. I don't discriminate.
Some of my other autoimmune disease friends often join me, giving you even more to deal with.
If you have something planned, or are looking forward to a great day, I can take that away from you. You didn't ask for me. I chose you for various reasons:
That virus or viruses you had that you never really recovered from, or that car accident, or maybe it was the years of abuse and trauma (I thrive on stress.) You could have a family history of me. Whatever the cause, I'm here to stay.
I hear you're going to see a doctor to try and get rid of me. That makes me laugh! Just try. You will have to go to many, many doctors until you find one who can help you effectively.
You will be put on the wrong thyroid meds for you, pain pills, sleeping pills, energy pills, told you are suffering from anxiety or depression, given anti-anxiety pills and antidepressants.
There are so many other ways I can make you sick and miserable, the list is endless - that high cholesterol, gall bladder issue, blood pressure issue, blood sugar issue, heart issue among others? That's probably me.
Can't get pregnant, or have had a miscarriage?
That's probably me too.
Teeth and gum problems? TMJ? I told you the list was endless.
You may be given a TENs unit, get massaged, told if you just sleep and exercise properly I will go away.
You'll be told to think positively, you'll be poked, prodded, and MOST OF ALL, not taken seriously when you try to explain to the doctor how debilitating I am and how sick you really feel. In all probability you will get a referral from the 'understanding' (clueless) doctor, to see a psychiatrist.
Your family, friends and co-workers will all listen to you until they just get tired of hearing about how I make you feel, and just how debilitating I can be.
Some of them will say things like "Oh, you are just having a bad day" or "Well, remember, you can't do the things you use to do 20 YEARS ago", not hearing that you said 20 DAYS ago.
They'll also say things like, "if you just get up and move, get outside and do things, you'll feel better." They won't understand that I take away the 'gas' that powers your body and mind to ENABLE you to do those things.
Some will start talking behind your back, they'll call you a hypochondriac, while you slowly feel that you are losing your dignity trying to make them understand, especially when you are in the middle of a conversation with a "normal" person, and can't remember what you were going to say next. You'll be told things like, "Oh, my grandmother had that, and she's fine on her thyroid pill" when you desperately want to explain that I don't impose myself upon everyone in the exact same way, and just because that grandmother is fine on the medication SHE'S taking, doesn't mean it will work for you.
I've been trying to keep this next part quiet, but since you're reading this you already know.
The only place you will get the kind of support and understanding in dealing with me, is with other people that have me. They are really the only ones who can truly understand.
This letter is written by Gena Lee Nolin and is on her facebook page Thyroid Sexy. Her article is entitled: I am Hashimoto's Disease ~ A letter for patients, family and friends. Gena has written a book with Mary Shomon called: Beautiful Inside and Out: Conquering Thyroid Disease with a Healthy, Happy, "Thyroid Sexy" Life
LOL! I tested Negative for Hashi but boy this really hit home. Hypothyroidism could be it's twin. ;)
Thank you for this post! I have sent it to my family members and they now realize the severity of what I have and what it can do. I live in a northern county of florida and determined to start my own support group. Infomation on Hashi's does not come from doctors and doctors alone!
T
T
This was amazing. Hit on so many different issues...almost all. I loved the manner it was written... Very clever.
Please let us have a look at your thyroid related test results and reference ranges shown on the lab report so that members can assess the adequacy of your testing and treatment. Also, if tested for Vitamin D, B12 and ferritin, please post those and ranges as well.
let's start with I don't type .:-} I'm 37 male and went undiagnosed for 10 plus years... I cried reading this I cried so hard.
My heart goes out to every single person who has to deal with this. I truly believe that no illness should go over looked.
Hashimoto's is a gateway illness it truly needs more publicity. To all you doctors reading this that work under an AKA practice, listen to your patience spare no expense stop reading WebMD and start thinking outside the box 'cause every patient is different. My illness, was undiagnosed for over ten years, I was told I had anxiety LOL you bet I did. What I go through would give anybody anxiety, and when I walked out your door with no answers, I have about four million's other feelings. Finally after 19 trips to the ER by Medic One, heart rate 190, at this point I was 140 pounds. On the 19th trip, I freaked out, screaming, demanding I was dying. They put me in the mental ward but guess what finally happened? They took my thyroid labs! A few hours later, I was emitted to the MEDICAL ward. I C U. since then I have a label for what I have but I feel as I suffer so much, I will hang on for my girls. Much love Chris
My heart goes out to every single person who has to deal with this. I truly believe that no illness should go over looked.
Hashimoto's is a gateway illness it truly needs more publicity. To all you doctors reading this that work under an AKA practice, listen to your patience spare no expense stop reading WebMD and start thinking outside the box 'cause every patient is different. My illness, was undiagnosed for over ten years, I was told I had anxiety LOL you bet I did. What I go through would give anybody anxiety, and when I walked out your door with no answers, I have about four million's other feelings. Finally after 19 trips to the ER by Medic One, heart rate 190, at this point I was 140 pounds. On the 19th trip, I freaked out, screaming, demanding I was dying. They put me in the mental ward but guess what finally happened? They took my thyroid labs! A few hours later, I was emitted to the MEDICAL ward. I C U. since then I have a label for what I have but I feel as I suffer so much, I will hang on for my girls. Much love Chris
Well it seems you got that spot on !!
Well done you writing that , if only a doc would read it when you go for a check up !
Well done you writing that , if only a doc would read it when you go for a check up !
I know this guy hashimotos, hes a complete A-hole. Dont listen to anything he says. I am going to outsmart him when he least expects it.
Hello Hashimoto. I don't recall sending you an invitation. Would you believe the party is already over? Yeah, i thought not. Okay, well Autoimmune Pernicious Anaemia can keep you entertained with all the antics he's been up to then. I wasn't amused myself but i imagine you would be. Just don't get too many ideas. I'm onto you. Oh, the more the merrier? Hahaha...NO.
That is great...did you write that?
Guess Hasti didn't kick your creativity today!
Way to go... loved it!
Mia
Guess Hasti didn't kick your creativity today!
Way to go... loved it!
Mia
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