Welcome!

I have been dealing with a hypoactive thyroid for about five and a half years now. I was recently diagnosed as having Hashimoto's disease and I am kind of at my wits end in trying to feel better. For the past 5 years I have felt so terrible. I feel like I am walking around in a fog. I can't be the mother that I always thought that I could be and that I wanted to be because I just have zero energy. I have gained more weight than I could ever want to admit to, but just for the sake of honestly, I have gained about 60 pounds. I have a hard time recognizing the person that I have become. The list of symptoms is staggering.... I never knew that my ice cold butt cheeks were due to my thyroid! The thing is, I can joke about it or I can do something about it. I always thought going to the Dr. was the only answer. The Dr. would check my TSH and only my TSH and adjust my levothyroxine by that one number. I never felt any improvement in my symptoms, never! I started going to the gym and working out. I got up to working out 6 days a week for at least 70 minutes, and I mean I was really working out! I was exhausted and I never lost a pound! I actually gained weight! Talk about feeling like a loser! I went to Weight Watchers and didn't lose any weight either!

I finally thought... I should see an endocrinologist! He'll know what to do! He took a ton of blood and did a ton of tests.... only to keep me on the exact same medicine! Although he insists that I take the name brand T4 now, so I am taking Synthroid instead of the generic... guess what! I don't feel any different!

So I am going to take things into my own hands. I am researching everything about the thyroid and Hashis. I have learned so much already! The internet is a wonderful resource to have right at my fingertips.

One of the tidbits of information that I found was that going Gluten free would help with the Hashis. I am definitely not one to diet. I hate diets! I hate restricting my food. I like to eat what I like to eat. I love, love, love bread! But... I would love to feel like I am human again more than I love bread. I would love to have the energy to keep up with my kids more than a sandwich. While at first glance going gluten free seemed overwhelming, I think I am getting there. It is day two of being gluten free, and it wasn't that bad! It's definitely not as bad as a carb free diet. That turned me into a demon! The gluten free pasta really doesn't taste bad!

As I learn more, I am going to post more about how I am going to beat this under active thyroid problem!