I have decided to start a Hashimoto’s Diary to document what I go through living with this disease.
I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease that attacks the thyroid, when I was ten years old. I didn’t know what it was back then. All I knew was that I needed to take medication every day. Looking back at my childhood with a more educated eye, I can see the signs: wearing winter jackets in summer, shedding hair like a cat, brittle fingernails, sleeping 12+ hours a day. It was all there, but I was still too young and healthy to let it slow me down much.
Many years and many pounds later, I am still struggling with health issues related to Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. I am more educated about Hashimoto’s, but education doesn’t necessarily equate to action and/or better health. It’s one thing to know what to eat and how to exercise, but it’s completely another to have the energy, willpower, and motivation when your body is working against you, craving carbs and making you so fatigued that you can’t think straight (even after 8+ hours of sleep).
After my latest autoimmune flare, a few weeks ago, I decided that perhaps if I kept a diary, it would help me find patterns, figure some things out, and focus on getting well. Even better if I blog about it because maybe another Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis sufferer out there will see this, share their experiences, and help fill in some pieces of the puzzle.
Here’s hoping this Hashimoto’s Diary will provide some answers and comfort for all of us.
