I've had so many posts floating through my head the past few years, but the apathy always seems to win. Well... it turns out the apathy had a strong engine driving it. A big ole 450 horsepower engine and it kinda ran me over.
Over the past 7 years there has been a few constants in my life. My weight constantly rose, and my energy constantly dropped. I have one of those insidious diseases that lie in wait for years, sometimes decades. I've been carrying mine around since at least 1992. Most likely my whole life though.
My disease has a name. It goes by the name Hashimoto Thyroiditis. I was first officially diagnosed in 2010 by an infectious disease doctor. Because not a single doctor that I had seen in 30 some odd years ever thought to check my autoimmune. (Take a good sized notch out of my health here)
My life has been yoyo weights. From anorexic to obese. Let me tell you, going through high school is hell being "pleasantly plump". It made me into a people please, doing anything for friendships...
Hashimoto btw is considered insidious by me because it doesn't come like a thief in the night. Rather it knocks the door down and brings in all his friends with it. The first friend to take board in my sick body was fibromyalgia. For almost 2 years I was in so much pain I was nearly always bed ridden. (Take a few more notches out of my health and energy).
Somewhere along my journey we moved from Massachusetts and headed to Arizona in hopes that a drier clime would help me. It did, to a degree. I felt invigorated and decided to attack Hashi as hard as it was attacking me. Google became my friend and knowledge was my weapon.
At different points during my fight I had so many attacks on my health. Bells palsy with a side of shingles. I contemplated suicide with that one. My doctors only concern was to put me on anti depressants. My body reacted to it by giving me GERD. Followed at a later date by tactile allodynia which started to be a constant visitor. Let's not forget migraines & insomnia.. you name it, if it was on some hashimoto side effect list. I had it.
Then I started vomiting, all the time. Someones cooking in the house? My stomach turns. Thinking about sleeping? Hmm nope, here's some vomit. It was like morning sickness on steroids. Back to the doctor.. yet another diagnosis. Acute gastritis with intestinal metaplasia without H.Pylori. Which means my stomach cells are becoming precancerous and turning into intestinal cells. And not to be outdone! I was also diagnosed with gastroparesis. So my stomach is paralized. Life just kept getting funner and funner right?
I left the appointment and felt every hit Hashi had dealt me the past several years. (Take the last of any energy and health and toss it in the can)
I AM at rock bottom.
Energy, or not my life is literally on the line from this disease. I have to lose this weight and get healthy!
Its my decision, who's going to win?
So I am working on things. My newest doctor seems to be open minded enough to try new things that I bring to the table. I am pretty much dosing myself with thyroid meds and we are working on getting my hormones in balance as well. I am staring at my treadmill and I am thinking I have enough time to crank out a 20 minute walk.
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