For a few years now, I have been dealing with having Hypothyroidism, a condition when your thyroid gland is under-active. I tried the natural approach, working with a Naturopath and supplements, which worked at first and stabilized everything …. but than I got pregnant with my twins, which made my hormones go completely out of wack. I started taking Synthroid while I was pregnant, as the pregnancy complications were higher if you are Hypothyroid while pregnant. I HATED the thought of being on this medication …. especially being pregnant … and I didn’t like the idea of NEEDING to be on this medication for the rest of my life. So as soon as I gave birth … I stopped taking the pills. 8 weeks later, I went for blood work and my thyroid was normal! 1 year later, I went for my physical and my thyroid was normal again!! Well hallelujah .. I was cured and feeling great!
Than life hit me hard … I have 2 year old twins .. and the chaos that all entails … and a 4 year old. I had no energy. I wasn’t feeling like myself. I had a HARD time losing weight. I was feeling depressed. I assumed alot of this was because I was tired, trying to figure out how to run my household with 3 kids, how to continue running my company and be a wife/friend/ sister/ auntie, etc etc. I realized that something was just not right with my body and I needed to fix it.
SO … I decided to go back on my natural medication … that seemed to work last time! Well not this time. My thyroid was worse, my iron levels were borderline anemic and I felt like crap. So.. I decided to take Synthroid again. I HATED the idea of being on this medication, but this was the only option my doctor gave me … Within 12 weeks, I gained 8 lbs, my iron levels plummeted (borderline anemic), my cortisol levels were not normal and I was feeling lethargic, awful, depressed, angry and well … shitty! My doctor at the time wanted to just keep increasing my dose of Synthroid, and wasn’t listening to me about how I was feeling and that being on Synthroid made me so sick. So I kicked him off TEAM RACHELLE. I didn’t want anyone on my health and wellness journey that wasn’t there to listen to the coach!
So … I found a new and AMAZING doctor, and she has helped me try to regain control of my hormones and body and hopefully help me feel like myself again. I started taking a new natural thyroid medication and iron supplement which has lowered by thyroid levels(yes!), increased my iron (yes) and slowly starting to stabilize my cortisol levels. This journey is sure frustrating when you are trying to deal with alot at one time. I don’t believe in trying everything at once, cause you really can’t determine what is working and what is not. So here’s to my energy levels getting back up. Here’s to me losing this damn excess weight. Here’s to dealing with this hormone crap. Here’s to talking about it! It is estimated that 2/100 Canadians deal with a form of Thyroid disease.
SO … why the frickin’ long story about myself? I want people to go to their doctors and get a physical. Get your blood work done. Know your numbers. Listen to your body and if you feel something is not right … deal with it .. don’t wait! If you’re not happy with your Doctor/Naturopath, etc … get another opinion.
Take care of yourself … there is only 1 of YOU!!
xo
Rachelle
READ PART 2 here