At first I’ve had a beauty post prepared for today but current mood inspired me to write this post. Are you wondering who mr. Hashimoto actually is? Read on.
Hashimoto is an autoimmune chronic inflammation of the thyroid gland. In most cases it affects women. Around 2% of all women have it. Doctors discover it by a blood test, but I have to inform you it is not always visible. Why I am writing this? Hashimoto is my loyal companion for a few years now. I am one of those lucky few that have peace most of the time but here and there I still get a knock on the door on my health comes tumbling down.
Hormons are what’s bothering me. When I first came eye to eye with my disease, I was surprised – hormons affect almost everything in our bodies. My hashimoto battle is fought in many fields. Most of the time I don’t take any medication, since I don’t need them – as said before, I don’t have any symptoms most of the time. The biggest problem with thyroid diseases? I look healthy if you look at me! And it is really hard to explain to people around me that there is something wrong with me, since I look just fine.
EVEN IF I LOOK “HEALTHY AND FINE” I AM NOT
At this moment I look perfectly fine to you, but I am battling all of this symptoms:
- CHRONIC FATIGUE FROM HELL
- BRAIN FOG
- ANXIETY/SADNESS/APATHY
- HAIR LOSS
- SKIN IMPREFECTIONS
- COOOOLD
- WEIGHT LOSS
- MOOD SWINGS
Do you know anyone that battles a war with hormones or are you the one? Here are some advices on how our surrounding can help us:
IT’S NOT ALL IN MY HEAD
I know, I know, when you are healthy it is hard to understand those that aren’t. Especially if they don’t look sick. And the easiest thing to do is to say, don’t be layt, get off the kouch, there is nothing wrong with you. Because you don’t know and you don’t understand. So here I want to say in the name of us all – IT IS HARD! Take a different approach and focus this energy on helping me instead of criticize me. How? Be here for us, stay by our side, try to understand.
NO NEED TO BE RUDE
People say rude things a lot of the time without even realizing it. And so I don’t need to hear the following when I know for myself I’ve been lying, feeling helpless, incompetent and frighten:
“You look totally healthy to me.”
“You are lying down again?”
“When you’ll start moving again you’ll feel better.”
“Don’t be lazy.”
At the beginning you are trying to explain that this is not you, this is your thyroid, but after a while this just provoces further feeling of helplessnes and sandess. And when you are trying so hard to please the people around you and have the neccessary energy you are basically hurting yourself and your health!
BE THERE FOR ME
Be here, try to understand, stay by my side. There is nothing better then whn people around you give you the feeling that they are here for you. And when you know you can’t do it, you also know who to ask for help. Without judging and just letting you know it’s okay and you are not incompetent.
SHOW SOME COMPASSION
I might be an angry woman from hell in one moment and a sad little kitten in the next. I know it is very hard for people around me to fully understand what’s going on and it is especially hard for me to explain what’s going on. I just know it’s hard for me to control my emotions until I figure out what’s going on and I need people around me to be a bit more compassionate then usual.
To all that are battling with hormones, thyroid and everything else, here’s something I’d like to tell you:
IT WILL GET BETTER!
Just listen to yourself and your body! A quick question for the end – do you have any advice on how to survive all of this?
Xoxo, A.
