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2 Things I Wish I’d Known When I was Diagnosed with Thyroid Disease

2 Things I Wish I'd Known When I was Diagnosed with Thyroid Disease | DeliciouslyOrganic.net
Thyroid disease has many layers and involves multiple systems in the body. The diagnosis comes from looking at a TSH or antibody level, but finding a solution isn’t as simple as that. The reason why the immune system is attacking the body is different for each person. Looking back, here are two things I wish I’d known when I was diagnosed with thyroid disease.

1. It’s important to figure out your root cause
My husband was the one who figured out my root cause. We were sitting at home one evening after I’d been having health issues for 18 months and just a few months after I started working with my holistic nutritionist. He said, “Carrie, none of this makes sense. You were totally fine and then suddenly your health went downhill.” He got out a calendar and started tracing back. He backtracked to the day I had an amalgam filling (improperly) removed and said, “Look! This was the day it all started.” I took this information to my practitioner, we did some testing, and what do you know? We discovered an overabundance of heavy metals! From that point on, we focused on gentle heavy metal detox to aid the natural healing process.

I suggest you begin by going back to a time when you were well and then creating a timeline that links life events with the appearance of symptoms. Get out your calendar and backtrack. Talk to your friends and family about your health history. Scroll through pictures on your phone. Use whatever you have available to start putting the pieces together.

Some questions to ask yourself:
– What were my first symptoms? When did they begin? (This may involve going back to your early childhood.)
– What health issues have I dealt with in the past? Surgeries? Infections?
– Were there periods in my life where I was dealing with chronic stress?
– What medications have I taken in the past and what prescriptions am I taking now? What are the side effects of these medications?
– What physical, environmental, and emotional factors may be contributing to my illness?

Some reasons your thyroid might not be working at the optimum level:
Viral, bacterial, or fungal infection
Poor gastrointestinal health
Nutrient deficiencies
Chronic stress
Too much radiation for your body (from cellular phones, wifi, etc.)
Toxicity

2. Be prepared for a long recovery – plan for a “marathon”
When my nutritionist told me to eat a grain-free diet and put me on a protocol of gentle detox and whole food supplements, I thought it would be cleared within a matter of months. Years before, I’d reversed my chronic migraines in a matter of weeks (by simply switching to an organic diet) and my IBS and eczema cleared easily when I made the change to real, unprocessed foods. Based on my past experiences, I thought it would be a pretty quick fix. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was going to take years to reverse the damage, and heal the underlying cause of my disease.

Healing from a chronic illness like thyroid disease is complex and often requires a long-term commitment to getting well.

And what about the game plan? Well, you have to have the right information to make a game plan and I’ve got some great tools to get you going!

The Grain-Free Family Table
Grain-Free, Nutrient-Dense Meal Plans
50 Tips and Resources to Help You Reverse Autoimmune Disease
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis:Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause
The Thyroid Cure
Hypothyroid Mom
Thyroid Pharmacist

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13 Comments

  1. Angie

    July 14, 2015 at 5:34 pm

    My husband was diagnosed with hypothyroidism a couple of years ago after having his thyroid function checked upon finding out he has vitiligo. He was an unusual case in that he developed vitiligo in his early 50's. I've been reading a lot about thyroid function, auto immune issues and was curious if your thyroid bundle discusses any relation to vitiligo? I'm trying everything possible to get him to try eating a new way to heal his body, he's a very meat and potatoes guy. Any information would be helpful. Thank you so much for all you do.
    Reply to this comment

  2. Dena Norton

    July 15, 2015 at 3:07 am

    Definitely #1 - for many years, I was assured that taking a thyroid prescription my whole life and enduring other related hormonal imbalances were to be expected and couldn't be reversed. So thankful to have finally learned otherwise and now be addressing the root cause(s)! Thanks for all you do to keep thyroid disease on the forefront of people's minds, Carrie!
    Reply to this comment

  3. Laura Wooten

    July 15, 2015 at 10:08 am

    Hi, Has your goal been to be medicine free? I have been on thyroid medication and been treated for adrenal fatigue with varying degrees of success. I'm a pretty clean eater, but perhaps not as clean as I need to be. I'm curious as to your end goal.
    Reply to this comment

    • Carrie Vitt

      July 16, 2015 at 11:55 am

      I never took any medication for my thyroid. When the doctor offered a prescription, it just didn't seem like the right fit for me. I worked with a holistic practitioner and through real food, whole food supplements and gentle detox I was able to reverse the disease. Figuring out the root cause of my disease was the turning point! Here's more of the story: https://deliciouslyorganic.net/reverse-hashimotos-thyroid-disease/It took a long time and a lot of work, but it was totally worth it! Now my goal is to continue to keep my entire endocrine system healthy and balanced with diet, rest, gentle detox, exercise and supplements (when needed).
      Reply to this comment

  4. Alina

    January 7, 2016 at 2:29 am

    Great article! Thank you for your honesty and a very inspiring story. After reading so much negative and depressing info online, i am healing and resting on your beautiful virtual space already. You are so right about the cause. Mine was extreme stress plus flu plus already weak immune system plus giving birth... It all came together. However i consider my condition as a gift now. It opened me up for miracles. Lot of love, health and happiness. And thank you for your blog.
    Reply to this comment

  5. Wendy

    February 1, 2016 at 6:58 am

    I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease in mid-October, so just over 3 months ago. Everyone says that I should feel fine and "back to normal"by now, but I'm still suffering from brain fog, and get so exhausted after any sort of exercise. Is it normal for me to still be feeling this way after 3 months of taking medication and my thyroid hormone levels now in the normal range?
    Reply to this comment

    • Deliciously Organic

      February 1, 2016 at 11:32 am

      I never took any medications, so I can't say for sure, but it does sound like something is still off. We are all biochemically individual, so a "regular" TSH for one isn't necessarily a "normal" TSH for another. You might still be hypothyroid for your body even though your labs look "fine". I encourage you to try and find a holistic practitioner to work with so they can look at the full picture and help find your root cause.
      Reply to this comment

  6. Lori

    April 22, 2016 at 3:10 pm

    Hello, thank you for the great info! I believe I have issues too from metal fillings but I canmot afford to have them taken out properly. Do you think doing a heavy metal detox while they are still in will do any good? Also a dentist just drilled out one and placed a crown, but now i am having pain and what he says is pulpitis and wants to do a root canal! Ive had these for many years! Thanks!
    Reply to this comment

    • Deliciously Organic

      April 25, 2016 at 11:10 am

      Trying some castor oil packs, epsom salt baths and using essential oils could be very helpful for detox from heavy metals. I'd stay away from oil pulling since you still have the amalgams in your mouth. If you want some info about which oils to use, please write us over at: info@deliciouslyorganic.net
      Reply to this comment

  7. Kori Goudy

    October 7, 2016 at 8:06 pm

    Thank you so much for your positive and hopeful outlook on Hashimoto's, so many other sites are negative in their outlook! I am curious when you first started healing, did you go straight into a grain-free Paleo style diet or did you do an elimination diet? Did you ever eliminate beans, nuts and seeds? I've read many opposing things concerning beans, nuts, and seeds for those with Hashimotos...
    Reply to this comment

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