i am a cow today...

at least considering the pills i just took....

You see a few weeks back many of my questions and concerns were answered. I too - just like my female biological counterparts {aka - momma and sister Kirsten - and grandma Carol too} was diagnosed with hypothyroidism.
So - what is thing I'm now living with, where did it come from and how do I get rid of it? Pretty basic questions one might think when they find out anything new that's 'hapnin' in their body.... I'd love to share with you those answers and fill you in on what is different about how I'm treating my case vs. what most others do {because of what a functional medicine Dr would do vs. most MDs do}

But stay close, because the good stuff comes at the end ; ) {also - bare with me as I do my best to site all resources of information....Since I've been done with college for 3 years now, my means of 'citing' things might not be 'A+' worthy} ; )

Anyways - what are some possible symptoms {and what do I live with?}
Feeling tired, weak and/or depressed {check}
Dry skin/brittle nails
Not being able to stand the cold {check}
Constipation
Memory problems or having trouble thinking clearly {check check and super check!}
Heavy/irregular menstrual period {might be TMI - but check}
Now - what IS hypothyroidism?

"Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) is a condition in which your thyroid gland doesn't produce enough of certain important hormones. " -Mayo Clinic Staff from the MayoClinic.com website.

{Karin here again} just as recommended - every year since about age 18 I have gone to the 'lady doctor' for my yearly check up - each time getting a clean bill of health {yeay!}

Over the past 6 years I have seen 4 different ladies - all of whom have seen on my health records that my mom {biological} and her mom {also biological} have hypothyroidism. I have asked {each one} if I was 'at risk' for developing the same condition, since it can be linked genetically. Each time, each Dr would just give me the once over look and often times chuckle a bit and tell me not to worry - especially about having hyPO {vs. hypERthyroidism} - all they were doing was looking at my body type and not me.

Fast forward a few years and I find myself at a highly recommended chiropractor {thanks Leanna!!} because of a few spinal concerns {recent cuddle-time-gone-wrong incident with Moses}. All I was really looking for was a few adjustments to get my back on track. But when Dr Jeff looked at the paperwork {my family history} and asked a few questions of my daily life - he said I should get my thyroid levels tested. And just like that - here I am - diagnosed.

So - where did this all come from?

I know I've mentioned the possibility of a genetic link but that's not always the case.

"There are two fairly common causes of hypothyroidism. The first is a result of previous (or currently ongoing) inflammation of the thyroid gland, which leaves a large percentage of the cells of the thyroid damaged (or dead) and incapable of producing sufficient hormone. The most common cause of thyroid gland failure is called autoimmune thyroiditis (also called Hashimoto's thyroiditis), a form of thyroid inflammation caused by the patient's own immune system." as stated by James Norman, MD, FACS, FACE on EndocrineWeb.com

I was also tested for the most common cause behind hypothyroidism {the autoimmune disease form aka - Hashimoto's} but my tested showed - that's not my case. **Side Factoid** Dr James Norman also wrote in the article that as many as 10% of women in America have 'some degree of thyroid hormone deficiency.'

So - how do I get rid of this?
Most people who have already been diagnosed with hypothyroidism by an MD {say an Ob/Gyn, family practice Dr, whomever} are traditionally placed on Levothyroxine {aka - Synthroid}. Reading more and more about the experiences people have/had with Levothyroxine just even more made me not desire that as an option. And if there is an alternative {which there is - stay tuned} why wouldn't you choose a more natural alternative.... Especially with all these {possible} side effects of Synthroid:
tremor
nervousness
insomnia
excessive sweating
hair loss
chest pain
and irregular/rapid heart beat {to name a few}

My option? Dr Jeff+Standard Process. Standard Process provides whole foods supplements for a variety of needs {along with whole food vitamins as well! Learn more about why we should use whole food supplements on their web page}.

So, today - day 1 - I am officially a cow.... Meaning - for the next 60 days I will be benefiting from the thyroxine of a bovine. It might sound weird - but I'd rather go this route than taking in chemicals and artificial thyroid replacement and experiencing hair loss, chest pain and excessive sweating. The only side affects I hope to see are getting my engery back! {and a few other things too} ; )

Here are the goods!


That's all I've got for now. You know I'm not great at updating often - but I will do my best to do better over this next 60 day period {which is also a plus - only 60 days of these pills vs. a potential lifetime on synthroid!}

Toodaloo!
~Kb : )