Success Stories by Thyroid Sufferers

As one Cree storyteller said: Stories are Beings. You invite them to live with you. They will teach you what they know in return for being a good host. When they are ready to move on they’ll let you know. Then you pass them to someone else.

Stories will also sustain you in times of challenge, frustration, and failure and it will confront you in times of confusion, pain, and loss, as they do with me.

When it comes to success stories about people battling thyroid disorders, including Graves’ disease or Hashimoto’s, you can not find many. Not because there aren’t, but probably because they are not written in paper yet…But here are some that I want to share with you…To lift your spirit, to give you hope and assure you that there is always a way out:

1. “My name is Margaret, am 62 years young, mother of 4 terrific daughters, and I live in Australia in a rural countryside. Have been a medical pathology technologist for 20 years but have always done all sorts of creative art leading to having an art supplies and teaching shop till 4 years ago…..Click here to read her success story:

2. ” My name is Sue. Perhaps I am a-typical because I first started with Graves Disease symptoms in 2001, diagnosed in 2002 when I first consulted my GP.   My journey therefore has been a long one.  I was told it was hereditary and my mother was hypo-thyroid so I didn’t delve further at that point into why I was affected”….  Click here to read more…

3. “Simona’s story..10 years ago I was diagnosed with Graves’ disease. I went to see my doctor after I’ve put on 10 kilos (~22 pounds) in the space of 2 months. I knew something was wrong, since I’ve always been very, very active, athletic, toned and never overweight. I was my doctor’s first case of someone gaining weight with an overactive thyroid”…..  See more at:

4.  This is Jan A.. She is 61 years old and has 3 sons. She was born in England and immigrated to Australia in l976.  She is a psychologist and enjoys countryside, riding, yoga, dogs, cinema, reading, drawing, gardening, walking, friends, family, travel, creativity, writing and alternative health. But one day….Read more about her journey here:

I have many more to share…and if you have a success story you want to share, let me know, I’ll be happy to publish it!

5. The next workshop is happening on:

02/19/2014, Wednesday at 2 PM EST.

Register and join us:

Thyroid Workshop for better health!

 

Fatal Cases of Steroid Treatment for TED, Unnecessary Thyroidectomies…….

I was blamed many times that my writings and articles are not supported by purely scientific research. To some extend this is true- I am writing mostly based on my own experience and the experience of all my subscribers in the past 7 years and their feedback on many questions.

It happens  what we have found on a “try and see” basis is supported by scientists as well. Below I’ll share a few researches, related to either Graves’ Disease, Thyroid Eye Disease or Hyperthyroidism and mostly providing evidence behind the pure human experience.

1. As we know, one of the medical methods for treating Thyroid Eye Disease is the steroid treatment. I honestly never liked the idea and preferred instead more natural methods like Flax seed oil, Chamomile, eye exercises. Here is what happens:

A few scholars, Marcolli and colleagues examined the fatal and non fatal of streroid therapy on Graves’ Disease patients by a questionnaire survey, the results of which were published in Eur J Endocrinol 2012;166:247-53. Epub November 4, 2011.

This survey was mailed to 128 members of European Thyroid Associations, you should read here “endocrinologist treating patients with TED”. The doctors were asked about side effects when treating patients with oral and IV steroids. The side effects were more severe, it happens, when taking oral streroids. However, more death cases were reported with patients using IV steroids. (Yes, you read that right- people were actually dying). 7 patients died: 4 of liver failure, 2 of stroke and 1 of pulmonary embolism.

Conclusion: Steroids should be used only with patients with severe Thyroid Eye Disease. Who decides how severe is your TED, and should you or should you not get steroid treatment is whole another story.

2. As you know me, I am totally against thyroidectomy (complete removal of the thyroid), which causes by the way permanent hypothyroidism. Do you really need a total thyroidectomy when you are diagnosed with noncancerous thyroid disorder?

Noncancerous thyroid disorder in this particular case is referred to goiters and nodules, which do not have cancer cells. Nodules are usually abnormal growth of thyroid cells, while goiter is generally enlarged thyroid, caused by overactive, underactive or even normal thyroid. Both, goiters and nodules in this research are non cancerous. But why then the thyroidectomy rates increased from 17.6% to 39.4% in USA only? Why doctors are prescribing thyroidiectomies, when they are not necessarily needed?

That question was researched by Ho TW and colleagues, in a 15 year population based study reported in Am J Surg 2011;201:570-4. The administered cases of total thyroidectomy, they found in the past 15 years in USA especially, dramatically increased. They also found that the time spend in hospitals by the patients, as well as the hospital charges were significantly higher. The rate of post operative complications were also higher, compared to partial thyroidectomy cases for example. Patients in urban hospitals were prescribed more surgeries, compared to patients in rural hospitals.

Bottom line: in many cases with noncancerous goiters and nodules, doctors  prescribe unnecessary total thyroidectomies, compared to the rates some 15 years ago. Do you still wonder why?

Reference: American  Thyroid Association

http://thyroid.org/patients/ct/volume5/issue1/ct_patients_v51_8.html

More to come……

The 10 Why’s of a Difficult Thyroid Patient…

Why #1:  If I wasn’t a difficult patient- I wouldn’t be talking to you right now, or you even be able to read this article. Many years ago when I got sick with hyperthyroidism I literally had to fight for my treatment options, even though I was told that only 2% of all the hyperthyroidism patients get healed with my chosen method of treatment (i.e medication). I took my chances, and as you see, I did a good job, I survived.

Why #2: Doctors, many of them, no matter how well they are trained, how well they excelled in their education, and how many straight A’s they got at the medical school- they still treat you as a  diagnose (which might be very wrong indeed), but not as a person itself. You are a person, not a diagnose, even not a symptom!

Why# 3: Regardless of the Hippocratic Oath all the doctors took when finishing the medical school, many of them have to be reminded constantly that to treat appropriately the patient is even more important than the commission % they’ll get from pharmaceutical companies for prescribing medications and procedures that are not the best for their patients. Sorry, not all, but many doctors do that!  Some years ago I worked as a psychotherapist in a medical office with some doctors, and while I was trying to take my patients off the drugs, my colleague next door was generously prescribing all kinds of them, because, I quote to the best I remember ”I get 4% for prescribing certain drugs”. Needless to say, I left soon this medical facility for good, and never went back.

Why# 4. For many medical procedures, including thyroid surgeries and Radioactive Iodine Treatments the hospitals, and respectively the medical offices get paid times more, compared to the traditional medication treatment. Check, if you don’t believe me.

Why not then, suggest, advise and push the hyperthyroidism patients to receive these expensive procedures, as they are believed to “remove the problem completely”, i.e the thyroid, faster and “safe”? The excuse here is: “Let’s completely destroy your thyroid, in case of possible remission in the future”??? Really? Doesn’t that sound like “Let’s cut your leg, in case you break it in the future….”? Same pertains to the numerous C- sections for pregnant women (to avoid possible complications they say. Yes, my grandmother is laughing right now), but that’s another story.

Why #5: For the past 60 years or even more the only treatment options for Graves’ Disease so far invented by the traditional Western Medicine are: 1. Medication (methimazole or propylthiouracil), 2. Radioactive Iodine Treatment and 3. Thyroid Surgery (subtotal or total). That’s it. No matter how much money are spent on researches every year, endocrinology doesn’t seem to advance a lot on this particular subject. And Graves’ disease patients don’t seem to get less in number, either, compared to the disease rates from some 50 years ago.

Why then just you do your own research and try alternative, complimentary, Eastern- Medicine based, supplemental, herbal or any other methods available as well? Be a difficult patient, and try to work this out with your doctor. And if he seems uninterested in cooperation- just fire him and get another one.

Why #6: This is your body that’s sick and affected. You are experiencing all these debilitating symptoms, not the person who treats you, no matter how qualified he is.  Stop shaking then when you have to defend your own health choices. Your body- your choice.

Why #7: Doctors are never 100% sure which is the best medical option for you, theoretically speaking, just because we are all different humans. They can only guess and do their best experiment on you. They don’t know if the side effects on any medication will manifest on you or not, they don’t know how your body will react. There is no way to know that information no matter how experienced the doctor is. So why don’t you participate actively in that body experiment of yours, share your opinion, fears and concerns? That’s called again- a difficult patient. Be difficult.

Why# 8: Isn’t that strange how many people can argue with their auto mechanic about expensive car repairs, or try to negotiate a better deal with car dealer, or endlessly argue with their wives/husbands regarding unimportant stuff, but when it comes to their own health, they become speechless, and deliver themselves to the mercy of their doctors to make the health decisions for them. Now, go back to the medical office and be that problematic, tough, person for the sake of your own health!

Why #9. There is this doctor, whom I respect very much, his name is Bernie Siegel, M.D, he is a very old doctor on cancers, who also wrote a lot of books about treating cancer patients with non- traditional methods (and traditional as well). What I vividly remember from his books and observations was that cancer patients, the ones who are difficult and actively participated in the treatment process, cured from their cancers quicker, and at higher rates, compared to the other patients, whom were not involved so much in the process and relied mostly on their doctors. If this works for cancer patients, why would not work for Hyperthyroidism/ Graves’ disease patients? It does, in fact.

Why #10. You are witty, clever, educated and intelligent human animal/ being. You have also access to all kinds of information, available in books and Internet, and in many other places. Step up on that rule and rule your own ship called “my health”. You have the absolute right to do so. Bon voyage!

 

P.s. If you want to know the stories of other people, who also were difficult patients, click here:

Graves’ Disease and Hyperthyroidism- incurable! Who said that?

The REAL LIFE STORIES of 32 REAL People will show the truth!

5 Myths about Graves’ Disease and Hyperthyroidism

Myth #1: If you don’t do anything, Graves’ Disease will go away.

Wrong: If you don’t do anything you may face a thyroid storm, which is a very dangerous, life threatening condition. Symptoms could be, but are not limited to:  high fever, severe palpitations, vomiting, delirium etc. – all of them are very serious complications that can lead even to a heart failure. Do not play with the fire!

Myth #2: There is a miracle pill, which if I take it I can get cured overnight from hyperthyroidism.

Wrong: There isn’t such a thing as a magical pill, that can cure any disease, not only Graves’ Disease and Hyperthyroidism overnight. Usually it takes the same amount of time for healing as for the physical manifestation of the disease. You disease didn’t show up overnight, it can’t go way overnight!

Myth #3: RAI (Radioactive Iodine Treatment) is a safe and fast way to resolve my hyperthyroidism issues.

Wrong: If you believe that swallowing radioactive iodine is that safe, what’s the big fuss about the earthquake in Japan? People wouldn’t be going around with masks and moving to different parts of the world, wouldn’t they? Hyperthyroid cats treated with that same pill wouldn’t be locked in metal containers for 2 weeks straight, right? But you believe that it is safe for people, for you?

Myth #4: Proper diet for Graves’ Disease and Hyperthyroidism is the only therapy that can fix my health problems.

Wrong: No matter what you eat, no matter how much broccoli and cabbage you consume overnight- that still will not cure you from Graves’ Disease. So said- keeping up with a good diet will definitely help, but it’s’ not the only pre-requisite remedial factor for Graves’ Disease. Certainly- there are foods that need to be avoided, like sea food and any other food with high iodine content, and of course foods called goitrogenous or cruciferous vegetables can help the inhibition of thyroid over production but if you do only the  diet approach that may not cure your Graves’ Disease.

Video: Hyperthyroidism Diet Secrets

Myth #5: I have to rely on my doctor/endocrinologist 100% for treating my Graves’ Disease and do whatever they say I should do.

Wrong: Doctors, at least most of them, do their best to treat properly their patients, to the best they have been taught. However, all humans are different and sometimes same medications and treatment options may have a completely dissimilar impact on different people. Do your own judgment, watch carefully how you feel and what reactions do you have, trust your intuition. In order to get cured you have to actively participate in the healing process and if your doctor is preventing you from doing so- don’t be afraid to fire him and get another one.

Grounding Energy for Graves’ Disease and Hyperthyroidism

 Many of us, diagnosed with Graves’ Disease and hyperthyroidism suffer from different  debilitating symptoms such as loss of concentration, feeling vulnerable, mental impairment,  memory lapses, diminished attention span, irritability, fatigue, insomnia (inability to get enough  sleep), restlessness, tachycardia (rapid heart rate: 100-120 beats per minute, or higher),  increased energy, very emotional, or just feeling plain crazy. 

 There is a simple explanation of this phenomenon which includes our sympathetic and  parasympathetic nervous system. Sympathetic nervous system is responsible for Charging and  Expression, and Parasympathetic Nervous system is responsible for Winding Down and Rest.  This is called Vasomotoric Circle and is first discovered by the Norwegian psychologist Gerda  Boysen.  In the past the first was used usually to describe the “fight or flight” response, but today we simply use it for “hurry and worry”. In a few words when we experience excessive levels of stress–whether from internal worry or external circumstance–a bodily reaction is triggered, called the “fight or flight” (hurry and worry) response. 

Originally discovered by the Harvard physiologist Walter Cannon, this response is hard-wired into our brains and represents a genetic wisdom designed to protect us from bodily harm. This response actually corresponds to an area of our brain called the hypothalamus, which, when stimulated, initiates a sequence of nerve cell firing and chemical release that prepares our body for running or fighting. In many people diagnosed with hyperthyroidism this area- the sympathetic nervous system is actually overloaded. We never make it to the other cycle, winding down and rest. And we need something that will bring us to the equilibrium and harmony, with which we are initially born.

There are a few exercises that I usually suggest, especially of you are feeling restless, too energized or too “charged”, that may bring you close to the “winding and resting cycle”. I know how impossible is at this point to just sit and meditate, which will be the best scenario. However, there are other things that can be done to “slow” you down and keep you in the reality:

1.   Grounding exercise: Get on your knees and hands,  place your palms and knees on the ground. Imagine the excess energy flowing out of your palms and even pouring out of your head. You’ll release only the excess energy to the Earth, simply “grounding” yourself. As you release this energy you can place the intent that such energy is used for healing the Planet. If you cannot reach down (let’s say you are in your office and it will be a little weird to kneel down), you can just imagine the energy flowing out of your hands and feet into the ground.

2.  Hug a tree. If you are lucky enough to have a back yard, or a park nearby, you can do a similar exercise. Imagine the tree taking the excess energy for its own healing, grounding it through the roots. You can even imagine yourself as a tree and let the energy drain through your own roots.

3. Keep it simple. Eat simple foods, do simple things, live simple. Be less complicated. Ask yourself: “Is this too complicated for me”, if it is, just drop it.

4.  Progressive muscle relaxation techniques, where you contract and then relax each muscle group moving progressively from the toes to the head. You can use some relaxing music.

5.  Mindfulness meditation- that’s simply noticing what you’re doing, and how are you doing it. Observing and noticing what surrounds you, and paying attention to details. “I’m stepping on the floor, the floor is cold, my left feet hurts, my right hand is touching the walls, they are smooth and pink”, etc.

6.   Finally- dance slowly..I am posting a poem, which I received from one of you, I believe it is written by a cancer  patient, but it says everything I ever wanted to say:

 SLOW DANCE

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a
butterfly’s erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the
fading night?

You better slow down.
Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won’t last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask : “How are you?”
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?

You’d better slow down
Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won’t last.

Ever told your child,
We’ll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say, ‘Hi’

You’d better slow down.
Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won’t last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry
through your day,
It is like an unopened gift….
Thrown away.

Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

Here are some other techniques for “slow dancing”

Stress Techniques and Stress relief Methods

or yoga and breathing exercises:

 

Alternative Methods for Treating Hyperthyroidism

And most of all- Life Style Changes for Graves’ Disease and Hyperthyroidism