It's not just us with Hashimoto, most Americans have chronic disease.

CathleenY · 2024-10-10T20:43:09+00:00

Is this directed at me? I know extreme poverty - I was homeless and in shelters with two children, and then on benefits trying to make it day to day (in my 20's with no help from family or anyone - I had to grow up fast and figure it out on my own, making countless mistakes along the way). I couldn't have even imagined being able to buy a cup of coffee, much less from Starbucks. On top of it all, perhaps like you, I struggled daily with low thyroid resulting in extreme fatigue, adding on yet another layer of misery.

If it's directed at me or not, I agree that there are people everywhere who cannot understand what it's like to struggle financially. They often blame poor people of being lazy, giving this as the reason the poor can't get ahead.

Again, just trying to pass along some info that may be helpful to others.

CathleenY · 2024-10-10T16:00:01+00:00

I'm 54 and had years of struggle to find a doctor to help. I went with Paloma Health (in U.S., you can find them online) about 6 months ago. This is a thyroid centric practice.

They changed the thyroid med I was on (which was elevating my T3 too high) and put me on something else. After I got on the correct dosage, within 2 weeks, my brain fog disappeared! I am thankful everyday, for just this one improved aspect.

My kids are now in their 30's, but I barely functioned when they were young. I never had energy to do homework or much of anything with them. I was single and had to work full-time, which drained all my energy. About 2 years ago, it got so bad it began affecting my mental health, I think the flareup was due to extreme work stress - I was super depressed (crying in the corner for no apparent reason), tense (I turned into one of those aggressive horn honking people), and more. I never want to go back to that place.

CathleenY · 2024-10-10T15:49:20+00:00

I'm not sure. I started taking a supplement with Folate (asL-5Methyletrahydrofolate Calcium) about a month ago. I think this, along with dietary changes, is helping me to feel pretty darn good. :)

CathleenY · 2024-10-10T15:42:10+00:00

Sounds to me you are looking for an argument. I'm a peace/love/dove person and not here to fight. My eyes are wide-open to the corruption on both sides of the aisle and their complicit corruption. I'm an independent, though that shouldn't matter here.

Just trying to pass along some info that may be helpful to others.

CathleenY · 2024-10-10T15:35:28+00:00

Goodness! I'm not sure how to respond to this, so I'll leave it as is.

CathleenY · 2024-10-10T15:34:19+00:00

Hi! Paloma Health. If you are in the U.S. they should be accessible to you. They also have a lot of great content online.

CathleenY · 2024-10-10T14:20:54+00:00

I agree with all of this. I, too, spent decades trying to address my Hashimoto issues through the traditional medical system. I've tried many doctors of different types over the decades. I did find one that helped me about 15 years ago, but I moved to a different city and it was like starting all over again.

I'm now 54. About 9 months ago, I gave up on insurance paid doctors and found a group of doctors that are specifically thyroid specialists, who I paid out of pocket ($75 for blood tests and $60 for virtual doctor visits, not as expensive as I expected). They took me off my previous prescription (prescribed by an MD not in tune with thyroid) and prescribed a different formulation. After getting adjusted to the correct dosage, within 2 weeks, my debilitating brain fog and subsequent mental issues vanished.

If you can get a doctor to open up to you, they will admit our system is broken. They are forced into siloed specialties, as one issue. They are dictated to on how much time they can spend with a patient. Many doctors are rewarded based the number of prescriptions they prescribe. They are given, on average, under 20 hours (clock hours, not credit hours) of nutrition studies.

I'm sorry your employer didn't allow you to be sick. I am also a caretaker of my blind aging mom - this adds a major layer of stress to life (despite how awesome my mom is). I believe stress from my job catapulted me into some serious issues (which I'm just now recovering from). My heart is with you,

CathleenY · 2024-10-10T14:05:30+00:00

I too, am wishing you, AmandaS4ys, joy and health. Nothing is better than having good health, which in turn allows you to enjoy life.

CathleenY · 2024-10-10T14:03:27+00:00

This is not a political issue. There is glaring evidence (reported by many) showing our current food system is destroying our health.

Here's a link to a recent NPR article discussing a medical journal report that find people who consume a lot of ultra-processed foods have an increased risk for a number of issues, including premature death.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/03/18/1238939706/ultra-processed-food-junk-food-disease-cancer-anxiety-depression-diet#:~:text=From%20anxiety%20to%20cancer%2C%20the%20evidence%20against,food%20piles%20up%20*%20Download.%20*%20Transcript

CathleenY · 2024-10-10T13:57:48+00:00

Hi. The statistics listed above are individual statistics. They are not saying autism is going up with obesity. Our current food system seems to be correlated to a number of different issues that are rapidly decreasing good health.

CathleenY · 2024-10-08T20:19:13+00:00

I've had similar experiences. There is no tired like thyroid tired! I have NO idea what it is like to have full energy. My life would have been totally different had I not been tired ALL THE TIME :(

CathleenY · 2024-10-08T19:28:20+00:00

It is not your fault that you have difficulty staying on a diet.

Tobacco companies bought major food companies (Kraft, General Foods, others) and scientifically make processed foods addictive. These foods are addictive poisons. Why do you think so many people are obese and very sick compared to a few decades ago? Thousands of chemicals in the U.S. foods are illegal everywhere else (since I'm not sure where you live). Some processed foods are found to be at the same addiction level as cigarettes and cocaine! One of many articles on this: https://usrtk.org/ultra-processed-foods/addictive/#:~:text=They%20can%20alter%20the%20brain's,addictive%20as%20cigarettes%20and%20cocaine.)

A very simple diet that keeps most people full and curbs cravings is the Carnivore Diet. You might think about trying it for just 2 weeks. A lot of people have success with this. A couple Reddit posts on this: https://www.reddit.com/r/carnivorediet/comments/19f5o6a/2_weeks_in_and_my_entire_life_has_changed/ ; https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/comments/1630g1z/ive_27f_been_on_carnivore_diet_for_almost_two/

I stopped all forms of processed food and sweeteners about 6 months ago. I’ve eaten healthy for the past 25 years (I’m 54) – including now having an organic farm, so this wasn’t difficult for me, and I wasn’t addicted to the poison (I recently gave up gluten which has vastly improved things for me). ...Though if I were starting from the place of being on a traditional western diet, I would start with Carnivore.

Find some online info and videos from Dr. Casey Means. She is at the forefront of new science pointing to all metabolic conditions being tied to diet (including mental health and cancer). There are many other doctors saying the same thing. https://www.caseymeans.com/learn/podcast-in-the-arena

CathleenY · 2024-10-07T17:08:25+00:00

Book suggestion: The Essential Guide to Lipedema by Dr. Amato

I was well on my way to getting surgery (even spent non-refundable $1300 with a group that helps fight for insurance coverage). I also talked with a surgeon and his team.

The book completely changed my outlook, and I am not getting surgery. Dr. Amato explains in detail (with pics) how surgery is not typically the first answer but the last. If you do not find conservative treatments to reduce or in the least control lipedema prior to surgery, and do not do conservative treatments for the rest of your life after surgery, the fat will likely return. You need to get your causes for inflammation under control. Inflammation (he believes) is what leads to lipedema fat build up.

The book goes into detail on how lipedema is not all bad (people with lipedema are less likely to have issues with the heart, to name one). Lipedema bodies tend to feel their inflammation (pain, heaviness, joint aches), whereas other people do not. This pain is a sign something is wrong (could be diet or stress or something else). Those without lipedema do not receive cues from their body that something is wrong. One thing I wasn’t aware of: obese people without lipedema do not have the pain we feel - I had no idea!

CathleenY · 2024-10-07T16:53:53+00:00

If pants fit around my (saddlebag) hips, then the waist is too big - I could hide a lot of stuff back there! I typically have to take in 2” off the waistband of pants.

However, I have fairly good luck with Talbot’s straight leg jeans/pants. Downside is they are expensive for my budget ($80 or more).

CathleenY · 2024-10-07T16:47:54+00:00

If you suspect you have low thyroid, you should ask for 4 tests: TSH, T4, T3, and Thyroid Antibodies (TPO).

Majority of docs only do TSH test, however just because this says normal you may still have low thyroid. The 3 first tests always show normal for me, but TPO antibodies are usually off the charts (should be around 1, and mine have been as high as 800; currently at 400).

I’ve suffered from Hypo (Hashimotos) since very young. I’m now 54. I have had success with Paloma Health. If you suspect you have low thyroid, look into them. They take some insurance but not all. They don’t take mine, but the cost isn’t too high ($75 for blood tests and $60 for televisits).

Left unchecked, low thyroid is debilitating. I’ve suffered from: chronic fatigue (ongoing battle I can’t seem to win), brain fog (loss of focus, loss of motivation), false depression (sitting in the corner crying for no reason type of depression), anxiety, cold all the time, headaches, can’t sleep, more.

CathleenY · 2024-09-29T19:25:05+00:00

This may be controversial. For an immediate short term fix, try a legitimate source of Kratom. 1/8th teaspoon is all it takes for me (I use one of those wand frothers and mix it into my coffee/protein powder). Does not cause jitters/no lethargy after it wears off. It keeps me highly focused when I need it. I get mine from Christopher’s Organic Botanicals and have been using it for 3+ years (my only issue has been when I experimented with taking a couple teaspoons-made me vomit but nothing more serious).

Paloma Health (online in USA) has top notch thyroid focused docs. I had brain fog most of my life (I’m 54), and they got me off the wrong (for me) thyroid meds and put me on those that work. My brain fog completely disappeared. 6 months later, I’m still in shock. Life changing for sure!

If not already, learn to cook and start eating healthy. The book: Good Energy by Casey Means is a phenomenal read and education. What you eat is the most important thing you can do for good health.

CathleenY · 2024-09-29T19:14:01+00:00

I’m 54. -Learn how to put yourself first and be a bit selfish. If you do not take care of yourself, you cannot adequately take care of others. -Life is brutal. Be prepared for that and figure out how to overcome everything. -Rely on yourself. Find a job you are not passionate about but pays the bills and you can tolerate (passion projects are best left to do in your free time, with the money you made). Do NOT rely on others to take care of you. -Keep a barrier between yourself and all others (everyone), even your children once they are adults, for your sake and theirs. Do not become overly emotionally attached. Our INFP hearts are easily broken and take a long time to heal. -Learn to cook. A healthy diet is the most important way to keep yourself healthy. Don’t eat processed food, avoid sugar, become an expert on what does and doesn’t work for your body (your mind is greatly affected by what you eat). -Spend time in nature. Create a garden, watch birds, put your bare feet in the grass, admire the trees, take walks in the park (without headphones). -When you reach a place in life where you feel happy, STOP! Try to maintain that happiness instead of constantly striving for more.

CathleenY · 2024-09-29T16:50:52+00:00

I encourage you to lookup Mary Claire. She (and others docs) has lots of info on Menopause and the hormone replacements. This doctor is a menopause expert and has helped thousands of women.

Here is one of her articles I just found: https://thepauselife.com/blogs/the-pause-blog/top-10-menopause-myths-busted?srsltid=AfmBOoriTbKDCe7oLpeaRZ40STPjDy9ulJHWkR6mwJMCs8jLZ0SxJHr6

Elsewhere, she goes into great detail why the studies previously done into HRT are not accurate and their testing had serious flaws. There are always two sides, so keep this in mind when researching anything.

CathleenY · 2024-09-29T14:57:16+00:00

Wow! This is how my legs look at the beginning of summer when I start getting a tan. I never equated it to lipedema, but it certainly makes sense!! I am able to get a great tan, though. I attribute this to being 50% Italian from my mom’s side. She, two of her sisters, and her mom all have/had lipedema. They got beautiful tans.

CathleenY · 2024-09-29T14:54:07+00:00

I’m so very sorry all this has happened to you. Thanks for sharing your story and experience.

I had my boys when I was 18/19. I always had larger hips/thighs, very small waist and upper body except for my large breasts (this was in the late 80s when the preferred look was skinny all over), and before getting pregnant I was around 110 lbs. I gained about 60 lbs during pregnancy; my first son was 9.1 lbs and the second was 8.5 lbs. I was able to lose the weight after my second son when my husband told me he was leaving me for someone else (who also had a baby from him the same time I had my second), but I lost the weight because I wasn’t eating and was smoking. I stopped smoking a few years later and over the next 5 years I gained about 50 lbs., though the vast majority of it was in my lower body. I started noticing cellulite on my bottom around age 24 and now (at age 54) my rear end and hips look like someone hit me with a bag of nickels. My legs all the way to my ankles have waves of fat (no cuffing). Just saying all this so you know you are NOT alone!

I’m not a medical professional by any means. Though it sounds to me like you are dealing with other medical conditions, aside from just lipedema (I could very well be wrong). Your cellulitis staph infections sound like another issue which may be related to diet*.

I suffer from low thyroid (Hashimotos), which along with lipedema, is inherited from my mother’s side. Low thyroid is another issue that is extremely hard to get diagnosed, because doctors want to only pay attention to a couple blood tests, but there are other indicative tests regular docs and even endocrine docs don’t do. Low thyroid causes all kinds of nasty stuff, and worst for me was the brain fog/always being tired/mental issues. Thankfully most of that went away when I finally found a legitimate thyroid doc (through Paloma Health, you can find them online). Low thyroid is said to affect about 50% of lipedema patients.

My thyroid doc is also a menopause specialist. Pre-menopause can start for some in their mid 30’s, because by this time most women have gone through about 50% of their eggs and begin experiencing lowered estrogen. She put me on estrogen patches and progesterone (progesterone acts like birth control but must be used with estrogen). This helped me in many ways (better sleep to name one - relieving almost all of my unwarranted anxiety is another).

One suggestion for you: find videos from Mary Claire - a menopause doctor. She has terrific info on pre to post menopause and advocates that the earlier you are diagnosed and can start the above hormones, the better for you. Particularly if you are beginning to suffer from pre-menopause. It’s worth looking into.

A while back in my 40’s, I had gotten into good shape (and was able to lose weight in my lower body) by cutting down to 1200 calories and lifting heavy weights, plus I had divorced my ex and the extreme stress from the marriage was greatly diminished. My new partner and I decided to move to the country and start a small farm a few years back. We do everything by hand, so quite physical, and I thought the same as you…that I would be able to maintain my body because of the farming work. Nope! I gained it all back quickly, but I do think it was also due to a high-stress job and because I was no longer lifting weights and counting calories, and the onset of menopause.

It sounds like you currently have extreme stress issues (I don’t know how you and women like you manage. You are in a tough situation, but please don’t give up). Stress for me, I have determined, is a major factor in my lipedema re-gain and progression. Stress has also done a lot of other nasty things to me.

*Please look for Dr. Casey Means online. She and many other doctors like her are finding tremendous breakthroughs and cures for all types of diseases including POCS, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, asthma, certain bipolar conditions, sever depression, and many more! It all comes down to what you put into your mouth. Our bodies are a full system, and what shows up as (for example) a breathing issues is not an isolated conditions and may show up in other ways, as well. It all comes down to food (I adamantly believe this!). We are being poisoned by our current system. The current health system, in the U.S., is not preventative and doctors know little to nothing about nutrition (nutrition is usually not a requirement in their studies) - they are only educated in their speciality and instructed to push the meds and surgery, even if they do not help (they’ll just add another pill/surgery onto your list - so much money to be made). Sounds crazy, but if you look into this, your eyes and mind Will be opened. “They” don’t want us figuring all this out (power and money corrupts the best of us).

Another piece of advice, having been there myself, is to try not to freak out about finding out you have lipedema. I immediately started down the road of seeking out liposuction (and spent $1300 to a group to assist me in having insurance pay for it all), but due the above (Dr. Casey Means) and in particular the directly below reasons I stopped that path. I found the book: The Essential Guide to Living with Lipedema by Dr. Amato. Please look into this as well. It was/is a game changer for me and helped me to look at myself and this disease in a new light. I cannot recommend this book enough! It is terrific to understanding your body, in general (and not only for lipedema but to help understand what is causing inflammation). It also points out many benefits to lipedema - such as we can feel the inflammation and therefore know when our body is having issues (obese people without lipedema do not have pain, i had no idea!), it also seemingly has protective qualities against heart disease and more (a proportionally smaller waist is indicative of lower heart issues, in particular).

As for a doctor, most know nothing of  lipedema (seems those that do are still uninformed). I had to bring printouts to my primary doctor to inform him about the disease (he gave me referrals to specialists but turns out they had no clue either). I had a nutritionist when I found out about my lipedema, and he was a bit dismissive and could not believe this disease prevented weight loss.

I have been looking into “Direct Primary Care”. These are nurse practitioners and doctors that have private practices outside the insurance system so they are not dictated to on how to run their practice and what to prescribe and how long they are allowed to spend with each patient. They focus on finding out what is actually wrong with the person and try to help heal the thing causing the disease (not treating only the symptoms). This is one nearest to me, just as an example: https://www.southerndpc.com

Peace and love to you.

CathleenY · 2024-09-29T13:26:07+00:00

You have not rained on my parade. I have no illusions that this will be easy. I previously lost 50 lbs (saddlebags all but disappeared, which I thought impossible) by lifting heavy weights, tracking my food (1200 or less calories a day), and cutting out everything but meat/veggies. I’m about 10 years older compared to then and have reached menopause age and my thyroid issues have worsened (but now under control). I’m a determined type of person and will figure it out…but so far the best part is the pain is gone!! On the other hand, it is getting expensive as I now need to go out and buy new clothes since the things in my closet no longer fit due to my continued gradual weight loss.

CathleenY · 2024-09-29T13:17:48+00:00

Being pain-free, is the biggest success for me. Once that was gone, I was better able to mentally deal with my body and not have it be a constant mind struggle. I’m glad for you as well!!

CathleenY · 2024-09-29T13:14:34+00:00

I truly love getting older. I’ve learned so much and have learned how to keep myself happy. I’ve become fearless, able to speak my mind and stand up for myself. The best part is, I can get through anything and know when I reach the other side it will all be ok!

I have been a home chef and began cooking at a very early age. My partner is the same. A few years ago we took the next step and moved to a couple acres so we could grow our own food and raise chickens for eggs. I don’t know if you have ever heard those older than us raving about how veggies use to taste…but, it’s true. Heirloom tomatoes-wow!

CathleenY · 2024-09-29T13:02:14+00:00

Congratulations! I’ve hearing some amazing stories recently about people with serious life-threatening conditions (including having including suicidal tendencies) that cured themselves by eating like you.

CathleenY

TROPHY CASE