Well, here goes, the long version…
I am a nurse. I worked for 14 years in critical care, then worked in nursing administration for many years. I “retired” from nursing in 1994 and transitioned into graphic design. I have three boys, who are now grown, two are married, and I am a grandmother of three! I am a wife, mother, grandmother, activist, friend, and volunteer. This blog is my attempt to bring meaning to my struggles, in the hope that someone else might be helped by my journey, and it’s ensuing discoveries.
My current journey began in 2005 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Luckily, it was caught early, I had a lumpectomy and it was followed with chemo and radiation. It was the type of tumor that responded to estrogen, so I went on the standard estrogen blocking therapy in February 2006. I had battled my weight for much of my adult life, gaining with each pregnancy, and never quite losing it all. I was NEVER one of those people who shed a lot and gained it back. I was more like a steady reliable gainer. Each year brought a bit more, and I sunk into depression a bit more with each pound. It is no exaggeration that not a day went by without me thinking, fretting and dwelling on my weight. It affected my self image, my sexuality, my activity and what I chose to expose myself too. I found myself isolating myself more, less afraid to jump in and have fun. When I gained 10 lbs. after going on the estrogen blocker, I had a tolerance break.
My first step was buying Dr. Mark Hyman’s book “Ultrametabolism” in 2006. As I read it I not only realized I had thyroid problems, but I started feeling hope for the first time in a LONG time. I started changing my diet. I stopped eating processed food. I started reading labels. I went to my internist and asked to be put on thyroid, despite my TSH being “high normal” (that’s another entire blog post…) He was willing to work with me, and even ordered the book to read himself. A year went by, and I lost about 20 lbs. not a lot, but progress! Late in 2007 I started searching more proactively to see if Dr. Hyman taught anywhere. I found a week-long Ultrametabolism Workshop at Kripalu Yoga Center in his hometown of Lenox, MA that was scheduled for January 2008. I jumped at the chance to go. My family was supportive. Off I went. It changed my life. It gave me back my sanity.
Halfway through the week, when Mark discussed auto-immune diseases, I realized his talk was applicable to me. In June of 2007, about a year after my cancer treatments finished, I developed a clotting disorder called ITP (for those who are curious, it stands for Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura. Aren’t you glad you asked?). My platelets were being “eaten” by my own immune system, which recognized them as foreign. My oncologist, who is also a hematologist, tried everything. Nothing worked. They got my platelet count high enough that the bruising stopped (unless I banged myself, then look out), but they said “you’ll have to live with it”. In other words, if you need surgery, you might need a transfusion of platelets beforehand. And don’t hit your head, get in an accident, etc. Gee, thanks, I think I’ll just bubble wrap myself!
Dr. Hyman looked at all this and announced “You have a toxin in you, and we need to figure out what it is.” Ok, let’s do it. The next day, at his office, we ran labs (unusual, and uncommon ones), I gave a detailed history of every symptom I had, and we discussed my weight, my rosacea, my ITP and my cancer history. He said he was optimistic about figuring it all out. I finished the week newly committed to eating even healthier (half the week was spent with RD Kathie Madonna Swift, who is the smartest dietician ever). So, I went home full of hope, and waited for my results to come back.
Three weeks later, I called Dr. Hyman for an appointment (he can do lots of work via the phone, which is quite unlike most physicians). Guess what? He had nailed it. I had mercury toxicity, and elevated levels of lead. So, he was convinced this had:
- destroyed my thyroid — called Hashimotos thyroiditis — no one had ever run thyroid antibodies on me, they were sky high!
- caused my ITP
- caused my rosacea
- quite possibly disrupted my immune system enough that my body created an environment for breast cancer cells to grow (high sugars, immune disruption, just the weather tumor cells love)
- disrupted my insulin metabolism, causing metabolic syndrome, pre-diabetes, weight gain and depression.
I told Mark I would do whatever it took to get healthy. I started on vitamins, detox supplements, vitamin D, fish oil, and 5HTP. I started weaning my anti-depressant a month later. I worked with my internist, and Dr. Hyman, and increased my Armour Thyroid medication from 30 to 60 to 90 to 120 to 150 mg. (over 12 mos.) I finally felt normal! I had energy again! No more naps! Is this what I should have felt like all the years I had small kids? How long had I been running on empty?
Since 2008, I continue to see Mark twice/year. Sometimes in person, but mostly on the phone. His 2012 book, The Blood Sugar Solution, (with a companion cookbook), contains my story in the front of the hardcover book! At that point, I had lost 60 lbs from my heaviest weight. I still have more to go, but as my mercury comes down, and I eat more “cleanly”, I continue to be healthier and feel better. Food really did help heal me. And never giving up on myself was key to finding the answers to my struggle.
Thanks for visiting. Please sign up (see upper right) and follow me, you’ll get an e-mail whenever I post. I will be posting many recipes and links to other sites that I find inspiring and helpful.
Update: October 2014: My Mercury levels are almost normal. I actually had to LOWER my thyroid dose in half because… my thyroid has started functioning again! I had some chest pain in October, and we ran a lot of tests (rule out cardiac, gallbladder, etc.) Guess what? Coronary arteries? Wide open (my Dad had an MI at 49, so this concerned me as a nagging worry — no need to worry!), Gallbladder? No stones. Kidneys? Normal! The culprit? The NSAID (non-steroidal anti inflammatory) I was taking for my knee tendonitis. That and too much thyroid had given me gastritis (fast heart rate, anxiety, gastritis). All gone once I lowered my thyroid dose and stopped the NSAID. Once again, I am convinced drugs can do more harm than good. I went off it, the gastric pain stopped and PT helped my pain. The gift is knowing that my diet and exercise has resulted in a clean bill of health!
October 2015: I am down 75 lbs. from my heaviest weight. We checked my thyroid antibodies, now that I am done with chellation. They had been over 3,300 (normal is around 0-5) in 2008, and now, are only 5! My fasting insulin has gone from 29 to 12, and I want to get it below 10! (A fasting insulin of 29 makes you want to eat anything in site…). Stay tuned!
September 2017: I’ve spent the last year in school and I’m now a Functional Medicine Certified Health and Wellness Coach (FMCHWC). I graduated Sept. 10, 2017 in Dallas. Personally, I now see both Dr. Hyman and a local Functional Medicine physician who did further hormone testing on me, and genetic testing which revealed I had an inability to get energy into my cells, causing my insulin to keep cranking out (= hungry all the time). My insulin has gone down to 10.5!! I’m sleeping better and taking some new hormones for lowering my cortisol levels. My weight is stable, but I’d still like it lower. But last week on vacation, I walked 58 miles on two knee replacements. I am healthy and will hopefully continue to thrive despite getting older!!
If you read through my website and think “I can never do this/give this up/change all this” — remember, I didn’t do it in one week. It’s been a decade! Take baby steps. Make one goal at a time. And remember, putting yourself first IS putting your family first. If you aren’t well, their lives are affected FOREVER…
I would like to share a success story in ITP. Iam myself a general practitioner in India, someone known to me had this disease. His platelets stayed around 30 to 40k generally. 2 years back it suddenly dropped to 15k and slowly even lesser. Hematologist treated him with steroids and immunosuppressants and immunoglobulins which showed improvement initially but again back to low counts. He was frustrated with his illness and he was advised splenectomy as the last option left. Myself and my colleague doctor started to explore other alternative medicines..he tried a few of them without much result. We came across many itp support websites (esp pdsa.org) showing success stories using diet and supplements.. and especially Functional medicine as a cure for many autoimmune diseases, it was hope giving.. he was advised this- avoid sugar, wheat, dairy, packaged snacks, soy etc and add millets, brown rice, lot of fruits, greens, vegetables, nuts, berries. As soon as we started this his counts improved to 30k in 2 weeks, then we introduced turmeric, vitamin C, folic acid, fish oil etc and as he maintained the diet, lifestyle, Isha yoga and good sleep the counts slowly went up to 150k in 6 months and above 250k in a year. Now his counts have stabilized above 200k and doing well..thanks to all the ITP support websites, functional medicine and grace!!
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I have itp as well, and 208 for my thyroid antibodies, but my tsh and t4 are normal. I have been trying to find what I can do. I am always tired and have digestion issues as well. Thanks for your post I will look into Dr Hyman’s book.
Hi Agnes, thanks for writing! My suggestions are three-fold.
1. Absolutely get Mark’s book, Eat Fat Get Thin is his latest with the latest research
2. If you can, find a functional medicine physician in your area, (or a Nurse Practitioner) who can evaluate and look for the source of why your antibodies are high. Luckily they’re not as sky high as mine were, but nevertheless abnormal, and lets not wait around and watch them rise! 😉 There is something in you disrupting your normal immune system. Often a “normal” TSH and T4 don’t mean a lot. If you’re always tired, that’s a sign that something isn’t right.
3. I would also direct you to an excellent (but non-medical) website called hypothyroidmom.com She has a wealth of resources on how to be your own thyroid advocate, and recommended resources. I would also see if anyone is your area is a functionally trained nutritionist, they can be very helpful.
BTW, a “normal” Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody (TPOab) should be less than 35, although my lab wanted it less than 10, Mayo says less than 9. In other words, yours is a warning you may be on your way to clinical hypothyroidism. Here’s the good news: if you find out what the toxin is that has turned your body’s switch on to “attack” your thyroid, you may be able to head it off and I GUARANTEE you, if that happens, you’ll feel MUCH better! Thanks for writing and keep me posted.
You can search for a functional medicine physician in your area on their website: https://www.functionalmedicine.org/practitioner_search.aspx?id=117
THIS IS MY STORY TOO – right down to the ITC!! Now I’ve been diagnosed with gastritis AND non alcoholic fatty liver disease – in the cirrohsis stage. I’m 49! Thanks – I’ll be following your blog!!
Tammy, if you have mercury in you, I hope you are working with a physician who believes in chellation. My ITP is gone now, and my thyroid is recovering. Best of luck, and welcome to Time2thrive!
Eileen,
I needed to get a dose of REAL inspiration again and read your story. You are a rock star for me! You found the key to physical and mental health. I love that you know yourself well enough to continue on your journey of wellness whenever things don’t seem right. After all the learning will never stop… and neither will we. Best to your family
Bob A-Z
Thanks Bob, I appreciate the support! The only reason I started this was to save others from the years of struggling I experienced– if I do that, this is all worth it.
Eileen, I had no idea the last time I saw you. You are truly someone who will and is inspiring to many people out there who just want to give up, but I would like to add the one thing you have always had even in tough times is a very positve approach to things and a love of life itself. So glad to be a friend of yours. Lin
Thanks Lin! I keep plugging along!
Eilleen,
You are getting the good word out about health! Yes indeed it is about you/me- we have to advocate like you said, work with our doctors, ask good questions, do or own research, use food as our own prescription, eat for wellness and live well. As you know I am on my own path battling MS and Brin Cancer through diet. You are inspiring me to start my own blog.
Thank you for sharing your inspiring story!
Bob Andruszkiewicz
Eileen,
You are my hero! I am so proud of you. This story alone has taken so much energy and strength, courage, to bare your inner most thoughts. And to see that you are winning on all levels! I know the weight issue is within all of us ‘chubs’ but I’m glad that you went about finding out what was happening in YOUR body a healthy way.
There is no doubt that with the way food is being processed/ preserved & developed that more and more issues within all of us will being showing up.
Thank you for sharing your story. I am so happy for you
Randi, thank you so much for posting! It is scary to be so “out there” until I get feedback like yours and so many others.
hello Eileen;I was reading your story again and again .I admire you so much!
your a greatest and brave lady!
I will visit here often.
Please writer more about your story and whatever you want to share ,
They are a very valuable experience.
And I would like to read more details about your story such as when every thing came to you just like the flood ,what was your feeling and thoughts ?
take care and have nice day!
Thanks Xiner! I will write more about my thoughts, feelings and struggles as I build the site. I appreciate your comments!