My Thyroid Story

My Thyroid Story

This was me at the end of 2020. I truly thought I was doing everything right. The dreaded "COVID 15?" Not me. In fact, I was in the best shape of my life—eating nutritious foods, teaching virtual fitness classes, and feeling great. So I assumed I was pretty much immune to the major health problems that plague many people my age. But little did I know life was about to hand me a much needed reality check.

But then in the summer of 2021, I came face to face with a cancer scare. Cancer? Me? That can't be possible! But after blood tests, a thyroid scan, an ultrasound, and two biopsies, I received an official diagnosis of hyperthyroidism. According to medlineplus.gov, the symptoms of hyperthyroidism are:

  • Anxiety
  • Weight loss
  • Tremors in the hands
  • Increased heart rate
  • Puffiness
  • Bulging of the eyes
  • Difficulty sleeping

DAE3Jp6By5YOf all these symptoms, I had zero. But an ultrasound revealed six nodules on my thyroid, two of which were "suspect." Fortunately the two biopsies ruled out cancer—for now. But that could change at any moment, which means that I'll need ultrasounds and biopsies every year for the rest of my life. It got to the point where I felt like the inevitable was chasing me.

When I first received my diagnosis, I felt so frustrated and defeated. What did I do wrong? How could this happen? How can I take control of my health and prevent this invisible problem from getting worse? Medication. That's the answer I got from my endocrinologist. She couldn't answer any of my other questions. Just take this pill so your TSH increases to a "normal" level. Well, that's not okay with me. Don't get me wrong—if medication is my only option, I'll take it. But what if there is another option? 

At the time, my TSH was 0.019 mU/L (anything below 0.5 mU/L is considered hyperthyroidism). If it didn't improve, my endocrinologist planned to recommend one of two things: take medication to raise my TSH (and lower my thyroid activity) or have my thyroid removed completely and take medication that will mimic T3 and T4 hormones. So that meant I had two full months to try to tackle this myself and find option number three? Gulp.

I had been doing extensive research on the endocrine system and learned that we wreak havoc on our bodies everyday by overloading them with chemicals—through our cleaning products, laundry detergents, candles, body care products, the list goes on and on. And I was certainly guilty of using toxic chemicals freely. So what if I could improve my situation by changing my lifestyle?

This is what I started doing immediately. For starters, I purged my home of all the toxins and poisons I could think of. The only products under my sink are Thieves Household Cleaner, baking soda, and vinegar. Everything else—gone.  I threw out all my toxic candles and plug-ins and replaced them with essential oil diffusers. And I got rid of all my chemical-laden body care products—shampoos, conditioners, deodorants, lotions, gels, hairsprays...you name it. I even stopped bleaching my hair! Lastly, I am supplementing with natural products from Young Living that support thyroid health and endocrine function, specifically Thyromin capsules and Endoflex essential oil blend.

Those few shifts changed everything! After three months, my TSH levels registered as normal, and I no longer qualified for treatment at all! And in my latest ultrasound in May 2023, two of my nodules have actually shrunk!

So now I will happily share what I've learned with the world. You can reverse toxic overload! It's so simple. Just replace a few household poisons that are hiding in plain sight. I'll help you.