Hypothyroidism Caused Serious Problems for My Body and My Mind

As told to Jacquelyne Froeber

January is Thyroid Awareness Month.

“Have you noticed some asymmetry in your neck?” my friend asked.

As physicians, we didn’t usually spend our off time looking at abnormalities on each other, but she was right. The right side of my neck was slightly more swollen than the left.

Luckily, my sister is an endocrinologist, so I made an appointment to see her the next day. She did an ultrasound and found nodules on my thyroid. She didn’t think they were cancerous, but I needed a biopsy to be sure. When the results came back, I was relieved to find out that I didn’t have cancer, but the endocrine surgeon recommended that I have the nodules removed along with part of my thyroid. That way, I wouldn’t have to worry about screening and getting biopsies every year.

I agreed with the surgeon, and I wasn’t too nervous about the surgery. I’d had surgery on my spine a few years earlier, so the thyroid procedure seemed pretty minor in comparison.

The procedure went as planned and by all accounts I had a clean bill of health and my thyroid levels were in check, but I felt terrible. I had zero energy and I was sluggish — like I was moving in slow motion.

“I just need more sleep,” I told myself. But it didn’t matter how much sleep I got, I never woke up feeling refreshed or energized like I did before I had the surgery.

And it wasn’t just my body. I didn’t realize it at first, but a fog had settled into my brain, and it was clouding my thoughts and memory.

It started out small — forgetting a word or a phrase or why I walked into a room — and then I forgot an appointment with a patient. I was dumbfounded when I realized my mistake. I’d never done that before, and I knew something was seriously wrong.

I went in for blood work and my sister told me to get a thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibody test, which isn’t part of routine blood work. The presence of the antibodies could mean Hashimoto’s disease — an autoimmune condition that affects the thyroid and slows down metabolism which can cause a wide range of problems including fatigue. Sure enough, I had TPO antibodies and was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease.

If I hadn’t been so drained, I would’ve jumped for joy. I was so relieved — and so thankful to my sister — that I had an answer for why I was feeling so bad and I could start moving forward.

Even though I am a physician, I was new to hormone problems and I had no idea how important your thyroid is or the many ways hypothyroidism can harm your health.

For one, my blood work showed raised LDL cholesterol levels — the “bad” cholesterol. Those few months of being too tired to workout or eat right had a serious impact on my health. I have a family history of heart disease, so I knew that if I wanted a long and healthy life with Hashimoto’s disease, I’d have to make some lifestyle changes.

I learned that Hashimoto’s is affected by inflammation, so I started by changing my diet in favor of more foods with anti-inflammatory properties. That meant shopping the perimeter of the grocery store and filling my cart with more fresh produce and less processed foods. I made meals and snacks ahead of time so when I was stressed or tired from a long day at work, I’d have something nutritious waiting for me, which was a big change from just grabbing fast food or something random when I was hangry. That’s not to say that I didn’t have an occasional donut in the break room — they’re too good — but once I started cutting back on sugary and fried foods I saw an increase in my energy.

Like many people with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s disease, I also started taking medication to supplement the thyroid hormone I wasn’t making.

After about three months of medication, diet changes and meditation, I was feeling like my old self again. My energy was up and I was able to move more. I started walking everywhere and leaving weights around the house so when I saw one — I picked it up and did a set. (If I’m a little out of breath when we talk on the phone — you know why.)

It’s been about eight years since my thyroid surgery, and I’m still eating clean and moving as much as I can. When I start to feel overwhelmed or drained I meditate — no matter where I am — and do a few minutes of breath work. It helps keep me mindful and calm and clear in my thoughts.

Now that I’m in my 50s, I have to remind myself that fatigue, brain fog and forgetfulness are also signs of perimenopause and menopause. But anyone experiencing these symptoms can ask a healthcare provider for a TPO test. My routine blood work was fine so if I hadn’t asked for the test, who knows how long it would’ve been before I found out I had Hashimoto’s disease.

Hashimoto’s can disrupt your entire world but you can get your brain and your energy back. For me, taking medication, testing my hormone levels regularly and making lifestyle changes helps me manage the disease.

Of course, I still forget things from time to time, but I know that’s normal — not Hashimoto’s.

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