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| August 2013 |
I was diagnosed hypothyroid in August 2009. I am committed to getting as well as I can and to helping others with this tiresome condition.
I'm pleased to report that I am much, much better now than I was when I started this blog and I have learned a lot along the way - still learning all the time. There were some pretty dark days but things have gradually gotten much better. It has been a strange journey in many ways as various other health challenges have presented themselves at different points - I had a hysterectomy in 2015 (for giant fibroids), have had to see an allergy specialist for multiple chronic allergies, have been Vitamin D deficient, turned out to be gluten intolerant (going gluten free helped me a lot) and seem to still have issues left over from when I had glandular fever as a teenager and dengue fever (caught in Thailand) when I was 30. And so at the moment I have concluded that not all the symptoms that I experience are thyroid related and it seems there is no single simple answer to my health conundrum. It's a good metaphor for life, I've learned that reality can often be less than straightforward but we do our best to navigate it by paying close attention and always doing the best we can.
If I can, in time I'd also like to have some impact on the medical profession and how it treats thyroid patients. I just want to make a positive difference.
With the wonderful support of other thyroid patient volunteers I managed to establish a support group in London, with the UK's only thyroid charity that works closely with and has the approval of the medical profession, The British Thyroid Foundation (BTF). This group is currently not affiliated with BTF due to some changes at the charity which we are seeking to resolve with them but in the meantime you can find details of all the meetings we have planned for the future on our new group website thyroidfriends.weebly.com
As well as writing about my own experience with thyroid disease and various random observations about life, I post updates on progress with the group here too.
Let me know if you'd like to get involved, or if you're interested in starting your own group or getting involved with one of the others around the country. The BTF website still has a few local groups listed in other parts of the country too and there is a thriving group in Milton Keynes which also used to be BTF but, like us, is currently unaffiliated.
You can also connect with me on twitter @_LorraineW. You'll see on there my interests are fairly wide ranging. As well as being someone who lives with thyroid disease and other chronic health challenges I am a mindfulness practitioner, a communications professional, a writer and occasional artist. I don't always get the balance right but I have fun with all of it, life's to short to do otherwise - right?!
*waving and smiling*
Let me know if you'd like to get involved, or if you're interested in starting your own group or getting involved with one of the others around the country. The BTF website still has a few local groups listed in other parts of the country too and there is a thriving group in Milton Keynes which also used to be BTF but, like us, is currently unaffiliated.
You can also connect with me on twitter @_LorraineW. You'll see on there my interests are fairly wide ranging. As well as being someone who lives with thyroid disease and other chronic health challenges I am a mindfulness practitioner, a communications professional, a writer and occasional artist. I don't always get the balance right but I have fun with all of it, life's to short to do otherwise - right?!
*waving and smiling*
