Taking the first step into holistic medicine was a large leap for me. I was not raised in the stereotypical “natural” households where we shunned deodorant or ate only what we grew. My youth was a traditional one -- we went to the doctor, his word was law and the medicines we took were mandatory. But as an adult, I was continually hearing about natural healing and wondered, do I need to go this route? What are the benefits? Why isn’t traditional medicine helping me completely with my medical issues? What kind of reaction will I get from friends and family?
But, my medical issues are my own. And when, several months ago, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, a condition in which your thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormones, I knew the medicine my MD prescribed was not enough. I knew that I needed to be doing more to restore my body to whole. And I learned that “natural” and “holistic” do not mean the “crunchy,” “granola” way of life I believed in my youth.
I started with research - what is natural medicine and how would it benefit me? I borrowed books from my friend including I’m Too Young for This, a great foundation for those seeking information on hormone and thyroid issues, written by Suzanne Somers, and Grain Brain by David Permutter, MD. These books gave me the confidence to walk the line between traditional medicine and natural medicine, and showed me how food plays an integral part in healing for many.
From there, I took the recommendation from this same (helpful, lovely) friend and found a local integrative care group. They took a myriad of tests and provided me with answers… my hypothyroidism is caused by Hashimoto’s, an underlying autoimmune disease. They prescribed a protocol which included prescription medicine as well as supplements to treat the deficiencies in my body that went along with Hashimoto’s.
For various reasons, things did not work out with my integrative healthcare group. I needed to change to a practitioner who would spend time with me, answer my questions and provide me the help I need as I need it. So I took my labs, my research and my desire to get better to Dr. Robert Truax at TRU Integrative Health & Wellness. Going forward, I am going to blog about my path to wellness. From what I have learned and accepted as I have become proactive about my health, there is no quick fix to Hashimoto’s - not via mainstream medicine or holistic medicine. Hard work takes time and I need to resolve to be patient and intentional if this is going to work. The blog will be anonymous, for confidentiality reasons, but it will be a nonetheless truthful account of me taking my health into my own hands. I encourage you to do the same.
**This blog has been posted to GrowHealChange, the blog of TRU Integrative Health & Wellness, on behalf of one of their patients. This patient wishes to remain anonymous.
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