When I was feeling strong, I could actually raise my arms above my shoulders, or lift my head off a pillow—Definitely not the standard I was used to. My mouth was affected more than anything else, and it was years before I smiled fully again (but I did)!

While the answers to your woes may not come from your doctor or your thyroid hormone medication, you can still liberate yourself from the confines of standard prescription and regain influence on your Hashimoto's health care.

He has had one medical setback after another since his birth which precipitated visits to multiple specialists. At each specialist appointment, my “mom radar” always kicked in and I would ask, “Does this have anything to do with my autoimmune issues?” Amazingly, each specialist responded with a resounding “no.”

Ultimately, lupus opened doors I never thought possible, and gave me chances I never saw coming. It has been quite an evolution. Once a scared twenty-something, I am now a soon-to-be forty-something with a growing wisdom and appreciation for the things that count.