Sarah – Hashimotos
Hashimoto’s causes the immune system to attack the thyroid gland. Sarah lived with it for 12 years before getting diagnosed (urgh).
Meet Sarah. Back in 2009 Sarah first saw symptoms when she was a fashion buyer, working ridiculous hours (a typical go-getter), and was under a lot of stress. Twelve years later, just THIS year, Sarah was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
In 2012 she noticed a bulge sticking out of her neck, and within a week she was on the operating table to have a tumor and half her thyroid removed. Her mindset was to quickly recover, then go straight back to work. (I’ve been there too). She then had a meant-to-be a moment where she bumped into an old friend who offered her a job in the not-for-profit space. This is where her slow-paced life came in to help focus on her health.
Hashimoto’s disease affects 850,000 Australians, 1.5% of men and 7.5.% of women, including me! It’s a disorder that causes the immune system to attack the thyroid gland. The thyroid’s job is to make thyroid hormones, which are secreted into the blood and then carried to every tissue in the body. Thyroid hormones help the body use energy, stay warm and keep the brain, heart, muscles, and other organs working as they should.
Symptoms include:
- Increased sensitivity or intolerance of cold temperatures,
- Fatigue, weariness, lethargy Weakness
- Dry, rough, and/or cold skin
- Dry and brittle hair and/or hair thinning
- Constipation
- Unexplained weight gain
- Depression or low mood
- Hoarse/deep voice, slow speech
- Poor concentration / reduced attention span
- + SO much more
Ash x
Listen on Spotify, Apple podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
“I really feel like stress was one of the main contributors to developing this auto-immune condition.“
Links and resources:
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Sarah still isn’t at the end of the road of her health journey, but she is working hard to get there. She’s living in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne with her husband and two beautiful children living a nice slow paced life, looking after her body.