Thursday, August 07, 2008

Update on me - Progress August 2008

I get continued requests to update my blog with information on how I am currently doing. GREAT!!! That is why I have not spent much time on the blog or caught it up with all the details since December's posting. But I will get to it eventually.

My health continues to improve and it amazes me that I can feel any better. But I do and it is a wonderful feeling to live an abundant life. Recently I lost 30 lbs and went from a size 12 to a 6. I have not been this small in as long as I can remember. I suspect that my thyroid was an issue for many years before thyroid cancer was diagnosed. I always had issues with weight and ate less and less as time went on and worked out harder and harder but nothing fixed it. I joined weight watchers 3 times only to gain all that I lost and then some back again. Eventually you just resolve to being overweight.

One thing that I have discovered that was effecting my weight is Gluten. Gluten sensitives are very common in people with thyroid issues. Especially hashimotos folks need to watch their consumption as it has been show to increase antibody levels. So I have for the most part given up gluten. Wheat is a big issue - after consuming it within a half hour I become very sleepy and feel horrible. It just isn't worth it. So I have gone back to my gluten free ways (was GF for over 1 year). I am getting very good at baking things that taste like gluten products. It just makes it very difficult to travel.

Speaking of travel, we recently took the kids to California and spent two days in Disneyland and one day at Legoland. There was a point in my life where I would have NEVER attempted this. Both for my own issues but with two hypo kids, it would have been a nightmare. We all did great and enjoyed our time - kids first flight as well.

In 4 weeks my husband and I will leave for a 7 day Alaskan Cruise and in November I will attend the National Weston Price conference. It feels so good to have a life full of adventure again and not sleep.

I have also had requests for what I currently take in the way of supplements so I will give an updated list. Keep in mind that these have been designed for my specific needs based on lab testing so please don't think that this is the answer to all your issues. It is a constant fine tuning process. We run labs about every 3 mos on my levels. Which I am happy to report - my cancer markers (Tg) were down again for my July visit with my doctor. I am so thankful!

DHEA 5 mgs (doctors brand)
Pregnenolone 25 mgs 1/day (Research Nutrition)
C-500 4/day (Optimox)
Iodoral 50 mgs 2/day (Optimox)
Multi Mins 2/day (Biotics Research)
BioMulti Plus 2/day (Biotics Research)
Cu-Zyme 1/day (Biotics Research)
MSM Forte 2/ day (doctors brand - 1,000 mgs MSM / tab)
B6 Complex 1/day (Pure Encapsulations)
Sunny A 1/day (Kroeger Herb Products)
Conjugated Linoleic Acid 1/day (Vitamin Research Products - 1 gr / tab)
BioPro 1/day (Vitamin Research Products)
DMG Complete 4/day (doctors brand contains Folinic Acid 400 mcg, B-12 Methycobalamin, DMG Dimethylglycine 150 mg, Choline 50 mg, Riboflavin 50 mg)
1/2 tsp Celtic Sea Salt
UltraClear Plus pH 1 scoop / day as needed (Metagenics)
Methycobalamin injections 1,000 mg 2x / week
Armour Thyroid 4 grains (240 mgs)

The DMG is for a recent discovery that I have a gene defect in the MTHFR pathway. I am only just beginning to understand what this means. You can google Amy Yasko for more info. Basically that is all I know now too. My Dr is finding that many of his thyroid patients have this defect. It is genetic and common in Western European descent people.

So that's the update on me. Living life to the fullest. So much for my endo telling me that if I took Armour my cancer would return and I would probably die. It is now 2 1/2 years later and I am doing better than ever.

To your health!

Stephanie

My Final Post ..... The Ending of a Journey

It is a very strange feeling to be writing this post.  It will be the last update that I post to this blog.  The blog itself will remain up ...