Eureka!

Two and a half weeks behind schedule, I am pleased to give a new result: My cortisol levels are on track!

My previous cortisol load on 10/20/10 was 56 (23-42 nM). My current result from test date 1/5/11 is... 33! How did that happen?!? I was absolutely sure I was still so off kilter that I kept putting the darn test off for days! The little graph that comes along with the results has me in the "gray" (desired) zone all day long.

Here's a snapshot of my October lab sheets:

No matter how shocked I am, I can't argue with progress. Here's the improvement:

That's my bit of good news. As a reward, I get to stop taking my Adaptocrine capsules all-together. (One down!) I also get to decrease my usage of the yellow Adrenacalm lotion that smells like B vitamins. I was putting it on 3 times a day (most days)...but now I'm down to once a day. I asked Dr. Matthews how this test can be right when I don't feel like my adrenals are functioning properly yet... He essentially told me to just keep truckin', that it's working. Ok. I will.

Since my last post I've (again) fallen prey to the chocolate monster. It was my daughter's birthday, and we ordered gluten free chocolate cupcakes. 15 of them. I think I had about 4 over the course of the week. And dark chocolate almonds found their way into my TJ's basket again, too. No more gingersnaps, though, so yay me.

During this time I was invaded with a virus that left me with a red nose, watery eyes, coughing, and sneezing. That stinking cold had me in it's grips for 9 days. About 2 or 3 days were particularly bad- Anthony said he's never seen me with a cold like that... I think he's right. (Once I had the flu 4 years ago, and I haven't been that ill-feeling since- even though these symptoms were different.) It's a good thing I never get sick- I can behave like a big baby. During this virus though, I took an over the counter potion. Not sure how well they fare in my doctor's eyes, but I certainly felt like I needed to sleep without keeping the whole house up with my coughing. I used CVS's Multi Symptom Night-time syrup about 2 or 3 of the days when it was at it's worst. Toward the end I finally had a joke of a fever (100.4) and that seemed to do the trick in ridding me of the mess. I didn't workout for about 9 days. I was coughing too much to purposely increase my work of breathing. I bet it was RSV from some child I took care of in that petri dish I work in.

Since you've got to make lemonade out of lemons, the "good thing" that came out of me having a cold was that I could not taste. So, for about 5 days I didn't have to taste those garlic-y capsules that are killing those parasites in my gut. That was absolutely a praise report. The sequel to that praise report is that TOMORROW IS THE LAST DAY OF THEM!!! Woot woot!! Dr. Matthews gave me another stool test kit to retest for those suckers. I will be doing that the very next day, and boy...They had better be gone.

All in all I can't complain. I feel fine now, even after spending yesterday in the Appalachian mountains with the family, skiing.



After 7 hours of my legs being in that position...I was regretting not being in the gym last week preparing my legs for the upcoming soreness! My calf muscles are sore, but suprisingly my upper legs are fine.

We ate dinner at this awesome restaurant in Boone, NC. It's called the Hob Nob Farm Cafe. They use their own organic produce, locally grown fresh fruits and veggies, grass fed beef, nitrate free bacon, no HFCS, gluten free options, pastured chicken and eggs... etc! We loved it so much, we went back for breakfast!

This was my Hashimoto's friendly breakfast...with coffee and coconut oil. Funny story. We used our own coconut oil, and when the waitress came to top off our coffees, she thought something was in her coffee pot making it all oily looking. She was very cute.

I know, it's just a picture of bacon, eggs, and sweet potatoes...but I think it's much better than that. The fact that this wasn't my home...but a restaurant...that served local pastured eggs, nitrate free bacon, and organic sweet potatoes makes it so much nicer.

I'd like to share something with you all. The CrossFit I go to is currently the feature story in the magazine Charlotte Health and Fitness (CHF Monthly). It's not even out in hard copies yet. It's a great read- here it is. I encourage you all to try your local CrossFit, as it is so important to our overall health, Hashi's or not.

Secondly, in the same magazine ironically enough, is another great read. Seems that Hashi's treatments are spreading- the word is getting out. I read through the article, very pleased that it was accurate in it's thyroid info, (as so many things are not...) and at the end, guess what? He's yet another Chiropractic Internist. Where are the Endocrine MDs or other medical doctors in general? Do they see that this stuff is working? I answer that with something that my doc told me. In the next couple weeks there may be some endocrine doctors that will meet with Dr. Matthews to review what he has learned. One of them even read Dr. K's book. "I just don't know what to do with these patients," is what one doctor said. "Their numbers look fine, but they keep coming in with these symptoms." While this is very exciting for credibility reasons, I am not holding my breath for their all-in ness. I just really don't see doctors writing recommendations for glutathione cream, porcine glandulars, and other natural supplements that help get our systems back on track. If anything, I hope they see the enormity of the damages of gluten and strongly recommend that and other dietary changes. Maybe even refer out to a holistic treatment plan?! Who can guess.

I hope to see where my antibody numbers are again soon. Maybe he will give me a slip at my next appointment? Here's hoping! I've been hearing more and more of the dairy cross reaction issues. (Where dairy can behave similar to gluten in some people.) With all the milk chocolate I was eating around the holidays, I hope I'm not one of them. Sometimes it feels like my bubble is getting smaller, but if I find it's gotta go (completely), it's gotta go.

With that I will say goodnight. I hope you are all well!

Cheers!

P.S. A few of you are my Facebook friends and write comments to these posts on my wall in FB land. I really hate losing your comments in the daily FB shuffle. I wonder if comments/questions could be written here on the blog? That would be a more awesome way to keep track of this journey, and help me keep things together. I appreciate it! :)