Expat Magazine

I Have Hashimoto's Disease

Posted on the 21 December 2011 by Ladyexpat
I had a follow-up appointment with an internal medicine doctor today.  He's head of his department and a very good doctor.  He told me I have Hashimoto's Disease, which is an autoimmune disease where my immune system attacks and eventually kills my thyroid.  Thankfully, I do not have Lupus.  As far being borderline on the anti-cardiolipin tests, he is running that again and is checking my T3 and T4 levels, doing a complete blood count, checking protein levels in the urine, and a few other tests including an ultra sound of my thyroid.  I go back to see him in January.
I'm still trying to take this all in.  I honestly didn't even know where my thyroid was until this past weekend.  I'm not very medical savvy to say the least.  Your thyroid is below your Adam's apple.  Thankfully, if this disease kills my thyroid and it no longer functions, I can be on thyroid replacement medicine to keep my body functioning.  That's the good news.  The bad news is that every 6 months I need to go and have my thyroid levels checked or if I start having certain symptoms such as fatigue, hair loss, weight gain, and insomnia.  I already battle insomnia and fatigue quite a bit which is not surprising.  When you can't sleep you tend to be more fatigued.
I'm praying now that my anti-cardiolipin levels turn out normal.  If they are not, then there's a good chance I have a blood clotting disorder as well.  There are several names for this: Hughes Syndrome, Sticky Blood, and Antiphospholipid Syndrome - APS.  Sadly, I have a few of the main symptoms of this disease - multiple miscarriages and headaches/migraines.
The cause of my miscarriages could be from a few things: thyroid problems, APS, or possible bad luck.  Thyroid problems can cause miscarriages and sometimes thyroid problems occur in women after they have their first child.  Since we now know I have a thyroid problem and have had two miscarriages, my doctor recommended that I see the following specialists: Endocrinologist (for future problems, I need to go ahead and find one), Maternal Fetal Specialist (for any future pregnancies), and continue to see an internal medicine doctor.  
I'm also wondering how many women who develop PUPPPs during pregnancy or after giving birth have an autoimmune disorder.
If you know anything about Hashimoto's Disease or any other thyroid problems or blood clotting disorders, please let me know how you're coping with it.  I hope you all have a blessed day.

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