Amberlyn's Intro

[Guest guest]

Hello all,

I heard of your list from the Iodine list. I was thrilled to find a group

that focused on what I have been going through. Here's my story:

A couple of years ago this past fall, I had an unexpected thyroidectomy

due to a sub-sternal goiter suspected of being malignant - it wasn't -

but nevertheless, I was thrown instantly into a hypothyroid condition and

put on Synthroid. Then my hormones - all of them - went absolutely crazy.

As soon as I was able, I started searching and found a thyroidectomy

support group, where I learned of virgin coconut oil, and then, on the

Tropical Traditions web site, I learned of Sally Fallon and Enig,

and their book, Nourishing Traditions. Today I follow the

guidelines of the Weston A Price Foundation very closely (they are very

similar to The Schwarzbein Principle), and am a WAPF chapter

leader here in Rochester MN.

After I cleaned up my diet to eat only Real Food, I looked to the

medicines I was taking and sought out more natural drugs. I had a total

hysterectomy in '82, and had been on Premarin since then. I was fortunate

to find Dr Lynn Shuster at the Mayo Clinic who worked with BHRT, and

changed from Premarin to Estradiol under her watch. I had fortunately

read Lee and others and so had started on natural progesterone

first. It's been about 9 months, and I am only now beginning to feel

normal again - almost. I am also currently using a compounded

progesterone.

During this time, Dr Shuster, at my request, prescribed Armour for me, so

I was able to drop the Synthroid. Unfortunately, Dr Shuster then turned

my thyroid care over to my internist, who had initially refused me the

Armour. I have had to push and badger her, but finally my internist is

listening. She upped my Armour to 2 grains before Christmas without a

blood test, but rather based everything on my symptoms!! I have a blood

lab scheduled for Monday to check all these hormones. And my Vitamin D

levels (she's afraid I am going to overdose on CLO - Ha!)

I am currently Iodine loading with Iodoral. I started loading on

Christmas Eve, and have been diligent taking two Iodoral with my split

Armour dosage. I had just started increasing the Armour, but then decided

to do a salvia test for cortisol before going too far. With the iodine,

my thyroid symptoms are slower to manifest, so hopefully I will get my

cortisol results back from ZRT before they do. I would like to step up

aiding my poor adrenals, who are carrying a big load right now, but want

to see what they are doing first.

It's been an interesting journey... and I have had to be patient. After

30 years on Premarin, my body was accustomed to to the drug, but I was

determined. It felt like I was going through detox at times. I am happy

to say that now, at 60, I am OFF all pharmaceuticals.

It is said that we learn best from adversities, and so it would seem. I

don't know if I would have found the BHRT without the thyroidectomy that

pulled the rug out from under me. <sigh> My biggest issue is that

my doctors will not monitor the whole system. Each thinks she can balance

the 3-legged stool alone, so I use them to prescribe and order tests, and

meanwhile, I monitor - or coordinate the monitoring of the endocrine

system myself.

Amberlyn