Meet Helen, my patient.
Two years ago, Helen (out of respect for her privacy, my patient’s real name has been changed to Helen) was a 38-year-old female who had been trying to conceive for over three years. About three years prior to us meeting, she had gained 30 pounds in three months without increasing her food intake. She dieted, but felt exhausted and frustrated most days.
Helen started doing research on the internet and read about people who had trouble with infertility, weight gain, and fatigue. Oh, how she could relate! She wanted guidance and expertise. She called up her primary care physician and set up an appointment.
She told him the exciting news, that she thought she’d figured out what was wrong with her. And she was there to get his feedback, some acknowledgement, and perhaps a cure. The doctor told her that she was depressed because she was unable to conceive, that he thought she was looking for thyroid medication to lose weight, and that she should try and go on a diet instead. He never drew her blood to have it checked, he sent her out of the office, and she felt ashamed and devastated.
Then, Helen came to see me. She told me the story and I was horrified! She then had her blood work done (through another medical doctor) which confirmed that she did indeed have thyroid disorder. She was put on medication and continued to work with me. We looked at how she was eating, sleeping, exercising, pooping, and worked on all of those habits. I also gave her nutritional and botanical support in the form supplements. She was pregnant within four months of starting this new regime.
Helen is now enjoying her son. She is no longer depressed; she was worried she would be after giving birth, but we gave her lots of nutritional support to prevent that from happening. She is happy and has energy, and the baby weight has been coming off.
Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon experience for patients with underactive thyroid. I have had patients who were given anti-depressants, offered IVF, told to lose weight (with absolutely no instruction on how to do so), were given a statin drug to lower cholesterol, and given Rogaine to regrow their hair– where the underlying cause of their distress was thyroid disorder. If you are feeling distressed and frustrated, trust that there is another way!
Dr. Patricia Pimentel Selassie, New Flower Medicine
BNI Confidence 