Thyroid Resistance Syndrome

If your thyroid levels are considered normal or on the low end of normal, but symptoms of an underactive thyroid, or hypothyroidism, are still present then Thyroid Resistance Syndrome (TRS) may be a factor. Mainstream medicine does not typically treat TRS, but doctors who treat patients with FMS know that a shot of T3, the active form of thyroid hormone, helps to relieve some resistant FM/hypothyroid symptoms such as fatigue, weight gain, cold hands and feet, constipation and bloating. At my last follow up appointment at the Rothfeld Center, my doctor suggested that TRS could be the reason that the scale has not responded to the cleanse and the detox regimen I've been following.

Sometimes I wonder if I even have a metabolism! It seems like I have to "diet" just to maintain my weight, and no matter what I do, the pounds will not come off. Dr. Rothfeld said that even though I'm already being treated for hypothyroidism, my internal furnace is not burning hot enough and may need a boost of T3 along with the T4 that I'm already taking. He asked me to take my temperature three times a day for three days to determine where to begin. I started yesterday and upon awakening, the time of the lowest body temperature, my temperature was at 97.6 - a full point below the normal 98.6!

Here's more information from the Rothfeld Center about Thyroid Resistance Syndrome:
The thyroid gland, at the base of the neck, is one of the body's largest endocrine glands, which secrete hormones into the bloodstream. The thyroid's main function is to regulate the body's metabolic "furnace" and a malfunctioning thyroid affects temperature control, weight control and the conversion of food into energy. The thyroid mainly makes the thyroid hormone T4 which is largely inactive. The production of T4 is controlled by stimulation from the pituitary hormone TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone).T4 then travels to individual cells where it is converted to the active form T3, which then travels to the mitochondria or the furnace of the cells that control metabolism.

When TSH levels go above a certain level (around 5.5) the thyroid is considered underfunctioning by conventional medicine. That's when thyroid replacement is given, mostly in the form of synthetic T4. However, there is considerable evidence that blood tests fail to detect most cases of underactive thyroid. Some people have "tissue resistance" to thryroid hormone. In other words, T4 is being produced at normal levels but it is not being converted to T3 at the cellular level. Instead, T4 can convert to a blocking hormone called reverse T3 which can slow the metabolism. Patients experience symptoms of low thyroid but are considered normal because their TSH is normal.


Lewrockwell.com lists these symptoms of low thyroid:

The classic signs of a sluggish thyroid gland include weight gain, lethargy, poor quality hair and nails, hair loss, dry skin, fatigue, cold hands and feet, and constipation – and these symptoms are relatively well known.

However, some of the conditions you might not associate with your thyroid include:

• High cholesterol
• Irregular menstruation
• Low libido
• Infertility
• Gum disease
• Fluid retention
• Skin conditions such as acne and exzema
• Memory problems
• Poor stamina

Related articles

• Giving Your Thyroid a Helping Hand (bigsexymedia.com)
• Weight Gain, Fatigue, Memory Problems? (lewrockwell.com)

5 Month Wait List for Top Fibro Doc

By the numbers, this has been an auspicious week so far. Five: the number of months I waited to see Dr. John Bordiuk at the Marino Center for Integrative Health. I finally had my appointment on Tuesday, August 2. Seven: the number of months I was on blood thinners due to blood clots in my lungs. I finally got off Coumadin on Monday, August 1 - yay! Ten: the number of students in my creative writing class for kids in fourth to sixth grade which started on Monday, August 1. I usually get mostly girls but this time I have five boys and five girls - a full class. It's been fun to see what their imaginations dream up!

Last winter when I was really in a deep, dark hole, I asked the Massachusetts CFIDS/ME and FM Association for FM doctor referrals. The top doc on their list was Dr. John Bordiuk, but they warned me that he had a long waiting list. I called his office in March and was told that he was booking new patients in July but when I finally got an appointment, it was for the beginning of August! As the start of my creative writing class approached I realized that it would be a long, tiring day for me to see Dr. Bordiuk on the same day as my class. So, I called his office to reschedule and was told that I would be put at the bottom of the list and wouldn't be able to get in to see him until January! I didn't know whether to be upset that I would have to wait another five months or be glad that he's so good that he is in such high demand. In the end, I kept my original appointment and saw Dr. Bordiuk this week.

I was surprised that he didn't ask me to fill out paperwork ahead of time for health history and a list of supplements and meds. I did the list anyway because I was sure he would want to know what I'm currently taking. When I checked in at the Marino Center, I asked if I needed to fill anything out and the receptionist said that they were all set. To be fair, my rheumatologist is also at the Marino Center and Dr. Bordiuk did have some background information on me from previous records. He knew that I was coming to see him for fibromyalgia and that I had recently had bi-lateral lung embolisms. He was very kind and patient as I told him my whole sob story. He asked if anyone had ever done a stool sample to test for yeast - a common gut problem in fibro that can cause a whole host of symptoms - and he was surprised when I said no. He was also surprised that no one had ever tested me for food sensitivities. Although I've done many special diets and cleanses to combat fibro that usually consist of no sugar, no dairy, no wheat, no alcohol, no chocolate, no caffiene, etc., I've never actually been tested to see what foods may be specific triggers for me.

The food sensitivity test was easy - a blood test to look for antibodies in reaction to over 180 different kinds of foods. The stool test means I have to poop in a cup and collect samples from different parts of the "specimen" and put it in a tube. Kinda nasty but I'll do it if I have to. Anything in the name of better health, right? Results will be back two weeks after I send back the samples. I'll keep you posted!

Soul Retrieval

With the help of my therapist, I continued my journey to balance and reintegrate those parts of myself that felt disconnected, such as my creative drive, my sense of self-worth and my personal power. My therapist suggested that a part of my soul split off when I had a terrible flare-up of fibro symptoms last fall that left me feeling like I was once again in a deep, black hole. Then I developed blood clots in my lungs on top of all that, and I've been crawling inch by inch out of the black hole ever since. The good news was that my soul had not traveled far and my therapist suggested a shamanic journey to retrieve it and reintegrate it into my body.

To begin the journey I closed my eyes and settled into a comfortable position as she drummed. Soon I saw myself crawl out of the black hole and stand on solid ground. One of my totems, Horse, came to me and offered a ride. I climbed on Horse's back and we traveled over the flat plains until we reached a hill overlooking a valley. Horse stopped and pawed the ground and I knew I had to continue on my own. I got off Horse's back and walked into a woods. I pushed back branches until I came upon a clearing with a pool of water. I recognized it as the same place I had first met my power totem, Jaguar, many years ago. Jaguar represents reclaiming your personal power, which is exactly what I needed to do now. Then I saw Jaguar walk out of the woods on the opposite side of the pool and stop to drink from the clear water. I jumped into Jaguar and the two of us became one. I could feel Jaguar's powerful muscles as he walked back into the woods. Finally we stopped on the top of a hill under the moonlight. Jaguar sat down and licked his paws.  I wondered where we would go next. I thought about the beginning of my journey and crawling out of the black hole. Jaguar told me not to look back to the pit - the past was over.

When Jaguar continued we walked through a white mist. I saw Jaguar from above and now I was riding on Jaguar's back. I could still feel the powerful muscles as Jaguar slunk through the mist. I felt pulled forward and to the left as I listened to the drumming. I remembered that this was the direction that I had shot an arrow in a previous vision. I wasn't ready to follow the arrow at the time, but now I realized that the arrow was the part of my soul that I had sent away to be safe until I was strong enough to retrieve it. I felt the presence of a young woman in white. She drew us to a clearing in the mist filled with light. I stood in the light with my arms open wide, face turned up, eyes closed. The light filled me and surrounded me. I could sense the woman, my soul, rejoin me and become part of me again. I was worried about holding onto this slippery soul but I was told that I couldn't hold onto her. A voice said: don't worry about the future or look back to the past; stand here in the moment, in the light, and if you ever loose your way again, jaguar will always show you the way back. I felt myself rising up. I saw Jaguar from above again. Jaguar got smaller and smaller as I rose higher and higher. I thanked Jaguar for showing up and for showing me the way back to myself again. Then I opened my eyes and returned to the present world.

The next morning I awoke feeling vaguely anxious. I closed my eyes and put myself back into the clearing of light. I felt calm, centered and whole again. I knew that if I ever felt disconnected or lost again, the clearing of light is there to help me recenter and balance myself.

How to Beat the Heat with FM

It's going to be almost 100° today and even higher with the heat index. Newscasters are warning folks to keep a close eye on the elderly and children who are more susceptible to heat. I would add those with fibromyalgia are more susceptible as well. We have a difficult time regulating body temperature, whether hot or cold, and extreme heat can zap our energy, leaving us with debilitating fatigue. When the temperatures rose last week, I tried to stay in the air conditioning as much as possible. I took my laptop to Starbucks to write an article that was due that day and stayed until my laptop ran out of juice. If I had thought ahead, I would have brought my cord to plug it into the outlet. Later, I went to my health club to exercise, just to be in the a/c and take a shower! Afterwards, I visited with friends who have central air conditioning. By that time, things had cooled down enough that I could go home and relax. A friend of mine who used to work as a carhop at a drive-in restaurant in Maine told me her trick - she would get her undies and bra wet with cold water and wear it under her uniform. As her body heat went up, the underwear got dry and kept her cool in the process. While everyone else ended the day wet with sweat, she ended the day dry and cool! I've never tried it, but I'm willing to give it a go this week with all the heat! 

Here are ten tips for beating the heat:

1. As I said, stay in the air conditioning as much as possible. Go to the mall or the movies if you don't have a/c at home.
2. Make your own air conditioning by putting a bowl of ice in front of your fan.
3. Drink, drink, drink! Don't wait until you're thirsty because you may already be too low on water. Water is best. Avoid coffee and tea which has caffeine and alcohol which interferes with your body's ability to fight heat stress.
4. Pull the shades down on the sunny side of the house.
5. Take a cool bath or shower - it provides amazing relief from the heat 25 times faster than cool air. 
6.  Avoid hot, heavy meals which add heat to your body. Eat smaller meals more often and avoid cooking on the stove during the hottest part of the day. My dad said cold watermelon was the food of choice when he was young (before air conditioning!).
7. Wear light weight, light colored, comfortable clothing made of natural fabrics.
8. Spritz yourself: keep a spray bottle in the refrigerator and give yourself a spray. You'll cool off as the water evaporates.
9. Stay inside as much as you can. If you have to be outside, save strenuous activities for the cooler parts of the day and take breaks in a cool, shaded area.
10. Use a buddy system to check in with neighbors or friends to make sure everyone is all right. Recognize the syptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke:  heavy sweating, paleness, muscle cramps, tiredness, weakness, dizziness, headaches, nausea and fainting. The best ways to treat heat exhaustion is by drinking fluids, resting, or taking a cool shower. If heat exhaustion is not treated, it can evolve into heat stroke, which is considered a medical emergency.

Related articles:

• Beat the heat tips - homeland security
• 23 Ways to Beat the Heat - real simple
• 10 Tips to Beat the Summer Heat - women fitness
• How to Beat the Heat - wfmz tv

28-Day Cleanse Recap

So, I finished the cleanse several weeks ago but I never reported on how it went. At first I didn't feel any differently, and I didn't lose any weight either, which was depressing. But Dr. Arora at The Rothfeld Center had me fill out a symptom questionnaire at the beginning and the end of the cleanse. My total score went down from 70-something to 50-something, so I guess it made some difference.

I've continued on an anti-inflammatory diet which means no wheat or root vegetables, no dairy and very low sugar. It also includes two protein shakes a day made with Ultra Meal Rice by Metagenics. At least I don't have to gag down those berry flavored shakes anymore. One of the shake flavors is chocolate, which actually tastes pretty good, and the other is vanilla. I add different kinds of fruit to the vanilla flavor - mango was actually very tasty. I eat six small meals/snacks a day spaced out every three hours and always have protein with each meal or snack. That means almonds are a common snack. I wouldn't say the pounds are melting away, but I've seen a small decrease on the scale.

I've read several articles claiming that a low-carb diet is the healthiest way for humans to eat since our ancestors ate mostly fruit, veggies and protein. Refined carbs and baked goods are relatively recent in our evolutionary development, and we just don't digest them or metabolize them very well. A low-carb diet lowers blood sugar and has been linked to a lower rate of cancer, too. Cancer cells feed on glucose which is sugar which is what carbs turn into in our blood stream. Here's what Preventdisease.com had to say:

A low-carb diet forces the normal cells in your body to use fat for fuel, instead of carbs. Cancer cells can't do this. They need glucose to grow. So when you limit carbs, you cut off the glucose. This limits the fuel supply to the tumors.
Plus, by limiting carbs, you reduce your body's insulin levels. This too is a good thing. Insulin is a hormone that promotes tumor growth in both humans and mice. Numerous independent studies confirm this.

So, I carry on with my low-carb, high quality protein (kinda boring) diet in the hopes that it will result in a healthier me - on the inside and out. I'll keep you posted.

Related articles

• Protein Shakes for Weight Loss Work Very Well (e-prescribe.biz)
• Operation Detox (eyesofenid.com)
• The One Life-Saving Low-Carb Secret You Never Hear About  (preventdisease.com)

Just Breathe for Balance

I've been out-of-sorts lately, still healing from the turmoil of the past year. I'm out of balance and out of touch with parts of myself, such as my creative drive, my personal power and my sense of self-worth. I knew that I needed to bring all these disparate parts of myself back into balance, but I didn't know how to go about doing that. I asked my Higher Self for direction and I received a very powerful waking vision:

I'm standing in a white room wearing a long, flowing white gown. There are four doors in front of me. Although I'm not close enough to physically open them, I open the doors with my mind, my energy. I start with the door farthest on the left. As it begins to open I wonder who I will see on the other side. But it's not a person. I see a blue sky with puffy, white clouds. I open the next door and see a pale, purple light. The next door reveals a night sky with stars and the behind the last door is black darkness. I raise my arms to shoulder height and face my palms toward the doors. The light energy from the two doors on the left go to my left hand and the dark energy from the doors on the right go to my right hand. Neither energy is good or bad, but like Yin and Yang, they are two halves of one whole. I close my palms together in a prayer position over my heart chakra to integrate the light and darkness.

Then I see a trap door in the floor in front of me. I open it and it is filled with white light. I hear a voice say, "Jump!" I hesitate on the threshold, too scared to jump through. But I gather my courage and leap into the opening. I land in a crouched position on a stone walkway, which cracks with the impact. I feel powerful and strong. I hear, "Like a cat, I always land on my feet." I stand up and there is a quiver of arrows on my back and a bow in my hand. I load an arrow, take aim and shoot. The bow turns into a bird and flies away. I'm not sure which direction to go - perhaps I will follow the arrow but perhaps not. I decide not to decide just yet. I can come back to this place when I'm ready. I hear a voice sing to me, "Breathe, just breathe..."

I shared my vision with my Dream Circle. Their advice was to follow what my vision told me and just breathe. Honestly, after fighting through a cold for the last few days, it feels great to be able to breathe freely again. Breath is life. We can go for days without food and water but only a few minutes without taking a breath. Focusing on my breath is focusing on my life. And that is the first step in truly living!

Related articles

• Rejuvenate the Mind, Body, and Spirit with Energy Healing (blogcritics.org)
• Affirmations: On Healing... (eof737.wordpress.com)
• The process of healing (healthymind-blog.com)
• Methods of Spiritual Healing (blogcritics.org)
• Go Through the Door (newcommbiz.com)

Travel Tips from the Fibro Fog

My husband and I on a helicopter tour of Kauai

Travel can be fun and exciting - but it can also be stressful. Driving to the airport, getting through security, jet lag, and getting around in unfamiliar territory can be difficult for anyone, but for someone with fibromyalgia it can be a veritable minefield of flare-ups. Any portion of the trip, even fun things like snorkeling, can deplete our energy or cause uncomfortable joint and muscle pain. My husband and I had two 5 1/2 hour plane rides on our way back home from Hawaii with a time difference of six hours. Those close encounters with all types of humanity plus the disorientation of jet lag suppressed my immune system, and I came home with a wicked cold. A few days later, I went to the Rothfeld Center and had a Vitamin C IV transfusion to boost my immune response and hopefully nip it in the bud.

Tip #1: boost your immune system while traveling with extra Vitamin C. Here's some advice on dosage from Orthomolecular:

The best way to prevent a cold is to take plenty of vitamin C. Avoiding dietary refined sugar is

Image via Wikipedia

also helpful. One popular preventive method is to take 1,000 mg of vitamin C every eight hours. If you feel a cold coming on, take 2,000 mg of vitamin C every waking hour and continue this dosage until the cold is gone. Many people successfully use even more frequent doses. If you arrive at bowel intolerance with vitamin C (loose stool), reduce the dosage by 50 percent. Taking large quantities of vitamin C lessens the duration of the cold and its symptoms. The higher the total daily dose, the better the result. 

My doctor recommended two other supplements: Thymactiv (with bovine thymus which helps to fight any acute illness by stimulating the bodies natural defenses); Transfer Factor Basics (with colostrum, a pre-breast milk substance with antibodies to protect newborns against disease, and other prime immune supporting nutrients).

Tip #2: Educate your travel companions in how to respond to flare-ups ahead of time. My husband is an engineer-type, left-brained person who likes to know what to expect before encountering a situation. We spent a good deal of time (two sessions with our couples therapist and one with my individual therapist) in strategizing how to handle flare-ups while trying to have fun in Hawaii. One important distinction for my husband was to realize the difference between trying to "manage" my condition and supporting my condition. If I want to hike to a waterfall, even though it might cause a flare-up, that is my decision to make. I can't stop living just because I have fibromyalgia! His job is to stay supportive if that activity causes me to be overtired or achy. How does he know what to do to be supportive? We decided that it is both my responsibility to tell him what I need and it's his responsibility to ask me what I need. Communication is key!

My shaky shot of a mountain goat in Kauai

Tip #3: Decide on a code word to communicate instantly when the situation becomes overwhelming. When the plane is five hours late or your luggage is lost and the situation becomes tense, you don't always have the time or energy to explain how you are feeling in that moment. A code word or phrase tells your travel companions in an instant that the situation is becoming too stressful and you need their help to cope. We decided to use "Remember the Smirking Goat" (from The Devil tarot card) as a reminder to find the humor in any unpleasant situation. But it had to be said with a big grin. I actually invoked the smirking goat after driving around in circles trying to find our helicopter tour and it helped us both to calm down and enjoy the ride - literally! Then the coolest thing happened - while swooping through a valley in the helicopter, our pilot spied some mountain goats and hovered over them for a closer look. I snapped a quick, blurry photo, but I knew that the smirking goat had showed up to remind us to have fun, no matter what flare-ups, fights or problems arose.