Today, I thought I would get a little bit more personal and talk about my health. Most of you don’t know this, but I have Hashimoto’s disease. I was diagnosed with this around five years ago and it’s been a journey of trial and error to be where I am now. I want to talk about what this disease actually is, and why it’s so important for me to take my medications as prescribed. There are way too many people who don’t take their medication, and I want to shed some light on the importance of this!
*This post is sponsored by Walgreens, but all opinions and thoughts are 100% my own.
What is Hashimoto’s Disease?
Hashimoto’s is a chronic condition where your immune system attacks your thyroid. Your thyroid glad produces hormones that coordinate many of your body’s functions. Inflammation from Hashimoto’s often leads to hypothyroidism. This is when your thyroid gland becomes underactive.
A few of the symptoms I personally experience with this is:
- Fatigue
- Constipation
- Hair loss
- Depression
- Weight gain (that’s incredibly difficult to take off)
For me, Hashimoto’s caused hypothyroidism, so my thyroid hormone was deficient. This means, I need to take a synthetic thyroid hormone every single day for the rest of my life.
Following Prescriptions
It is really really important for me to take my medication every single day as prescribed. If I miss a few days, my hormone levels can drop, causing an imbalance in my system which is not easy to fix. It took a lot of trial and error and lots of blood work done (every other month) to make sure my levels were where they needed to be. Now that my levels are balanced, I need to keep it that way.
Nearly 100 million Americans do not follow their prescription requirements correctly – either because of forgetfulness, inconvenience or lack of education. My disease could be fatal if untreated as it can cause coma or heart problems. However with treatment, the prognosis is good.
Being able to feel my best helps me live the greatest life I can. I want to live a long, healthy life, and if that means I need to take my daily medication as prescribed then it’s absolutely worth it.
This is our wake up call. I’m so happy to be able to sponsor with Walgreens, where I get to go and pick up my prescription that keeps me as awesome as I can be! Being able to share my story and explain what is Hashimoto’s disease exactly makes me so happy!
Do you or a loved one have a chronic condition? I would love to hear your stories! Let me know in the comments below!
