the daily struggle of living with a chronic illness

I don't know about you however I can relate to each of these points. For years before I was diagnosed with my autoimmune disease I had struggled to get out of bed in the morning and it could be hours after waking up before I had the energy to get up and do something. I spent most of my days on the couch (in my pj's) binge watching TV shows. I would often have an afternoon nap and on really bad days I would sometimes even have an extra nap in the morning. Days where I had to work or attend university (in the early days) were difficult and felt long and no amount of caffeine helped the tiredness. Up until 18 months ago working full time just didn't seem possible. Some weeks I would struggle to work more that 2 days in the week and would need the rest of the week to recover. If caught the flu which often happens working around children it would take me twice as long as what it should to recover, my body would struggled to recover and I would spend even more time on the couch watching TV shows. I felt like I would never be able to work full time if those past few years had continued.

It all started to change when I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyrioditis as I found out I had also been suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome. Fatigue and exhaustion are very common symptoms of Hashimoto's Thyrioditis. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is debilitating and complex disorder characterized by profound fatigue that is not improved by bed rest and that may be worsened by physical or mental activity.

There have been 3 key ways I have focused on to try to overcome my chronic fatigue and to get my energy back:
1. By following a balanced natural diet
For the first 3 months my food plan was back to basics. It included only a palm size serve of protein twice a day, at least 5 serves of vegetables and one piece of fruit a day. Over the next 9months I was slowly allowed to reintroduce certain foods such as pasta, rice, natural sugars, flours and even a little bit of dark chocolate. Although still sticking with no dairy, gluten, refined sugar, soy or caffeine.

2. Taking vitamins and supplements (under the direction of a practitioner).
Over the last 18months I have taken countless amounts of tablets and a dozen bottles of liquids and powders all containing different supplements and vitamins help improve the function of my thyroid gland and boost energy level. Over the last 18months I have taken anywhere from 4-45 tablets a day from anywhere from once to 4 times a day. These have commonly included zinc, magnesium, chase tree (hormones), Chinese herbs, selenium, vitamins such as A, B, C
*Always consult a practitioner when taking high doses of supplements and vitamins.

3. Regular excerise
I try to exercise at least once or twice a week, either at the gym or going for a walk for around 40-60 minutes a session.

Over the last 18 months It was a slow progress at the start however now I have a lot more energy than I used to. By June 2016 I finally had enough energy to start work 3-4days a week and had gone from daily afternoon naps to only needing a nap maybe once a week. Towards the end of 2016 I finally had a full time position and was able to make it through each day at work without an afternoon nap. I do admit I still have an afternoon nap occasionally on days where my fatigue has spiked.  I still stick to my balanced diet of no gluten, no dairy, no refined sugars and no caffeine. I also still take a range of supplements on a daily basis, that change ever 2.5 months when I see my Naturopath. You can't control when your chronic fatigue will flare up and this isn't a cure but a way to manage and to help boost energy levels.

*photo credit: Thyriod Nation http://thyroidnation.com/