Introduction!

Hello everyone, I am Brandi of Functionally Autoimmune, I am a Registered Respiratory Care Practitioner and a Health Coach for those suffering from autoimmunity. Why do I care so much about autoimmunity? Because I also have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. I like many of you suffered for many years with no answers. Being the researcher that I am I did my own investigations around my symptoms and found my own diagnosis of Hashimoto's 5 years before I was able to receive an official diagnosis from my primary care providers and specialists. I continued to change doctors and research my symptoms, I was told everything from: you have IBS just eat better and it will go away, to there is nothing wrong with me and I should be happy to be healthy. This was all devastating, When I found my own diagnosis and went to many many doctors asking for a full thyroid panel they either refused or only ordered half the panel, refusing to check my antibodies. Until one day - 5 years after I started treating myself with nutrition and supplements. We moved and I was tasked with finding another PCP, with no high hopes I made an initial appointment and went in for a check up. I told her my history and that I know I have Hashimotos but have no formal diagnosis, she said oh lets test your anitbodies to see whats going on, AHH!! its finally happening I finally found someone willing to listen. My antibodies came back high and she called to tell me I indeed have Hashimoto's. I was thrilled to be validated after all these years, thrilled to have a doctor that was going to be my partner in health and devastated to have Hashimoto's. Yes, DEVASTATED, I think I believed it for so long that once it was confirmed and on paper I wanted it to go away. I called my doctor back after my results and said "okay, what are our next steps?" she said nothing. NOTHING!! what did she mean nothing! She told me that since my other numbers were normal (based on conventional medicine values) that I did not need treatment. I was furious!!! nope I did not find a partner in my health afterall. I decided that armed with my new found diagnosis that I would attempt to see yet another endocrinologist, finally a winner! a young PA walked in the room asked me some questions, told me my labs were not where she would like to see them and suggested I start thyroid hormones and get this asked me which ones I wanted!! yep she knew I knew my stuff.. I refused anything synthetic and we agreed upon a natural option, and she agreed with my personal care plan which I had already been following for a few years at this point. While we may not be able to rid our bodies of autoimmune disease we can improve our quality of life and feel great!! This is the journey that lead me to helping those suffering and learning in many different avenues all I can about Autoimmune disease/.