Managing my Autoimmune Thyroid Disorder

I am sick. I live with a chronic illness. I seldom talk about it.  Most people don’t know. You wouldn’t know by looking at me. You wouldn’t know by talking to me.

I strive to live life in the present moment. In this present moment I am healthy.

My illness is always there. The fear of falling into a downward spiral is always there. Managing my symptoms is a daily task.

I have an autoimmune thyroid disorder. This disease once overtook my life. I lived this disease. At times I was so fatigued I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t run a mile. At times I couldn’t get out of bed. Anxiety consumed me. My life was clouded by depression. I numbed my emotions with food. I was overweight. I was unhappy.

I didn’t know there was any other way to live. I didn’t know what it felt like to feel alive.  I didn’t know what it felt like to truly live.  

Facing my disease head-on

My body gave out and it forced me to wake up. It forced me to take a hard look at my life.  It forced me to look at what I was putting into my body. It forced me to evaluate if the stress in my life was worth it.  It forced me to ask the question: was I happy with the life and career I had constructed for myself?  It forced me to stop living in the confines I had put on myself.These lessons. This journey. The hardships. I wouldn’t trade them for anything.  

What I’ve learned is that life doesn’t just happen. We may not have control over everything, but what we can control is how we choose to live in this moment. How we live right now.

We can peel back and dive deep into the layers of our lives.  We can look at if the food we are putting into our bodies is truly serving us.  We can ask ourselves the tough questions and start to make changes or we can ignore it all and continue to live half awake.  

Learning to surrender and thrive

When we begin to take care of our bodies. When we begin to dive deep and stop pretending. The essence of who we truly are begins to come alive. The beauty of life begins to appear.

If you’re ready to see the beauty of life that awaits you, it starts with surrender. It starts with asking for help. It starts with prioritizing your health.  

What would your life look like if you lived even a little more authentically?  It’s worth asking.  It could be the beginning of something beautiful.

xo
-K