Kavita, 40 from Mumbai shares what a day in her life with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and Fibromyalgia looks like, her diet and exercise routine, and how she deals with the flare ups.
Mornings : My mornings start at 6am and as soon as I wake up I take my Thyronorm 50mg. A few minutes later, I take my Homeopathic medicine (which I have recently started). By 6:30 am, I am dressed and ready to head to the Gym. I make sure my gymming is done in the morning time so my evenings are free for my kids. Exercising has become an essential part of my day. I try to go to the Gym minimum 5 days a week; 3 days are allotted to weight lifting and 2-3 days for power-yoga and kickboxing. I have two separate trainers who work with me on different days so that I get a full body workout mixed with various types of cardiovascular exercises.
I work out on an empty stomach and have breakfast only when I get back. Breakfast typically includes an avocado and coconut milkshake and some papaya if I am still hungry. Occasionally, it’s dosa (rice pancake) with coriander chutney. After I drop off my kids to school, I get ready and head to work by 9am. I am an entrepreneur and work with my sister. This gives me the flexibility of staying at home on bad days.
A bad day for me includes one when I have extreme fatigue or when my fibromyalgia flares up with aches and pains all over my body. On such days, I find it very difficult to even get out of the house. I make sure I take supplements (vitamins, calcium, magnesium and selenium) on such days just to power through but going to work is avoidable. I have trouble concentrating and feel excessively tired. My Fibromyalgia came on soon after my Hashimoto was diagnosed in January 2019. It has gotten progressively worse.
Afternoons : By afternoon time, my sweater has come out of my bag because I do feel cold especially with the A/Cs on. Sensitivity to changes in temperature is another symptom I face. I carry homemade lunch and avoid eating out. Lunch consists of roti (made of arrowroot and coconut oil) and vegetable curry (except night shades such as eggplants, tomatoes and potatoes). I have been following the Autoimmune paleo diet (also known as the Paleo autoimmune protocol or AIP) since March in hopes of reducing inflammation and losing weight. As per the diet, I also avoid processed foods, sugar, nuts, grains and legumes like chickpeas, kidney beans and lentils. White rice is okay from time to time. All my food is now cooked in ghee as use of refined oil has completely stopped.
I started this diet because I found that gluten and dairy products were giving me a lot of bloating, gas and stomach cramps. I would often wake up with a sore throat and hoarseness the next morning. My face and fingers would be swollen and puffy. The AIP diet has definitely reduced my symptoms caused by food but my antibodies are still raised.
Click to read more lived experiences of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis
Evenings : I get home between 3:30 to 5 pm from work. This time is designated for my children till I put them to bed around 8:15pm. If I do feel hungry, I snack on fruit or dhokla (steamed lentil cake). Additionally, instead of having tea/coffee, which is known to be inflammatory food, I sip on warm water with turmeric and black pepper 2-3 times a day.
Night-time : Dinner is similar to lunch with a chicken curry or sabudana khichidi. I make sure to drink lots of water and moisturize my skin at night because I do have dry skin. If I don’t moisturize, I do get intense itching and flaking of skin. I avoid staying out till late especially on weekdays; all social calls are reserved for weekends. However, I don’t fall asleep till almost midnight. I get about 6 to 61/2 hours of sleep but my quality of sleep is not great. I have had my battles with insomnia too.
Since my diagnosis of Hashimoto, it has been an uphill climb. There are various symptoms that I am constantly trying to manage and deal with. Most are manageable and I have figured out how to handle them. However, some have changed me and are difficult to control. For instance, my husband will tell you that I’m constantly in a bad mood. I am still trying to figure the right disease management protocol. I am now trying homeopathy and various food group combinations to see what suit me best.
There are good days and bad days but every day is a new and hopeful one!
