Hashimoto

Ashley just turned 12 years old in January. In fact, her birthday and Ahren's birthday are the same, 11 years apart. They were born within minutes of each other in the afternoon. Fate? Destiny? Coincidence? Whatever it is, I think it's wonderful. Ashley refers to Ahren as her mini-me. How cute is that!

Ashley has Hashimoto's disease. Although she has had it for several years, the diagnosis was only confirmed this summer. Hashimoto's disease is an auto-immune disorder where her body is attacking her thyroid gland. Her thyroid is enlarged and has many nodules. The thyroid hormone that her body makes is inactivated by the antibodies her body is producing. The thyroid hormone is very important for metabolism and overall hormone balance in the body. Because hers is not functioning she is lethargic, gains weight, has trouble focusing and a host of other less-than-desirable symptoms. The treatment consists of giving her synthetic hormone to replace the hormone her body inactivates. Her antibodies do not detect the synthetic version so it can act on the body normally. Her dose is slowly being raised until she reaches a point where she feels and acts normal and her thyroid gland begins to shrink back to it's normal size. She has already started to show signs of improvement and is super excited to be feeling better and having more energy.

Why am I being so open about my daughter's medical condition? Because I knew something was wrong and the doctors wouldn't listen to me. She is my child. I know her so well and I knew something was not right. We had her tested several times but the thyroid levels would come back normal and they would dismiss it. They told her she ate too much, she was not active enough, she was depressed, etc etc. They even sent her to a nutritionist. (It turns out that the standard thyroid tests always turn out normal for Hashimotos patients because the thyroid is making the hormone. It's just that antibodies de-activate it.) I saw my little girl losing her self-confidence. Being hurt because someone teased her and called her fat. I saw my little girl, who had always been the entertainer and life of the party become more and more withdrawn. I vowed that I would not quit until we found the answer. This summer I found a female endocrinologist in Houston. I called and made an appointment and we went. I made them listen to me. The first thing they did was a scan of her thyroid and that is when they realized how enlarged and full of nodules it was. Totally abnormal for an 11 year old girl. The rest is history. My little girl is on track to being her old self again. She will take medication for the rest of her life, but will feel and act totally normal. So parents, if you think something is wrong, trust your instincts. We know our children better than anyone. If they don't listen, go somewhere else. I wish I had a lot sooner.