Issue 15  October 11th 2018

I unfortunately write this issue in the midst of a particularly bad flare up. After hitting too many flare up triggers in one day at the weekend, I was left sofa-bound, crying and in a heap of a mess. When will I learn that I can't do absolutely everything?

I shared a photo depicting my struggle on Sunday morning, on both Facebook and Instagram and was truly touched by how many of you reached out. Some sent me well wishes for a speedy recovery, some shared that they knew all too well how bad the flare ups are and perhaps most surprisingly, some thanked me for sharing my own experiences of living with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's so honestly.

I very aptly wrote a blog a few months ago (scheduled to go on my website soon) about how I worry that by sharing my own personal journey of living with a thyroid condition, it might make people think I'm not in a position to advocate for others. But as one person commented: “Thank you for being real. I become bored when I read articles from experts that look a picture of wonderful health and only talk about their past experience. But you show how hard it is for you too.”

I don’t sugarcoat living with the health conditions I have and I always promise to be authentic and honest. Although sometimes I second guess whether to post the bad parts of my health experience, I just want to show that I’m like every other thyroid patient; I have ups and downs in my health too. I don’t know many other thyroid advocates who share their own experiences so honestly and show the blips in their health as well as the successes. As well as us all aiming for optimal health, I want to also tell you that it's OK to have less than perfect health days. In fact, it's completely human.

So by meshing the knowledge I have gained through my own thyroid journey, with my own, personal experiences, I try to create something authentic and genuine with The Invisible Hypothyroidism. Informational posts mixed with personal blogs; a place that people know they are understood and made to realise that they are not alone in what they experience. And as a patient advocate, I'm not only responsible for equipping you with the tools and knowledge to get back to good health, but I'm also responsible for giving an honest and authentic experience of living with thyroid conditions.

Since day one of The Invisible Hypothyroidism, I have meshed together being a knowledgable advocate and someone still going through the journey, because it's ongoing. It's always ongoing.

Also, don't forget to enter my competition giveaway if you haven't already!

Thyroid love x