Dana's Journey Through Hypothyroidism..

Let me introduce to you the ever so smart, and amazing Dana. Her story has inspired me, and only proved how important it is to get the word out! Check out her blog for lots of great information, and of course some good reading.

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism following the birth of my first son in 2006. Low thyroid symptoms overtook my life. I was overwhelmed with fatigue. The pregnancy weight  was impossible to lose. My hair was falling out. The heels of my feet were cracked and my scalp itched. My legs were numb to the touch. Unusually heavy menstrual bleeding, chronic constipation, and constant infections plagued me. Kidney stones landed me in the emergency room. A healthy woman prior to pregnancy now I had blood levels indicating I was at high risk for a heart attack and pre-diabetic.

I trusted my doctors implicitly and followed their thyroid drug protocol to the letter never once thinking they might not know everything there was to know about hypothyroidism. I trusted them as the experts especially when I became pregnant again in late 2008. I assumed that in New York City, one of the greatest cities in the world, doctors would have all the answers.
I would later learn that my Ivy League medical school trained and top awarded doctors did not know enough about hypothyroidism, especially the dangers of hypothyroidism and pregnancy. Under their care my TSH, the gold standard for measuring thyroid function, reached levels far above the recommended range for pregnancy endangering the life of my fetus and I miscarried.

How could I have trusted my doctors unquestioningly and not taken my health into my own hands?

I graduated in 1993 with an Honors Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience from the University of Toronto with High Distinction receiving multiple scholarships and prestigious awards. I worked for several years as a high school science teacher for intellectually gifted students. At Columbia University in 2002, I obtained an M.A. in Organizational Psychology and an Ed.M. in Counseling Psychology. A distinguished Columbia University professor selected me as the team leader for his research team during the course of my studies. I was no stranger to scientific research. So why hadn’t I used my science background and research skills to learn everything I could about my thyroid disease?

After 3 years of intense research, endless hours of personal  experimentation, and a quest to find the top thyroid health  professionals, I am now in the best health ever. At the age of 40, I got pregnant naturally with my second son and gave birth to him in 2010. The time has come to share all that I have discovered.

The mission of Hypothyroid Mom is clear – to drive awareness. The Thyroid Federation International estimates there are up to 300 million people, mostly women, with thyroid dysfunction worldwide, yet over half are unaware of their condition. I have discovered scientific research that reveals the dangers of hypothyroidism and pregnancy including miscarriage, still birth, infertility, maternal anemia, pre-eclampsia, placental abruption, postpartum hemorrhage, premature delivery, low birth weight, and deficits in intellectual development in infants. The literature also links an underactive thyroid to heart disease, diabetes,  kidney disease, breast cancer, and Alzheimer’s. Despite the research connecting hypothyroidism to many of the deadliest diseases of our time, the lack of awareness is pervasive.


My blog HypothyroidMom.com launched October 2012, intentionally timed during Miscarriage Awareness Month in memory of the baby I lost to hypothyroidism and in dedication to my two boys who beat the odds and made it to the world.