Mary J. Shomon - Living Well with Autoimmune Disease: What Your Doctor Doesnt Tell You...That You Need to Know

I would like to acknowledge my husband, Jon Mathis, who provided tremendous support, advice, and assistance. Without his love and support, this book would not have been possible. I also want to thank my daughter, Julia, who was very patient while Mommy was making a book.

Special thanks to family, friends, and supporters who provided love, support, assistance, patience, and encouragement along the way, including Dan Shomon, Sr.; Pat Shomon; Dan Shomon, Jr.; Barbara and Russell Mathis; Jeannie Yamine; Michele Abdow; Julia Schopick; Angela Cannon; Sandy Levy; Kate Lemmerman, MD; the Momfriends list; Ric and Diane Blake; Genevieve Piturro and Demo DeMartile; Elizabeth Mensah-Engmann; Rosario and Ana Quintanilla.

For top-notch research, writing, Internet, consulting, and technical help, I am very thankful for the assistance of Sheila Ali-Oston, Kim Conley, Willow Curry, Dale Dermott, Laura Horton, Jody La-Ferriere, Beth Weise Moeller, Louise Shapiro, Sarah Vela, and Vickie Queen.

This book would not be a reality without my agent, Carol Mann, and my editor at HarperCollins, Sarah Durand, who both helped guide its direction and were a joy to work with on this project. I also want to include special thanks to Gail Ross of the Gail Ross Literary Agency.

Special thanks go to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) and its founder, president, and executive director, Virginia T. Ladd, RT, and chairperson of AARDAs Scientific Advisory Board, Noel R. Rose, MD, PhD, who are truly inspirational pioneers in the effort to better understand autoimmune diseases and help those who suffer with these conditions.

I offer my gratitude and appreciation to the experts, practitioners, and organizations who generously contributed time, information, and ideas, or agreed to be interviewed for the book, including Eric Berg, DC; David Brownstein, MD; Kim Carmichael-Cox; Tracee Cornforth; Phylameana lila Dsy; Laura Dolson; John V. Dommisse, MD; Carol Eustice; Richard Eustice; Richard Dr. Rich Fogoros, MD; Gillian Ford; Paula Ford-Martin; Veronica Froman; Larrian Gillespie, MD; Rick Hall, MS, RD; Ronald Hoffman, MD; Leonard Holmes, PhD; Donna Hurlock, MD; Phyllis Jacobs; Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa; Mary Kugler, MSN, RN, C; Virginia T. Ladd, RT; Stephen Langer, MD; Lisa Lorden; John C. Lowe, DC; Gina Honeyman-Lowe, DC; Andrea Maloney Schara, LCSWA; Dr. Chuck Meece; Joseph Mercola, DO; Don Michael, MD; Viana Muller, PhD; Michael Phillips; Debra Pozen; Gary Presley; Christina Puchalski, MD; Patrick Purdue, DOM, AP; Carol Roberts, MD; Noel R. Rose, MD, PhD; Marie Savard, MD; James Scheer; Sherrill Sellman; Karilee Halo Shames, RN, PhD; Richard Shames, MD; Melissa Stppler, MD; Alan Tillotson, PhD, AHG, DAy; and Amber Tresca. Thanks also go to the many autoimmune disease patients who generously contributed their stories and experiences.

And, finally, thanks to the millions of women and men who struggle daily with autoimmune diseaseswho keep trying to get the right diagnosis and treatment, who keep getting out of bed despite the pain, who keep going to work despite the fatigue, and who keep inspiring their friends, families, and colleagues. Your sheer courage, strength, and ability to persevere have inspired me, and I can only hope to return the favor in some small way.

W hen I was first diagnosed with hypothyroidism, I didnt have any idea what or where the thyroid was, or what it actually did. My doctor phoned to let me know that my thyroid was a little underactive, called in a prescription to the pharmacy, and that was the extent of the diagnosis and treatment. Months after I began thyroid hormone replacement, I was still struggling with continuing symptoms. My hair was falling out and clogging the drain. I was waking up each morning with sore and achy joints and muscles. Just a few hours of typing on the computer would set off a major attack of carpal tunnel syndrome in my forearms and wrists. My eyes became scratchy and my vision blurry due to dryness. My hands and feet frequently tingled and went numb.

I decided to find out more about my condition and read a book from the 1970s explaining that the main cause of hypothyroidism was actually an autoimmune disease called Hashimotos thyroiditis. The book offered little insight into the causes and treatment for this condition. All it suggested was that having one autoimmune disease could increase the risk of developing other autoimmune conditions. The prospect of having one poorly understood condition was frightening and was made far worse by the idea that I was also at higher risk for lupus, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, or worse.

I asked my doctor to refer me to an endocrinologista specialist in endocrine diseases. When I consulted with the endocrinologist, I asked her if I could be tested for Hashimotos thyroiditis. We could do that, she responded, but whats the point of spending the money? Because the fact that your hypothyroidism may be caused by an autoimmune disease is not going to change anything. But the truth is, my hypothyroidism was ultimately caused by an autoimmune diseaseHashimotos thyroiditis. And that does change everything.

It changes the way I should eat. The symptoms I should monitor more closely. The vitamins, minerals, herbs, and supplements I should take. The types of doctors I should visit. The ways I should manage stress. Even the water I should drink. And it changes the way I should feed my young daughter and care for her health now to protect her in the future.

Thats why I wrote Living Well with Autoimmune Disease. Because autoimmune disease does matterand because we need to know more.

Variations of my story are repeated every day when a patient with autoimmune thyroid disease wonders, as I did, if the tingling and numbness are actually signs of impending multiple sclerosis. Or when the woman with lupus asks how she got the condition and is offered nothing more than a shrug of the shoulders from a doctor. Or when a person with Sjgrens syndrome worries that the dry eyes and mouth are a harbinger of other autoimmune diseases to come but is told theres nothing that can be done to prevent them, so why worry. Or when a pregnant woman wonders whether her baby will be at greater risk of developing an autoimmune disease someday.

But for most autoimmune diseases, the best that medicine can do is keep some of the symptoms at bay. The root cause of the condition, or any potential to cure the autoimmune disease, is rarelyif at alladdressed. And that means you may ultimately feel afraid.

Afraid because once the immune system has turned on you, you may start on a seemingly downward health spiral characterized by development of other autoimmune conditions.

Afraid because multiple autoimmune conditions are frequently accompanied by dramatically worsening allergies, heightened chemical sensitivities, hormonal imbalances, and a host of other debilitating and life-changing symptoms.

Afraid because youve perhaps only just learned to deal with your diagnosed condition and now you suspect that every new symptom, every new ache or pain, might signal the onset of another new and insidious autoimmune disease.