Eighteen years ago, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism. And I’ve been on a rather a long journey since then. But I’m extremely grateful to my Father for His faithfulness. God continues to fill me with strength and grace for each moment.

My intent in writing this is not only to bring awareness of these real struggles, but to also give you hope. My friend, there are others who truly understand what you’re going through. And ones who’ve recovered from Chronic Adrenal Fatigue and hypothyroidism. There really IS hope!

Adrenal fatigue (AF) is very real. And it can progress to the point where it’s fairly brutal and interferes with simple daily living. It’s not just a physiological or spiritual condition. Not something that will go away when you try to ignore the symptoms and push your way through the fatigue. I know. I tried it for many years.

If you haven’t read my earlier post about my Hashimoto’s journey, you may want to read it here.

I’ve always enjoyed staying busy and detested the thought of being “needy.” Since our family has faced an incredible amount of physical challenges and stress, the last thing I wanted to do is add to this mix. It may be a pride issue for me, but I don’t enjoy letting others know I’m struggling physically. I don’t consider myself being a weak person. (After all, I had five completely natural deliveries without even considering the possibility of pain meds.) I guess God’s been needing to humble me in this area.

During this journey, God’s been showing me the importance of being vulnerable and real. And in the process, I’ve been able to reach out and help other women who are struggling in this same area.

Since I’ve had AF and hypothyroidism for many years, I’ve learned many things about both of them. I’ve read many books and articles over the years, and have followed the protocols of multiple doctors. But it’s only been in the past year and a half since I’ve felt like I’ve really began the true healing process.

And not only did I need to focus on healing my thyroid, but my adrenals as well. It wasn’t until after I began addressing my adrenal fatigue that my thyroid improved the greatest. My TSH continues to improve without a bit of medicine! This excites me because I know I’m actually reversing the Hashimoto’s. And my AF symptoms continue to improve. I finally feel as if I have a well planned course of action. And I feel better than I have for a long time!

My symptom list from both of theses chronic conditions became quite extensive. In fact, one doctor diagnosed me as being well in the advanced phase of stage 3 Adrenal Fatigue. Stage 4 is when a the condition is irreversible, and the person is in a complete bed-ridden state. Chronic Adrenal Fatigue can be life-threatening and is very serious. The symptoms you experience with AF is your body screaming out, telling you there’s a problem. The down hill spiral will progress and cause major health deterioration if you don’t stop it in time.

So what really is Adrenal Fatigue? In simple terms, AF is when your adrenal glands are no longer functioning as they should. Overstimulation of the adrenal glands over time leads to an inconsistent level of cortisol. It becomes high when it should be low and vice versa. Some times your cortisol levels is too low and other times it’s too high. Your body has a natural rhythm pattern. When you’re “winding down” at bed time your cortisol levels should decrease, but then be higher in the morning. But when you have AF, your cortisol level will surge and you get that “burst of energy” later in the evening.  Or even during the night. In addition to this imbalance, DHEA, which is the “parent” hormone responsible for many other necessary hormones in the body, is usually very low. This causes other major hormonal and neurotransmitter imbalances. (And can cause extreme blood pressure spikes and drops as well.)  Some of the main neurotransmitters are:

Acetylcholine: (Involves hearing and memory)

Dopamine: (Emotional behavior, necessary for voluntary movement)

Serotonin: (Influences mood, muscle function and hunger.)

Glutamate: (Involved in learning, memory and brain development)

GABA: (Prevents a neuron from generating a nerve impulse)

Dr. Wilson describes mild to moderate adrenal fatigue to look something like this: “You wake up and are unable to function without a significant amount of caffeine, finally feel a boost of energy during the early part of the day, then your energy levels crash around 2 p.m., rise around 6 p.m., fall again around 9 p.m. and then finally peak again at 11 in the evening.”  This often has to do with your cortisol levels being out of balance and your adrenals becoming tired.

The adrenal glands are responsible for many functions within the body. When your adrenal glands are compromised, it will certainly affect your hormones, metabolism, digestion, blood pressure and energy. However, the medical field has yet to come to grips with AF. Yet saliva and blood tests clearly show these imbalances of cortisol, serotonin, and the other neurotransmitters. My tests showed my body was completely out of whack.

This link from Dr. Axe is informative, if you want to learn more: click here.

I truly believe there are many individuals who are being medicated and treated for depression and other psychological conditions when AF is the culprit. We know my AF was caused by high mercury levels, major infection, and years of intense stress.

When a doctor first cautioned me, years ago, that my body was screaming out for a break, I didn’t feel as if I had many options. After all, how does a mom take care of herself when her children are facing a much bigger, life-threatening health crisis? I kept doing what I needed to do to keep them as healthy as possible.

But it wasn’t until after our son’s second heart transplant, and his proceeding death, when my health really plummeted. I began struggling with many difficult things.

My symptom list was quite extensive. I still struggle with some of them, but keep seeing steady improvement as long as I listen to the warning signs of my body. My symptoms included: insomnia, heart palpitations, extremely low blood pressure- with occasional high spikes, fainting, low libido, hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia, endometriosis, hair loss, irritability, anxiety, mild panic attacks, feeling “wired and tired,” brain fog, inability to handle stress, daily fatigue, unable to tolerate complex carbs, inability to handle exercise or extreme temperatures, food sensitivities, infertility, first trimester miscarriages, weight gain and nearly impossible to lose, severe hormonal imbalance, digestive issues, often cold, hard to stay focused, Lyme disease, H.Pylori infection and mild depression. The spiraling effect kept getting worse and I felt like I was slowly drowning or being suffocated. I was desperate for answers and getting my life back again.

I remember crying when I first found a doctor who truly understood my symptoms and cared about me. It felt so good simply to be understood!

If you have AF or hypothyroidism, here are some things I’d like for you to understand:

1.) Adrenal Fatigue or Hashimoto’s isn’t impossible to reverse. Yes, it’s hard. Intense. And it could steal away your life if you allow it. But it’s not impossible. Or incurable.

2.) Adrenal Fatigue or Hashimoto’s doesn’t define who you are. Don’t allow AF or hypothyroidism to label you. You don’t need to embrace a victim mentality in order to address the problem. With God’s help, you can heal from it. You are a fighter and He is able!

3.) Adrenal Fatigue or Hashimoto’s doesn’t have to steal your whole life. Even though I was forced to periods of bed rest, Adrenal Fatigue hasn’t prevented me from being involved in full time ministry. (Although it’s probably extended the length of my healing and recovery time.) However, if you’re currently in a bedridden state, there are still many ways you can make a positive difference in the lives of those around you. Don’t allow this debilitating fatigue to make you feel like giving up. You DO need to give yourself permission to take care of yourself and to rest. Being in bed every night by at least 10:00 is very important. Listening to your body is crucial.

4.) The Adrenal Fatigue journey looks differently for each person. What may be healing for one person may be too stimulating for someone else. When you’re in an advanced stage of Adrenal Fatigue, some of the supplements like Ashwaghanda, Rhodiola, Vitamin C, etc. may be too stimulating for you. These supplements are great for most people with AF, however, if you’re in an advanced stage it’s important to have a doctor walking with you on this journey. (Read on to see who I recommend.) 

5.) Adrenal Fatigue can make everything look overwhelming. It’s important to realize that life will often look differently through the eyes of someone who’s extremely fatigued. You may feel completely overwhelmed and in tears about something that didn’t use to daunt you. Because of this, it’s important to not take on many large tasks.

So what are the specific ways I’m combatting this “giant of exhaustion?” One of the best things I’ve done to help heal my Adrenal Fatigue is to familiarize myself with Dr. Lam’s materials regarding AF and following his personal coaching protocol, via phone consultations. (drlam.com)

I encourage you to view the testimonies, take the symptom survey and read his book. In my opinion, he’s the most knowledgeable doctor who deals with AF. I can’t tell you how much of a blessing his team has been to me! I was so happy to finally find a doctor who knows more about AF than I do. (And no, I don’t receive reimbursement and am not affiliated in any way with Dr. Lam.) The first consultation is free and they will help determine if your symptoms are indeed caused by AF. Under Dr. Lam’s protocol, I’m finally getting better.

I’ve been drinking Himalayan sea salt water every morning to keep my blood pressure stable. Bone broth is also on my daily list, as well as doing some liver detoxes. My supplements include vitamin C, but I also take a number of other supplements from Dr. Lam. Each supplement was started at a very low dose and then increased as my body was able to tolerate it.

When you’re in an advanced stage, the adrenal glands need time to rest and can’t handle more stimulation. Under Dr. Lam’s protocol, each individual is closely monitored and the dosages are adjusted according to how the body processes it. My progress has been slow, but steady.

There are many things that will hinder your healing of AF. Caffeine, poor diet, late nights, stress and even too much social media stimulation can affect your healing process. Is there any wonder that even young people are now beginning to struggle with AF? Our fast paced society is making us tired, but  then we reach for our caffeinated drinks to give us the “lift” we’re no longer able to get from our worn out adrenal glands. When we keep “whipping a tired horse” it will eventually crash.

In my case, although I’ve been following a healthy, low-carb, sugar-free diet for many years, (without dairy, gluten or caffeine) it didn’t heal my AF. I still kept getting worse. Although diet is very important, there’s simply no diet plan out there that will reverse Chronic Adrenal Fatigue when you’re in an advanced stage.

Two weeks ago, I had the last of my mercury fillings removed from my mouth. After extensive research and consulting with several doctors, we determined that the large amount of mercury was definitely a contributing factor in my struggle with AF. I had 8 large mercury fillings that had been there for 15-20 years. In looking back, my hypothyroid and AF symptoms began a few years after these fillings were placed. Is there a correlation? I certainly think so! Of course all the years of our children’s major on-going health challenges added a huge amount of stress to my already compromised immune system.

Did you know that when you have mercury, amalgam fillings, every time you chew or drink a hot drink, you are being exposed to dangerous levels of mercury?  Terrible, isn’t it? Why does the FDA approve the use of these toxic ingredients within our bodies? And in our foods and immunizations? Just begin googling and reading about mercury poisoning and you will find MANY people who’ve lost their health because of it. And many have recovered their terrible health after they had their amalgam fillings removed and lowered their mercury levels.

Here is a link that you may find helpful regarding mercury toxicity: https://draxe.com/mercury-poisoning/http://amalgam.org/348-2/

Did you know that mercury is not totally eliminated from your body as soon as you remove the fillings? Not only was I being poisoned and exposed to dangerous levels of mercury every time I chewed, brushed my teeth or drank a hot drink, but I also have stored mercury deep within my tissues. Thankfully, I’ve found a product that will help eliminate it from there as well. It will take time, but there are many testimonies from individuals who’ve had great success with it. Here are 2 links that will tell you more about it:

wholenewmom.com

zeolite-for-health.com

It’s no surprise that there are many individuals who’ve had their cancer shrink or disappear after taking this product. Why? Because our bodies are created to heal themselves. They know how to be healthy when given the right tools and when we’re not filled with toxic poisons like mercury, lead, arsenic, fluoride and other nasty chemicals found in most of our food, beauty products, cleaning supplies and even our water. If you truly want to be healthy, you need to consciously be aware of what you’re putting into your body or exposing it to.This doesn’t mean being paranoid, but it does mean being cautious and informed.

I really could write a book about all I’ve learned regarding Hashimoto’s and AF and the contributing factors to both of them. And I’m so grateful to know what I do, and that I’m further down the road to recovery.

Another huge stress that I had going on in my body were dental cavitations. I knew I had a lot of mercury in my body and that it was very detrimental to my health, but I was very surprised when my biological dentist told me the cavitations I had were also greatly poisoning my body. In fact, when I asked which was the most dangerous, the mercury or the cavitations, he said it was hard for him to say which was the most toxic to me and the biggest culprit. I had two big problems that were both silently destroying my health.

So what are cavitations? Cavitations are hidden infections, where the bones fail to heal properly, in the areas where teeth were pulled. Most commonly they are found where wisdom teeth were surgically removed. The empty pocket that is left after the tooth extraction is usually filled with various toxic bacteria, causing a significant infection in the jaw bone. There can be 20-30 different kinds of bacteria infecting the jaw bone and can cause deterioration of the bone.

In my case, I had bad infection constantly seeping into my body from all four areas where my wisdom teeth had been extracted over twenty years ago. I remember after the extraction, the dentist told me the bottom right side was the hardest to extract since the root of my wisdom tooth was beneath the jawbone. And now twenty years later, the cavitation in this area was the worst one and had disintegrated the bone.

The infection from these cavitations enter the body and always lead to a serious diseased state. Often the infections go undiagnosed and untreated because there are usually no clear cut indications that they are there. They usually produce no pain, but they always produce some form of chronic and weakened state of the body. Cavitations can produce extensive jawbone destruction without causing redness, swelling or fevers. Cancer centers have also found links between a body infected by cavitations and cancer. These dental infections are a hidden cause of illness.

My dentist removed dead tissue, pus and deteriorating bone from my jawbone. Statistics have shown that when these toxic infections are combined with mercury fillings, more potent toxins are formed.They also indicate that it can be difficult for some people to successfully detoxify mercury from their body until the cavitations and all mercury fillings are removed.

These infections are usually diagnosed by a machine called a Cavitat. And the most successful treatment for them is to surgically remove all the infection.

My biological dentist also used ozone to promote healing in these areas. I was hooked up to an IV of vitamin C to help give my body a bigger boost as this infection was being removed. Statistics also prove that symptoms of illness usually disappear when the septic infection is eliminated.

After spending six hours in the dental chair on Monday, the dentist questioned whether it would be too much for me to have the cavitation surgery done on all four sites the following day. He said many individuals choose to do one or two sites at a time.

Since we were far from home, I decided to proceed with all of them. This decision came with a cost.

I had a very intense week with quite a bit of pain. With my adrenal fatigue, it knocked me fairly hard and I was in bed for over a week. I still have the stitches and am limited to what I can do. No heavy lifting, blowing my nose, sucking out of a straw or strenuous activities for a while. I’m still on a soft diet. I did have to take Advil for pain during the first week. Without it, the pain was too intense and I wasn’t able to get my rest.

It’s now been just over two weeks since my surgery and the final mercury removal. I still keep improving. The ringing in my ears and head is totally gone and my adrenal function slowly keeps improving. I feel as if I’m slowly getting my life back again. I’m excited to see how my healing process will continue to progress.

If you suspect you have AF or hypothyroidism, I strongly encourage you to take the steps necessary for healing. Life is truly precious and a gift from God. As God gives me health, my desire is to use my energy and abilities to help others.

Be blessed, healthy and filled with grace…

Cindy Mullett

*This article is an informative reflection of my personal journey and is not intended to give medical advice in any way.