5027 Green Bay Road, Suite 118 • Kenosha, WI 53144
262.925.8600
Reflecting on my life at my 60th birthday, I realized that for six years, I had accepted the fatigue and depression, the 30-lb. weight gain, even a change in personality. After all, childhood abuse, spousal abuse, raising three children alone with no financial support was plenty to age me early. Additional stresses of multiple surgeries (hysterectomy, thyroidectomy, skin melanoma surgically removed and a mastectomy), six prescribed medications, four car accidents, loss of job of 20 years and career change was enough STRESS to feel age 90 instead of 60, Right? NO! WRONG! NOT ACCEPTABLE!
Another look at my family history made me question my state of life, because my 70-year old aunt was still mowing her 2-acre yard, gardening, and cooking/entertaining groups of a dozen and more people. Another older aunt was driving cross-country. Their life experiences were different than mine, but they too had diseases, families, and stress. "What's wrong with me? Why can't my medical doctor who knows all my family and medical history get me back to some semblance of normal?" After six months of worsening fatigue, barely able to continue employment, and a girl friend challenging me to go to a small local gathering, because "You never have any fun anymore!" I went. What I found was a brochure of hope! A workshop for the community called "Low Thyroid? Fatigue?" I signed up!
My readings and personal research on hypothyroidism had been encouraging me to find a doctor like Dr. Michael Berglund. Instinctively I knew that all my life experiences were connected to my fatigue, but that some where out there was the key to recovery. His lecture validated my belief. BUT could he help someone not only with low thyroid, but no thyroid? The line was too long to wait to make an appointment. Procrastination caused me to crash one Monday morning a week or so after that lecture and I was unable to go to work. The next morning I was in Dr. Mike's office for his "diagnostic" check up. The test was painless, and more diagnostic than previous blood tests. Medical reports would say "all is within range" and "her symptoms are vague."
Dr. Berglund took my complaints seriously and his findings were that I was borderline diabetic, showed signs of mercury in my body, my adrenals were taxed, and my thyroid still seemed to be low even though I was taking the conventional synthetic medication, Synthroid.
The new prescription was simple: don't eat white enriched flour, sugar, some milk products, caffeine, and do take these supplements. I continued with the six pharmacy drugs that had been prescribed – two for high blood pressure, one for depression, one for breast cancer, one for arthritis symptoms, and one for hypothyroidism.
Six months into this regimen, I wake up ready for my day instead of dreading it or in fear that I can't fulfill the tasks ahead. I have the energy to do house work again, participate in church ministry groups, work a full time job, and to walk my dog 30 minutes morning and evening. But the exercise began to hurt my shins. My new motto being, "no pain allowed, no fatigue allowed!" I told Dr. Mike. He fixed it with simplicity, by adding a little more arch support into my shoe. I walk without pain now. I play daily with my yellow lab, Lily. While playing chase/hide-and-seek one evening after work, she accidentally knocked my legs out from under me. First thought to mind, was, "Oh no just when I was feeling good." One trip for an adjustment and all was well again, like it never even happened.
Today I'm counting on the same results after being the victim of a rear end collision. I was whipped and tossed like a rag doll, resulting in headache, neck pain, mid back burning and lower back pain stiffness. Remember the new motto "no pain allowed, no fatigue allowed!" Life is good. I feel thirty something, instead of ninety something. The car accident is a temporary set back. Toxins will not riddle my body for years like after the other accidents and surgeries. I found the key for my health.