I went to a Hypnosis Conference about ten years ago when I bumped into a Chinese medicine physician. I was telling her about a young lady I worked with who was having phantom pains in her abdomen when she was having sex. After visiting multiple doctors and undergoing countless MRIs, X-rays, and CAT scans, which turned up nothing, she turned to another hypnotist, who referred her to me.

Simone Biles has long been a household name in gymnastics—a synonym for excellence, strength, and unrivaled talent. However, her journey through the Tokyo Olympics added another layer to her legacy: that of a mental health advocate and an emblem of resilience.

While I've made great strides these past two years fighting Hashimoto's, I still needed to catch up to where I want to be healthwise. I began researching other doctors to get another opinion and found a chiropractor in town who also has Hashimoto's. A few weeks ago, I started his program, which includes health coaching.

When I was diagnosed with Hashimotos, my holistic osteopath gave me quite a few "alternative" suggestions on how to help my condition by lowering my stress and joint pain. One of her suggestions was to take a baking soda bath twice a week, with a 1/2 to 1 cup of baking soda, for 20-30 minutes. I had not heard of anything like this before, so why not try it? It was an easy ask, compared to monthly IV treatments and handfuls of supplements.  

It's been two years since I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's hypothyroidism. My body has become highly sensitive to stress, and the higher my stress is, the more thyroid fatigue I experience. To keep my stress levels down, I have to pay attention to my food intake, work responsibilities, and social schedule.

It’s been 2 years since being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism.  It’s been quite an interesting journey.  I was reviewing with my doctor all the changes I’ve made these past two years:

Every day, my social media and email are bombarded by "panaceas," universal remedies and programs that are supposed to fix every ailment and woe known to man. I'm under an endless solicitation of exercise programs, patches, liquids, potions, pills, and powders that are supposed to make me feel better, live longer, and be healthier.

Last night, I flew into Las Vegas as a presenter at The Performing Hypnosis Summit. Since being diagnosed with Hashimoto's, I have had to cook all of my meals to avoid eating foods that could trigger my inflammation. Currently, foods that trigger my inflammation are gluten, dairy, soy, nightshades (peppers), and refined sugar.

If you've ever heard me say "Make sure you make a deposit in your happiness account," I got this from my friend and mentor Dr. Kenneth L. Rigsby, LCSW, MSW, MEd, EdD. I had about 2 years of wear and tear on my soul between taking care of my mother and my divorce, and this one statement gave me some peace of mind when I needed it most.

Last week was my birthday week. I have been feeling so much better health-wise since I got my old amalgam fillings out that I decided to try a piece of a yummy Costco birthday cake. I did not experience ANY pain. Woohoo!

With my research on Hashimoto's over this past year, I discovered there may be a link between thyroid health and amalgam fillings. I checked in with my dentist and found I had amalgam fillings, one on each corner of my mouth. I remembered getting these fillings vividly, kicking and screaming the whole way. It definitely made a severe negative neural impression on my brain. I get reminded of my fear every 2-3 weeks when I get my nails done. I love how my nails look when I'm done, but sitting through the part where they drill the hard coating on my nails is torture.

During our cruise, Doug and I did an excursion in Puerto Costa Maya, a Mayan Healing Ritual. As a hypnotist, I love looking at other healing rituals and wonder what I could incorporate into my own practice, personally or privately. We were greeted by our Chaman (Mayan for Shaman, I guess) who would lead us through the 5 part process that included a holistic mix of treatments and rituals. The knowledge has been passed from one Chaman to the next, who must complete an extensive education and proven to be worthy of the honor. Our Chaman was in her mid-late 60’s, and carried with her a distant, but warm demeanor.