One of the main reasons I’ve tried to hide any sickness or illness is because the usual dumb response is “you’re probably sick because of all that darn exercise and lack of good ’old home cookin’. I won’t comment on that one. 

But today I am going to break my oath of silence. I’m going to share the details of a recent health battle in hopes that you’ll use it to ignite your own renewed passion for a healthier life.

For the past 6 months I have felt run down and fatigued. For anyone who knows me, this is a bit strange. I am one of those ‘Energizer Bunny-types’ that rarely sits still and who prides herself on getting more done in one day than some get accomplished in a week.  

At first, I assumed I was overdoing it. I figured that running two businesses, continuing to teach 3-5 fitness classes each week, raising two active kids and doing all the other motherly duties I’m supposed to do had finally caught up with me. However, after I experienced an excruciating case of hives that kept me bedridden for 4 weeks with extreme fatigue, pain and a strange sore throat, I was finally diagnosed with a thyroid disorder called Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. 

I was shocked. I couldn’t believe how someone with a healthy diet, who exercises daily and goes above-and-beyond to be as healthy as possible, could come down with such an illness. Well, what I discovered is that thyroid disorders are very common. Over twenty million people are in treatment, and it’s estimated that another 2 million go undiagnosed. In most cases, a person doesn’t ‘do’ anything to cause a thyroid problem.   

So I had a choice. I could break from my normal activities, curl up on the couch, console myself with a nice tub of Ben and Jerry’s and wait until all this thyroid business went away (believe me, at times I wanted to). Or instead, I could educate myself about this disorder and get busy making changes that would help me feel better and build my body up to be healthier and stronger than ever before. I think you all know what I chose. I’m happy to say that with determination (and medication) this thing is not getting the best of me!  

So, what’s the moral of the story here? As Forrest Gump wisely said, “life is like a box of chocolates….you never know what you’re going to get”. Sometimes life will dish up your favorite, smooth, delightful pieces and other times you’ll bite into one of those darn cream-filled mystery bombs. It’s all about what actions you take when unpleasant obstacles enter life’s path. You can choose to be defeated – to find excuses around every corner - or instead, you can arm yourself with knowledge and determine to not let anything get the best of you.