The thing is, Matt, that I don't feel bad or any different when I eat anything. Whether it's dairy, wheat, etc., I feel no different. So it's not a matter where, like you, I notice any difference from foods. Is there an allergy/intolerance? There very well is, but I feel miserable enough (because I'm fat and can't lose a pound; simple as that) as is and I'm not going to drive myself into a lack of will of wanting to live by eliminating even more from my diet. If I have an allergy test that pops hot on something, then I'll do what I have to do, but there's no way I'm doing the gaps diet on my own without any data suggesting it. I have no problems giving up gluten for life; the others, I do.
I'm gonna call my doc's office in a bit and see if I can't get in early next week. It should be a matter of he and I finding a new doctor to work with, but I'll be talking to him about dealing with an endocrinologist (which would specifically make sense because of the prolactin issue) or a doctor who specializes in the immune system (which I feel is the key at this point). I'll also have a list of tests I'll bring in; I will request that everyone he has access to, we run. So far, on that list are: Vitamin D, immune panel (hopefully figuring if TH-1 or TH-2 dominance is occuring), food allergies, 4x saliva cortisol, new thyroid labs to see where things are after adding Synthroid back in (T4, T3, TSH, FT4, FT3, rT3, TPO, TPO-Ab, Tg-Ab). I have some others written down and I'm sure I'll have more, but I want to get a jump start on having this information on hand for when I meet with my next doctor.
He'd mentioned Vanderbilt, but I'll also ask if he has any recommendations back up in Indy. It's only a half-hour difference between the two, and if I went the Indy route (largely in case he still has direct contacts there), I could meet up with my parents more easily as that's a 3.5 hour drive for them. Like I said, I'm really leaning more toward the autoimmune route at this point and a doctor who specializes in that. Only 3 chapters into the book I'm reading, there are a lot of cases with similar symptoms/experiences as myself and a lot of them have been able to A) correct the issue after handling the immune side and B) stop taking thyroid hormone.
I'll see what I come up with as I continue to read and make notes of other tests I want to have ran.
I somewhat expected the outcome of today while I was in bed, last night. It seems like it's been one thing after another as far as "Oh! It has to be this!" over and over. After reading just those first 3 chapters of the book, I already thought, "It's probably this and nothing that the abdominal scan will show." However, I still wanted to have it checked just to rule it out and also because I've always had stomach issues of some sort or another. My dad has an autoimmune disorder; it's what has led to his diabetes (which they call type 1.5 because it falls between the two). It makes sense that an autoimmune disorder is causing the main problems. I always wondered why Hashimoto's was even a big deal to diagnose because the treatment was still the same as hypothyroidism: exogenous thyroid hormone. But as I've continued to research, I've learned that while that's the common treatment, it's not actually the correcttreatment for Hashimoto's. Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disorder that just so happens to affect the thyroid. Therefore, the course of action to be taken is addressing the autoimmune disorder and figure out what is causing it; whether it's a food intolerance, antigens, inflammation, etc.
So, I'm back to the drawing board, but I've got another 200 or so pages left of this book to read, which I intend on completing before the weekend is up, allowing me to have a better perspective of what to ask for when I meet with my doctor next and anticipate finding a new doctor.
Even with all of this, and today essentially not giving me any answers (though it did; just like my brain MRI, it showed nothing wrong...which is so wonderful to know that once this other issue is addressed, I have that health working in my favor), I feel much better, today. I have a renewed sense of finding out what's wrong and correcting it.
I'm not going to lie, I felt pretty low, last night. I've never been suicidal and I'd never kill myself for a number of reasons. It's a coward's way out, it's a nice sentence to Hell, and most of all, it would be more devastating and hurtful to my parents and I'd never put them through that. All that said, in my mind, I did play out the scenario of doing it (gun to the temple). Now don't misconstrue this as a cry for help or especially not a want for pity. It is neither. I am simply being 100% honest and truthful in all of my postings. Withholding my feelings or experiences doesn't do anyone reading this, who may be suffering from something comparable or at least a hurt that's comparable, any good. So please, there's no reason to bring this back up, but I did want to mention it, because I was feeling that low, last night. Now here I am today and feeling quite the opposite. I still feel like crap because I weigh 270 pounds, haha, but I have a drive and a desire.
I just want this thread to continue to be a place of honesty and a chance for anyone reading to understand how cumbersome things like this can be. One of the cases I read about last night was a woman who had dealt with this for 20 years. I can't even fathom that. I just think most people who suffer from things like this aren't bodybuilders or people who wish to do that with their lives. It has always been my goal to have a body that is in immaculate condition and one day step on a stage or end up in a magazine, so it's different than someone who just has an extra 10 or 20 lbs that they carry and "don't like" but can live with. I was going through old pictures, last night, of college and grad school. I saw emotion on my face and in my eyes and smile that I don't see, anymore. I've been fighting this thing so long that I think I've forgotten what I should actually feel like. Sure, I laugh, still and I smile at some things. But so much of what I do is just a cover to appease those I come in contact with and maybe even myself, so I don't get engulfed by the questions of what's wrong and why; I've just answered them enough and don't care to address them any further--and I still don't have a definite answer, myself.
I feel as though I'm rambling a bit, now. But I did want to update the bulk of this post to be mentioned for anyone reading who might care. Just know that I am fine, friends, and I appreciate each and every one of you. Just knowing that I have others hoping for my return to health and happiness means more to me than I could ever express in words. Thank you.
