Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid gland. The thyroid, a small butterfly-shaped gland at the back of your neck, is attacked by the person's immune system causing a myriad of problems for a person suffering from Hashi's. Even through a long list of symptoms I know that I am a lucky one. Hashimoto's is a disease that is one that can be lived with. I am not in fear that this disease will take my life, I thank God every day because of this, even through all the problems. I try not to complain much because I know that it will do no good, but sometimes you just have to tell people that your symptoms are real things.

I'm not sleepy, I'm fatigued.

To you sleepy and fatigued may be the same thing, but to me it is two different things. I can make it through the day sleepy. If I'm fatigued then I need 10 hours at night and possibly a nap in the middle of the day. Don't make a big deal if I sleep a lot, it's how I can make it through the second half of the day. *Also please reward me if I make it through the day without a nap, it's an accomplishment.

Brain fog -- it's a real thing

Please be patient with me. I have a hard time remembering things. That's why my planner is so important, it has everything I need to remember on it. Don't get angry if I forget what I was saying mid-sentence, don't be mad if I leave the keys in the still running car, just laugh it off and tell me it will be okay.

Apologizing now for my moods

A majority of the time Hashi's is caused by hypothyroidism. That is when a person has an underactive thyroid gland. A big symptom of hypothyroidism is mood swings. Sometimes my mood goes from great to angry in about 2 seconds. I apologize. I'm easily irritated, what seems like nothing to you, makes my mood change. I am working on it, I promise, just be understanding with me.

Weather changes and winter is the worst

My body hurts. I'm talking like a deep to the bone, every muscle in my body feels like it is pulling in two different directions hurt. Most of the time I can ignore the aches, but days when the seasons are changing or when it is a rainy overcast day I can't ignore it. My legs feel like they are 1000 pounds. Winter and the cold only make my flare ups worse. It makes me crave summer.

I tire easily

Relating to the first thing, I tire easily. A normal workday makes me just want to take a hot shower and sleep. I have to be able to know that I can't do a million things a day or the next day I will pay for it. I need to remember that some tasks will be there tomorrow. If you notice I am saying yes to too many things, stop me. Gently remind me that saying yes to all those people is going to make me feel horrible later.

My ankles, neck, and fingers get swollen

Sometimes my neck, ankles, and fingers get swollen. Like so swollen I can't wear rings or tennis shoes. If my ankles are too swollen I have to get off my feet. If my neck is swollen my thyroid is enlarged and I have to watch that. Sometimes I can't wear rings, they don't go on my finger. Sometimes the ring slides right off. It's the most annoying symptom ever.

My voice sometimes gets hoarse.

Most of the time it happens when I wake up, or if I haven't talked in a little while (the latter rarely happens). I don't know why, but it makes me self-conscious. I think it is why I am unapproachable the first 30 minutes after I wake up.

I see you're sick. I love you, but stay away from me.

With an autoimmune disease, your immune system has its own set of ideas. Instead of fighting off possible sicknesses it is too busy attacking your own body. My immune system thinks it's easier to fight my thyroid instead of fighting off sinus infections. So if I see your sick, I'm sorry if I don't come around. It is easy for me to get sick and harder for me to recover. What could take you two to three days to get over, takes me close to a week and a half.

"You don't look sick"

90% of the time I take this as a compliment. I thank the Lord that I don't look sick, because that means that I am living each day and this isn't a life-threatening condition. The other 10% of the time I get slightly angry because I know exactly the way someone intended for the comment to come across. I might not look like I'm sick but that doesn't mean that I'm not having a bad day and having flare ups.