What Hashimoto’s Disease Feels Like: My Diagnosis, Symptoms, and Learning to Live in a Body That Feels Like a Stranger

I’ve been trying to figure out how to even begin writing this.

The truth is, I still feel like I’m in the darkness. The light at the end of the tunnel isn’t in sight yet. And when you’re still in the middle of something painful, it’s hard to put words to it.

But I also know I can’t show up as my authentic self while pretending this life-changing experience isn’t happening.

So this is me telling the truth about what the past several months have looked like.

And felt like.

When My Body Started Changing

In September of 2025, something shifted.

At first it was subtle. I just felt… different.

Then the exhaustion hit. Not the kind where you’re tired after a long day. This was a deep, heavy exhaustion where getting out of bed sometimes felt impossible.

I became emotional in ways that didn’t feel like me. Small things suddenly felt overwhelming. My body felt off, my mind felt foggy, and everything felt heavier than it should.

But logically, I had plenty of reasons to feel overwhelmed.

Just a couple months earlier, Ben and I had moved in together. It was exciting and beautiful — but also came with a lot of change. A new home. New schools. A new community. Blending our family of six kids under one roof.

At the same time, I lost my job.

Instead of panicking, I made a bold decision: this was the moment I would finally start my own business.

It was a season full of change, excitement, chaos, and growth.

So when I started feeling off, I told myself it made sense.

Of course I was tired.Of course I was overwhelmed.Of course my nervous system was stretched thin.

We have six kids. Our house is always loud and a little chaotic. Our schedules are wild. But we were making it work.

At least… that’s what I kept telling myself.

Still, deep down, something didn’t add up.

The ER Visit That Started My Medical Journey

In November, things escalated.

I ended up in the ER because of a strange tingling sensation in my chest and body. Not heart palpitations — just a weird, uncomfortable sensation that made me feel like something was very wrong.

That led me to a cardiologist.

I told her from the beginning, “I really don’t think it’s my heart.”

But she insisted we rule it out, so I wore a heart monitor for a week.

The results came back: unremarkable.

In other words — nothing was wrong with my heart.

But I knew something in my body wasn’t right, and I still didn’t have an answer.

Was this just my body now? My new normal? I didn't want to accept that so I kept searching for an answer.

The Answer

In December, I had a blood panel done.

And in January 2026, I finally got my answer.

I have an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto’s Disease.

I sat in the doctor’s office with Ben on one side of me and the doctor on the other, and I immediately started crying.

Part of me felt relief.

For months I had felt like I was losing my mind — like my body was falling apart and no one could explain why.

Now I had an answer.

But alongside that relief was a deep sadness.

Because I also understood what this diagnosis meant.

For the foreseeable future — and possibly for the rest of my life — I would be living with a disease that was actively attacking my body.

Feeling Like a Stranger in My Own Body

If you know me, you know I’m not someone who backs down from hard things.

I’m the 6AM workout person.

The full workday.

The chase-your-dreams.

The raise-the-kids.

The stay-positive kind of person.

I run half marathons for fun.

I’m gritty. I’m determined. I push through things.

But this?

This has brought me to my knees.

Some days my body feels like it’s in agony. Like my nervous system is on fire and I can’t escape it.

Some days I feel like a stranger in my own body.

And that is one of the hardest parts.

Because when your body changes in ways you can’t control, it doesn’t just affect your physical health.

It affects your identity.

I feel like I’ve lost a piece of who I used to be.

The woman who could run through life at full speed.

The one who had endless energy.

The one who could push through anything.

Right now, I don’t feel like her.

And I’m grieving that.

The emotional and mental toll of this has honestly been the hardest part.

The Symptoms

Hashimoto’s doesn’t just show up one way and can look different for everyone.

For me, it’s looked like:

• extreme exhaustion

• weight gain

• constipation

• trouble sleeping/insomnia

• irregular menstrual cycles

• mild depression

• mental fatigue

• hot flashes

• strange flutters in my chest

• emotional overwhelm

A Reminder to Listen to Your Body

You know your body better than anyone else.

And if it’s screaming at you… if something feels off… if your energy is crashing, your emotions feel unfamiliar, or your body is trying to slow you down in ways you don’t understand — pay attention.

Your body is always communicating with you.

If your body is whispering… or even shouting… don’t ignore it. Slow down long enough to listen.

Because sometimes the strongest thing you can do isn’t pushing through.

Sometimes the strongest thing you can do is finally hearing what your body has been trying to say all along.