Square One

Posted on 11/09/2024 by Dawn Silva/InitiateWellness

Life is as unpredictable as a butterfly’s path. Do you often feel like you take two steps forward only to be thrown one or three steps back? I do.

If you’ve been following my blog you know that I’m learning how to deal with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and Alopecia Areata. I developed these after the third Covid vaccine, aka the booster. If you haven’t read about it before today, I urge you to scroll back to my previous posts. If you’re dealing with similar situations, I urge you to go back to my posts starting in September 2022.

What has changed for me recently? I was doing very well on Olumiant for the hair loss. I has 90% of my hair back. This past September though, I found a small bald patch at the back of my head. It only measured about the size of a pencil eraser. It grew bigger by the week and now, just about 6 weeks later, it’s the size of a golf ball. I also have a few other small spots starting. I don’t want to increase the Olumiant due to side effects. In all honesty, it’s really just a band-aid for what is actually going on inside my body. My dermatologist agrees.

As far as the Hashimoto’s goes, my symptoms are minimal. I have learned that it worsens over the years but I stay positive. The minimal side effects are hoarse voice from time-to-time, poor sleep and fatigue. I feel like those three things are related to each other. I press on; who’s not tired these days?!

This week I saw my GP for a yearly physical. She is so good. She listens and cares about what is said. She has ordered an ultrasound on my thyroid because she said it feels harder than it did a year ago. I will also see an endocrinologist and an ENT (ear, nose, throat specialist). She wants me to consider HRT, (hormone replacement therapy) as well.

I feel and pray that these next steps will help get to the core issue inside my body. I want to feel confident about my hair, it’s awkward being a hairstylist and having alopecia. In my forty-two years of doing hair, I have never had a client with alopecia. It’s certainly a new learning curve for me. I fear losing ALL of my hair where I cannot hide the bald patches anymore. I need to come to a place of being at peace with it, but I’m not even close yet.

As I continue this new journey of wonky health, I have joined support groups on social media. In these groups, I’m shocked at the amount of new cases of both Hashimoto’s and Alopecia. If you dig deep, you will find that these are likely linked to Covid and/or Covid vaccines. I linked nih.gov sites in previous posts.

Whatever journey, good or bad, that you’re dealing with, you’re never alone. That can be both comforting and upsetting. We need to make better decisions and choices about our body. We need to care what goes in it, what and who we are surrounded by, and our environment. Start at home. Make your home chemical free, your food wholesome and surroundings peaceful.

Be your best self-advocate. No one will care about you more than you so stop putting yourself at the end of the list.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12

Until next time, do something today that brings you peace and cleanses your soul.

Slowly Emerging into Honest Reality

Posted on 10/10/2024 by Dawn Silva/InitiateWellness

I haven’t written since spring and the only reason is life. I allowed life to keep me busy and distracted from reality. Those are excuses for not being accountable to plans, goals, intentions and time.

Time doesn’t stand still. Things don’t stay the same. Don’t get so lost in the things that keep you from facing what is real. I did it before. I’m sure I will again. With pure and good intentions, I will keep looking to improve on where my focus lies.

In early spring and through the summer, I was pretty excited about my alopecia situation. I had started taking Olumiant, a JAK inhibitor in November 2023 and bald patches started filling in. I still haven’t filled in fully below my nape area. Still, I stayed hopeful that it would come in time. Fast forward to late September 2024. I discovered a new bald patch in the back of my head. I also found a smaller patch above one ear. My positive spirit deflated. Since then, I have been going through every change I have made that might have caused hair-loss again. There are a few things I can think of. My doctor lowered my dose of hypothyroid medication a few months ago, I started taking iron and selenium supplements. Now I have to try to figure out if any of these things is causing hair-loss. I have a dermatology appointment next week, so I will see what the doctor says. As one person in an alopecia group I’m in – pointed out, medication is only a band-aid, not a cure. It’s a good reminder. I was also told to learn to live with this dis-ease.

It’s so easy to get lost in our own “stuff”. It’s easy to get busy helping others so that we don’t have to face our own reality. “If you don’t separate yourself from your distractions, your distractions will separate you from your goals”. And they did. My goal for my website is to write once a week. By letting distractions in, I let myself down and I let my readers down. I’m sorry.

I’m not sure where I’m going to go from here. I’m also not sure what I will do to keep moving ahead. I do know that I’m going to be less “busy” and more focused on every new day. I’m thankful for every new dawn and the chance God gives me to keep on going; to do His will.

Do you keep yourself distracted? Do you put off things you want to do or have to do?
We are all in the life together, let’s make the most if it!
“Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” Prov. 4:25-27

Want some inspiration? Email me anytime. Stand tall.

Spring is in the Hair!

Posted on 05/22/2024 by Dawn

Just as each new day gives us a chance to start fresh, each new season does too.

While I have been a bit absent from writing/posting, I have not been gone. Things are still moving forward and upward.

I’ve learned that if you don’t take time for yourself and make changes and choices to make things in your life different, they’ll always be the same, only on a different day.

Seeing who you are through the eyes and opinions of others gives you a false view of who you truly are. It causes insecurity. It holds you back.

I’ve been taking time recently to know myself as who I am rather than who others think (and thought) I am. I revelated on how I believed what others told me about myself. In doing so, it was revealed to me that each description they gave me was their measurement of me. If I was too sensitive, I didn’t fit their need to insult, if I was useless, I wasn’t giving them what they expected from me, and so on. Each of the eight most used insults toward me had one thing in common; it was their measurement of me. Today, I feel freed from those hooks. Check out this link. Things that are in the past are well, past – there’s no need to keep looking for them. Isaiah 43:18-19, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

Now an update on my hair-loss situation. I’ve been on Olumiant for six-months now and hair is still growing in. The new hair is fine and white as snow and I don’t mind. All the bald spots are not grown in fully yet, but the nickel and quarter sized spots have all been filled. Slowly and surely, the ophiasis area (over the ears and around below the occiput) is growing in but it has not fully recovered yet. My hope is to eventually go off the medication while keeping all of the hair; and if I must stay on it to keep hair, I pray there are no ill side-effects from it.

6-month snow white hair but it’s still growing in!

Our bodies react strongly to stress, change, environment, diet, emotional health, anxiety and so much more. You can help keep it as balanced as possible when you recognize the things that cause you to be on guard and off-kilter and make necessary changes to feel your best. If you need to get back to you and you’d like guidance along the way, reach out to me Dawn END Coach.

Until next time, enjoy some sunshine and take time outs when needed.

Dawn

Peach Fuzz!

Posted on 01/26/2024 by Dawn Silva/InitiateWellness

Twenty-six days into the new year and I’m feeling optimistic. My optimism isn’t focused on one specific thing, but lots of little things.

Two weeks ago, Dale and I drove down to see our Virginia family; while it was a short visit, it was delightful. It was so fun to see how much our little grandson has grown in every direction from one year old to almost two. The best part was the first time (and every time afterward) that he called me Nonnie; it melted my heart. Both babies, though “L” is 7, fill me with joy. She is so good with her little brother. Big brother was away this time in college, we missed him and look forward to seeing him next time.

Dale and I have been working on switching up our food habits. We have decided to cut out or at least cut way back on meat. We watched a program called, “What the Health” and it’s truly eye-opening; I recommend it if you have the time to watch. I was pleasantly surprised that Dale mentioned cutting out meat before I did – that was a win!

Cutting out meat hasn’t been as difficult as we expected, or as I expected for Dale. I focus meals on a variety of vegetables, beans and hearty whole grains. I don’t plan to buy and serve premade foods that are vegetarian and I don’t plan on eating lots of so-called “healthy” junk foods. As I get into the groove of things, I will post some of my veggie-forward meals for you to try.

Hair and thyroid. If you’ve read my previous posts, you know that I have been struggling with alopecia and Hashimoto’s for the past year and a half. Hashimoto’s won’t go away, it’s a thyroid destroyer. My hair situation is feeling hopeful. Just two months ago, I started taking Olumiant, a JAK inhibitor. “A JAK inhibitor interferes with signals in the body that are thought to cause inflammation. This, in turn, reduces the inflammation that fuels diseases like eczema, psoriatic arthritis, and vitiligo. With less inflammation, the immune system calms down.” [click here for more info.]

A few days ago, a friend checked below my occipital area for me because I told her that I think I felt little fuzzy hairs and sure enough, there is growth! It’s pure white, but it’s hair! She took the picture for me. This surely brightened my outlook. Hopefully the alopecia will eventually stop without needing the medication. I will take everything one step at a time though. I am trying to focus still, on foods and lifestyle habits that help reduce inflammation.

I want to focus on thyroid health so that I can feel better physically. I feel energy-empty and lethargic a lot of the time. I find it hard to jump out of bed each morning and get my day started the way I used to. I miss that part of me. I have determination and a positive attitude that has always gotten me through life’s ups and downs. Every new dawn brings another day to begin again.

I’d love to hear from you too. What ails you? What holds you back? What one or more things would you like to change this year? Comment here or email me at everynewdawn@gmail.com

“He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will not be shaken.”

December ’23 – January ’24 ~ Exiting with Gratitude & Entering with Grace

Posted on 01/01/2024 by Dawn Silva/InitiateWellness

*As the dew clings to a leaf, I cling to new beginnings and grace.*

It is said that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. I understand the phrase and I agree.
I also realize that before you can make the lemonade, you need to peel away the bitter outside layer. After that layer is removed, the extraction of good things to come begins. This is the time for me personally to begin exactly that.

For the last year and a half, I’ve had glorious moments as well as the not so glorious. I’m not special, it happens to every living being and we usually survive and often come out better on the other side.

I have been so wrapped up in my Hashimoto’s and Alopecia dis-eases and looking for the reasons why. It’s time to stop needing or desiring the why and start living the “what now”. The why most definitely will not solve the problem. I never want to live in victim mode; not anymore.

So many parts of my life since childhood put me severely into survival mode. I survived more abusive situations than I care to remember. I have finally grasped the message that remembering those moments keep them alive and it keeps me in survival mode and still the victim. Those memories will never leave completely but I am putting them to rest in the deep, dark hell that they came from.

I’m not a big fan or believer in New Year’s resolutions because I feel that every day is a new start. That said, I am beginning 2024 turning a new leaf. I must make mental, emotional, spiritual and physical changes. We all must. Today, I am going to focus and plan on today. Tomorrow, I will focus on tomorrow only, and so on. One day at a time. One improvement at a time, as many times as that improvement needs a restart.

I’ll focus on what I can do, I’ll eliminate the stress of needing knowing the why(s) and gracefully grow into this now. Leaving each day filled with gratitude, enetering each day filled with grace.

My wish for you is the same. Prayers for all of us to have a proseperous, healthy, renewed year ahead. I have ears to listen if you ever need to vent, cry, laugh or simply be you.

Your friend & wellness coach,

Dawn

Curveball

Posted on 10/18/2023 by Dawn Silva/InitiateWellness

I haven’t updated you since mid-September, basically because good news is not on my side just yet. I went through a short spurt in the last update or so where my hair was growing back, but that didn’t last.

I’ve been pretty depressed about this new part of my life. I feel ugly, anxious, defeated, and so many other feelings that creep up. Being a hairstylist for the past forty-one years and not ever running into a client with this situation is alarming to me. Being a hairstylist and having a hair issue myself is personally devastating.

In late July, I had routine bloodwork done for my yearly physical, and it showed that my thyroid TSH levels were high again. My doctor increased my Levothyroxine (a thyroid hormone) slightly, and I was retested six weeks later. My levels were back in the normal range, and my doctor stated that it was great. I was in the normal range but not optimal based on all the reading I have done. I want to be and stay in the optimal range.

Right at that timing was when my hair began falling out more and at a more alarming rate. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Alopecia often go hand-in-hand. I am trying to focus on whole health; working on both diseases to get my whole body out of ‘dis-ease’ & distress.

Alopecia Areata is when round bald spots are present on your scalp. I started out this way but it has advanced into Ophiasis Alopecia. Ophiasis is when the hair over the ears and around to the back nape area are without hair – think of it as the reverse of when older men go bald on top but still have the horseshoe of hair over the ears and in the back. I am fortunate to be able to hide it with what hair I have, but I fear that will also fall out. So many people tell me it’s not that bad, that I have thick hair, but I don’t, I’m a stylist, I know how to make it look fuller – it’s my job.

I saw my dermatologist this week, and I was given more scalp injections in the smaller patches inside my hair. The nape and ear sections don’t respond to injections, so that area was not done. She also submitted the appropriate paperwork to get approval for Olumiant, a new drug that has shown good results in hair growth even on patients who have had no hair for thirty years! The downside is, of course, the side effects, as with all medications, and the cost, which is currently an insane $2200-$3400 per month. I cannot afford that (who can?), but if I get approved through the Olumiant trial, I would pay $25 per month at the most. Olumiant is a JAK inhibitor that helps treat RA and AA. You can read about it here. The more unsettling part of the side effects is that blood labs and such are checked regularly, every three months. I was resistant, but I am also super depressed about this alopecia. My dermatologist told me to embrace baldness, but I can’t.

We ALL have stress in our lives; it’s inescapable. My way of thinking is to do everything I can to reduce the level of stress and try to avoid stressors. I’ve been in much worse spots in my life, and I got through it so I know I can again. I also know this is not a life or death illness, and for that, I thank God. I’ve always been an empathetic person, and this has increased my knowledge, awareness, and empathy for others’ unique crosses to bear.

Sharing my story is a way to process it for me and a way for others who share a similar situation to not feel alone and in despair as I often do.

Below are a few pictures of my current hair loss.

Comfort Outside of Food

Posted on 09/15/2023 by Dawn Silva/InitiateWellness

Comfort comes in many forms and for each of us comfort means something very different from the next.

We all seek comfort. We look for it in our family members, our friends, sometimes strangers, nowadays we can reach out and find it through social media, we seek it from our pets, some look for it in cleaning, shopping, going to the gym, finding distraction in a movie; we also look to food for comfort and some look for it in a glass of wine, a bottle of beer or other alcohol. I’m sure there are hundreds more ways people look for and sometimes find comfort.

Along with looking for comforting situations comes the reason we seek it. Those reasons are endless and among them is stress, sadness, boredom, depression and loneliness.

Too often many comforts lead to less than healthy choices. We crave certain foods when we seek comfort. Particular textures and tastes have much to do with how we are feeling. Common cravings are sweets, carbs, junk foods and alcohol. Giving in to these cravings leads us into a downward spiral often leaving us feeling worse.

If you find yourself seeking comfort on a regular basis and turning to foods or activities that you know deep down isn’t doing your body of lifestyle any good, take a step back and make a decision to finally take care of YOU. Self-care is not selfish. Self-care is important for a healthy, happy and long life.

As a holistic health coach, I’ve helped people overcome their overwhelming desire to give in to self-sabotaging choices for seeking comfort. Is seeking unhealthy “comfort foods” getting you down? Let’s talk!

Working It Out

Posted on 08/29/2023 by Dawn

Hello all!

I’m giving a quick check-in here so that I don’t go into deep, self-loathing, hibernation from everyone. LOL! Halfway kidding…halfway there!

Ahh, anyhow, Alopecia areata, hypothyroid, Hashimoto’s – where am I to focus? I began my focus on hairloss. Hair is my work, of course losing patches and large areas of hair is freaking me out. Even if I weren’t a hairstylist, I believe it would still freak me out. Everyone agree??
Current hairloss photos below.

My dermatologist has approved my use of Olumiant, but I’m not a fan of all the risks and side-effects, so I chose to use that as a last resort and try new natural approaches. I also truly need to de-stress..a lot! I’m changing my focus to the real issue; Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.

I obediently took/take my levothyroxine with the belief that it would straighten all of me out, but it didn’t; it doesn’t. It only helps a little. It helps with TSH but it doesn’t quite get to the root of thyroid function. As of late, I’ve been deep diving into the thyroid hormone and its job and Hashimoto’s disease (dis-ease). My latest labs, mid-July, showed that my TSH is elevated again while T4 is in the normal range. My doctor increased the levothyroxine a smidge and I return for blood labs next week to see if that helped. Even if my TSH shows improvement, I won’t stop there because my Hashi. symptoms haven’t stopped.

I have started this week, making dietary changes little-by-little. The change is far from what I prefer but it has proven very beneficial for many. Dale is on board and these changes will be good for him too. The change I’m making is not so much paleo or carnivore but more a keto-carnivore WOE (way of eating). I will explain in better detail in my next post, when I can share personal experience after trying it for a few weeks. I too am still learning new ways of eating, even though I’m certified in holistic nutrition.

My favorite WOE is the Mediterranean diet, but for now I need to step back from it. I’m aso trying to limit other’s access to me. I am asked from all directions for help and favors on a regular basis. I have always been a yes person, as a result, saying no is difficult for me. Self-care, baby!!

In the beginning of this saga, I was focused on why this happened, and I was angry. But now I realize that the why is less important as the what now?

Hairloss is continuing. My thyroid is a bit wonky, still. I AM EXHAUSTED ALL THE TIME without good reason. I have a bit of brain fog but I also blame part of that on my willingness to say yes to everyone..that is probably a small part of feeling tired all the time too…here I am talking it out! LOL.

Do you have any of these symptoms? Issues? Dis-ease? Or even a different but equally taxing dis-ease, issue? Check in, let me know in comments below. Let’s talk!

My current hairline/hairloss. The tan makes it pop! Fortunately, I can still hide the bald areas.
8/29/23

Learning Not to Jump the Gun

Posted on 08/04/2023 by Dawn

Just a few weeks ago, I shared that my hair is growing back and doing well. Unfortunately, it isn’t the case now.

I’ve been super tired for no good reason – no good reason in my mind, anyhow. All this time I’ve been focusing intensely on my hair; putting the real issue on the back burner – Hashimoto’s.

A yearly physical, while not the most fun thing to do, is so important. It helps to get a running start on issues that if left unmonitored could lead to an emergency situation. That said, I had blood labs done for an upcoming physical and my TSH and TPO’s are way out of healthy range, again. This explains my exhaustion and jacked-up hair loss.

My doctor contacted me advising me to increase my Levothyroxine to 100mg 2 days a week and 50 mg 5 days a week. It’s only been a week since the increase, so we wait and see. I can list all the normal levels for each thyroid related count but I’ll spare you. For now, I’ll share my TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) level. Normally, it should be .40-4.20, optimally 1.00-1.20. My level is 5.46. Had my doctor not caught it until my physical in a few weeks, I’d likely be back up to 9 point something and filled with many more bald patches

What am I doing? Maybe I slacked off on supplements a little, taking only the daily regimen of multivitamin, fish oil, D³ and magnesium. I’ve been eating watermelon like crazy, craving it even. What I found out about the things I’m craving is, each of the foods are high in iron. My body wants, no, needs iron. So, back to the basics I go. Taking care of my thyroid as much as I am my hair fallout situation is imperative.

As I said before, many things start from the inside. If I can calm my autoimmune antibodies, they will stop attacking my thyroid gland and hair follicles and whatever other organs they choose to go after. It’s just nuts to me to think of my immune system going haywire. Upon looking at blood lab results a few years back, I noticed that my TSH was slowly rising. Stress can certainly cause that and I was absolutely stressed in 2017, ’18, ’19 and ’20. Knowing my thyroid was already stressed and on the rise, getting the Covid booster while on the verge of a sinus infection and bronchitis, helped those tiny antibodies put on the attack gear.

I’ve learned over the last year that more people have Hashimoto’s than I ever thought. I’ve also learned that 95% of the people with hypothyroid have Hashimoto’s and don’t know it yet due to low to no symptoms – other than TSH counts that synthetic thyroid hormone medication helps balance.

The thyroid is an important organ that we rarely think about until it gets attacked. If you have unexplained symptoms that hang around for a while, don’t hesitate to see your doctor. Be proactive so that you and your doctor don’t have to be reactive.

Until next time, Stand tall – Be mighty.

Hair & Hashimoto’s Update

Posted on 07/10/2023 by Dawn

Things are Looking Up!

My most recent visit to the dermatologist was last week. As mentioned in my last update, I opted to hold off on Olumiant because I have been seeing good results with the minoxidil and the supplements I have been faithfully taking. At my last appointment, the dermatologist agreed that things are still moving forward and doing well.

As far as my Hashimoto’s symptoms, I feel mostly good. I now know why I feel exhausted after a full day and I give myself the space and time to recover. As for joint pains, I don’t quit, I keep forging ahead because that’s who I am and what I do. I also know that after so many years of using and abusing specific joints, it’s likely normal to pop, crack and ache from time-to-time. We all ache as time progresses and progression in life is a good thing!

Through this experience, I have learned more about the body, about hair and what makes it or breaks its growth and I have more compassion for those with all forms of alopecia and even those with thinning hair. We honestly take hair for granted until we run into a problem with it. I feel that we all take a lot for granted such as breathing, strength, eyesight, sleep, food, relationships, money and so much more, until we find ourselves with lack of it.

This causes me to pause every day and to be thankful for the new day, the food, air, physical and emotional strength, love of family and friends and all the good things that I have been blessed with. It also causes me to focus and work on what I know I can improve for my personal good.

While it has been a long road, so far, I’m thankful that my alopecia areata situation is turning for the best. I’m thankful that it never got as severe as the dermatologist felt it would..yet, and I’m thankful for all that I have learned through this. I’m keeping a positive outlook and keeping these positive changes I have made as part of me from now on.

I plan to use my experience and knowledge to help others.

If you or someone you know is having hair loss or thinning issues, or wants to improve their diet and lifestyle, please feel free to reach out, I can give you tips or simply be here for support.

Live well, be well.

Photos of the hairloss journey..