iviThei mdcdaelcinfd o c elllllrlllll tThhsbbThlkspctvlu -yg.oACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First and foremost, I would like to thank my loving husband, Michael,
who has supported me throughout this process. Thank you, Honey, for
sticking with me when I was bloated, grumpy, and lethargic. Thank you
for providing the extra warmth when I was inconsolably cold. And thank
you for trying all of my new diets with me. Most of all, thank you for
loving me and for listening to my ever-evolving theories on my thyroid
health. I am so lucky to have you and love you infinitely!
I also want to thank my brilliant mom—the best doctor I have ever had—for
always believing in me and giving me so many wonderful ideas. We have
spent countless hours bouncing health care theories off one another with
much benefit. Thank you for the reminders to keep moving forward.
I also want to thank my dad and brother for their support and efforts to
make me feel better.
To my wonderful friends April and Wendy: thank you for your encour-
agement, support, and willingness to listen to all of my nontraditional
theories.
I am grateful to be living in the digital age, when one can find hope and
reassurance in stories of those undergoing similar circumstances. Thank
you for sharing your stories!
Last but not least, I want to thank all of the wonderful clinicians I have
had the pleasure of meeting. Each has given me one or more pieces to this
puzzle and offered me directions to the next destination in my journey. I
especially want to thank Elena Koles, MD, PhD, my personal physician,
for guiding me along my journey and encouraging me to be an active
member of my health care team.