Are you the Healthiest Sick Person You Know?

In the summer of 2012, I committed to seriously start writing my book, Hashimoto’s: The Root Cause — and in the process, I was able to get my Hashimoto’s into remission. 🙂 I first shared my success story and my strategies in the summer of 2013 in Hashimoto’s: The Root Cause!

Since then, I’ve received thousands of stories from people who have had similar successes with getting their Hashimoto’s under control by following the same strategies I used to get myself well! Who knew that sharing my success story would lead to so many other people recovering their health!

Today, I feel happy and free. All of my thyroid symptoms are gone. People I meet are shocked to learn that I haven’t always been fit, strong, happy, and healthy. When I tell them I used to have chronic fatigue, bald spots, panic attacks, depression, and acne, people are surprised and almost in disbelief. “You seem like the person that just never stresses out and who’s really happy-go-lucky” — this is a common phrase people tell me nowadays, and I get frequent compliments on my hair, skin tone, and fitness level.

I’m sharing all of this because I want you to know what’s possible for you. You may feel like you’re too far gone to be helped… or that none of these weird natural strategies will ever work — or even worse, that you’ve tried everything and still are the “healthiest” sick person you know!

Some people I meet now ask me if I’ve ever been sick… if Hashimoto’s actually impacted me. “It’s a spectrum, you probably didn’t have it that bad,” they say.

Little do they know…

Rewind to my birthday back in 2011. Here are some photos of me.

I hate sharing these pictures, but I am doing so with the hope that they help you know that you can get better.

I was freezing when everyone else was warm.

I hated wearing my hair up because of the bald spots on the sides.

I was super thin, yet super bloated.

I felt awful.

My skin, which was previously shiny and clear, became a dull color, and I was plagued by cystic acne. My lion’s mane had shrunk to a tiny ponytail the size of a pencil or two.

I was EXHAUSTED! I lost weight to the point where I didn’t even want to wear high heels because I looked so gaunt.

My allergies were so awful — I was reacting to everything indoor and outdoor, and was dependent on antihistamines, steroid nasal sprays, and eye drops. I was miserable.

I was going to my sister-in-law’s wedding and I was a bridesmaid. But I felt so ugly. And my dress was too big and falling off of me. My sister-in-law looked so beautiful in her dress, and my curves were gone and I felt like a shell of my former self.

I lost so much collagen in my face that my nose started drooping.

I was hoping that nobody would have noticed, but people were whispering about how sick I looked and kept telling my husband that I was anorexic. He was embarrassed by me and wasn’t supportive of my diet.

“Why don’t you eat some pizza or a cheeseburger? This is ridiculous, you look sicker than you did when you first started to ‘heal’ yourself!” he would say to me. I would explain that I was on a special healing diet and that gluten made me sick, and my husband said, “Obviously, it’s not working for you — you’re thin as a rail and everyone’s worried about you. Everyone else is eating normal and they are so much healthier than you are. You should just deal with it. Eat like everyone else and stop this nonsense!” But I couldn’t go back to gluten because one crumb would make me even sicker than before!

I felt like the laughing stock of the entire family because I was the one who was always trying to be healthy and make dietary changes, but I was the sickest of us all. VERY FRUSTRATING.

Worst of all, I thought I was going crazy. I had panic attacks and constant emotional outbursts. I lost my temper quickly and often broke into tears at the slightest provocation.

I thought my husband was going to leave me, and I almost gave up on our relationship. And then, I feared that I would be alone forever. Who would want someone who was as big of a mess as I was? How would I ever go out to dinner on a first date? What would I order to eat? I wanted to have children, but felt like I would be a horrible mother to them. I could barely take care of myself.

I began to isolate myself from my friends — I couldn’t go out with girlfriends for a drink without suffering for many days after because alcohol made me so sick. I tried to host friends at my house for dinner, but gave up after one friend told me that my food sensitivities were all in my head.

I skipped my cousin’s wedding in Poland because I was afraid of getting “glutened” in a foreign country and ruining the wedding.

My world was getting smaller and smaller.

My 29th birthday was tough. I usually take my birthday off from work to reflect and relax. I did this again, but instead of enjoying the day, I broke down crying. I felt so alone, and like I would never get better. I hurt. I felt like I was getting nowhere on my own. Even with all of the money I had wasted on doctors, I was still f***ing sick.

My parents came over to spend the day with me, which was my saving grace. You see, my mom is not just a doctor, but a true healer — and she believed in me. She told me that I needed to get better, so I could help others like me. I had lost faith in doctors and people in general, but I knew that my mom was a good person, a wise person, and realized that there were people in the world that wanted to help me and wanted to support me in my journey.

And she was right — eventually, I figured it out.

• The GAPS diet, which is high in nuts like almonds, was exacerbating my copper toxicity, which caused cystic acne on my skin and depleted my zinc, preventing me from healing my skin, gut, and body.
• The parasite in my gut was guaranteeing that I would continue losing more and more foods, no matter the diet…
• My adrenals were shot, making me feel like a basket case and causing me to mismanage my weight (note: some people get really thin like I did, others balloon up with adrenal issues).
• My poor liver was overwhelmed with the toxins from the parasite, the partially digested foods, medications, and breaking down all of the antibodies I was forming to my own body, that I was on the verge of multiple chemical sensitivity and reacting to EVERYTHING!

And I’ve gone on to help thousands of people recover their health too, and this is really a dream come true for me. I’ve wanted to be a healer ever since I was a little girl and watched my powerful mom. I want to help you recover yours as well, because I know that you have dreams and goals that you can’t follow because your health is getting in the way.

People often ask me how I’m doing today…

You’ve seen my professional headshots on my website. I paid a photographer friend from Los Angeles to take photos from a good angle and got my hair professionally done in my white pharmacist’s coat. I may not seem like a real person to you, but I am.

I’m still human and get the occasional breakout, get annoyed with people in my life and get tired if I push myself too much… but on most days, I feel vibrant and happy and can follow my dreams!

My life is dramatically better because I didn’t give up on myself.

Here are some snapshots from my life now. #nofilter

I can travel again! This is me hanging out in Gdansk, Poland with my amazing cousin, Polish novelist Oliwia Tybulewicz (the one whose wedding I missed when I was sick — I got to meet her husband and baby). <3

Not afraid of a little close-up! Look ma! No more bald spots or breakouts!

Laughing and drinking wine with my husband and friends. Though I’m not a frequent drinker and I love my healthy lifestyle, I can drink wine without feeling awful for a few days after like I used to. That’s asparagus in my teeth. ;-))

I’ve recovered my health. And I know you can recover your health too. I’m here and I want to help because I know how much it sucks to be sick. I was a real live sick person struggling with my health, just like you. It took my pharmacist’s brain, and a ton of self-experimentation, to get myself well. I did it, and you can too.

• Do you feel depressed and like you’ll never get better?
• Do you feel like your energy is at zero, and you can’t get any worse?
• Have doctors tried and failed to help you?
• Have your antibodies gone through the roof and you have no clue what to do next?
• Maybe your relationship with your family has become strained because you’re finding them super frustrating and have become short-tempered with them despite your best efforts… and they just don’t get that you’re trying to get better…
• Is your hair thinning all over, and are you worried that you won’t have much left?
• Has your anxiety taken over your life?
• Have you been to numerous doctors, allergists, endocrinologists, even natural doctors, who didn’t know what to do with you…?

I want you to know that you can get better!

Whether you find the courage and strength in yourself, or in your family, or a practitioner, or books, or whatever the case, I want you to take care of yourself and take charge of your health. My wish for you is that you make this commitment to yourself! I don’t want you to miss out on life because of your health — like I did.

And if you’re looking for a guide, I’m here to help you. I have a ton of helpful blog posts on my website, my Root Cause book has been an excellent resource for thousands of people now, and my Hashimoto’s Self-Management Program is helping people recover their health every day!

If you’re looking for a deep, focused dive into addressing Hashimoto’s and the many symptoms you are challenged with, I’m confident that my course can help you. How do I know?

I hired a professional interviewer to spend 40 hours interviewing 20 people who had taken the course, to learn about their experience. Here’s what people have said:

• “My improvements were the big change in energy and sleep.”
• “This program single-handedly changed my IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).”
• “I certainly feel like I would never have gotten this far without Izabella. She is so empowering – I wouldn’t have made it this far.”
• “You are calling the shots on your care. I knew I had to do this. No one but you is at the head of your care – that is so key to understand.”
• “You name it I’ve tried it! I felt like I was getting nowhere on my own. This course has been life changing! I finally have a light at the end of the tunnel. I’m not alone. I’m not crazy. I have great support. I refer to this as my bible – this is what has saved me. I’m going to live. I’m not young to die! Life is worth living. I am finally here I can see a way back to the beautiful blue sky!”
• “My stress level is reduced I’m quite calm.”
• “Thanks to the recommended supplements, my cold sores have stopped occurring.”
• “I would not have finished my PhD without this course, this was life changing, I feel so much better.”
• “My food reactions are down- I can have tomatoes again! I feel good, my hair is back, I’m cleaning up my life one stage at a time.”
• “I thank you in my prayers every night. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I am very grateful for you.”
• “My self-esteem has recovered. Before I thought… I’m doing everything and NOTHING is working. This is working so my self-esteem returned. No more DEFEAT! It works. BUT..you have to follow it to the tee. You get out what you put in.”
• “Down 18 pounds so far and still going. My hair is growing back (it was nearly bald on top).”
• “I was having BMs only 2-3 times per week now its 2-3 times a day. I used to have hemorrhoids and now they’re gone). Stopped taking my heart medicine (under doctor’s care). My blood pressure was 175 over 112 and now it’s normal.”

This program is for you:

• If you want to learn more about how to take charge of your condition
• If you are willing to dig for your root cause
• If you are a self-starter who likes to “hack” your own health
• If you know the basics, but want an advanced understanding
• If you’re ready to take back your health and live the life you deserve!

This program is not for you:

• If you are medically unstable, and in need of urgent medical attention (please see a doctor ASAP)
• If you are not willing or able to change your diet, do advanced lab testing, take supplements, or work with your doctor to change your medications
• If you do not have the time to commit to two to four hours of study each week
• If you do not want to learn more about your condition
• If you want someone else to “heal” you without participating in your healing

I do not heal you in the course. Rather, I teach you how to be your own healer so that you can reduce your dependency on the medical system and be in tune with your body. Because let’s face it, if someone else heals you, they have all of the power. And most doctors are only trained to provide band-aid care that makes you come back time and time again. Rather than giving you fish, I teach you to fish. I teach you to be more resilient so that you can face life’s health challenges and take back your power.

You’re already more powerful than you think, and your body can heal if given the right support.

While I’ve studied the best medications during my pharmacist training (and I’ll teach you how to utilize those to your benefit), I have found that there are often natural and safe treatments that can work better than most medications.

The course includes:

• 12 modules focused on recognizing your triggers, and practical solutions for eliminating them and getting you to feel better
• A quick search Q&A database of 1000+ questions asked by past program participants
• A Root Cause Assessment based on hundreds of my clients’ root causes and triggers
• 3 months of access to my Root Cause Recipes database with 600+ Paleo and Autoimmune Paleo recipes with a root cause twist
• And much more to support you on your journey!

The course is self-paced and you can do one module each week, or each month (though I do encourage you to take action).

My goal is to empower you with the information you need so that you can be in charge of your own health and take your health back. I am confident that this program will help you do that! You can learn more about this program HERE.

P.S. You want to know something about those other family members? They came around. They began to see that I was getting better, and they started following my recommendations too. My husband saw that the things I was doing were working, and began to support me.

And I’m glad that I didn’t listen to him when he told me to give up… because our family and friends can’t help us. They are afraid things will get worse, and that’s why they’re not supportive. That’s why we have to help ourselves, and as they see us getting better, they will become more supportive. So don’t lose hope. As your health guide, I can show you the shortcuts and roads that lead you back to recovering your health!

P.P.S. You’re so much more powerful than you think!