Autoimmune Diseases Suck.

I know there are many people out there that can understand the pure frustration and overwhelming feelings that come from dealing with a cure-less disease (or two).  Autoimmune diseases can be associated with a range of symptoms including:
    -weight issues
    -itchy skin/rashes/hair loss
    -sore, weak or inflamed muscles/joints
    -infertility
    -digestive issues
    -mental fog, depression and sleep disturbances
    -general pain, fatigue, and feeling like crap

There are many days when I wake up that I hate my autoimmune diseases with a passion. They have affected my life so much in the last 6 years, and they still are. It drives me crazy that my body is at war with myself, and I feel selfish getting upset over issues that
1) I can't control no matter how hard I try and 
2) are not near as terrible or life threatening as what others deal with.  

Autoimmune diseases don't come with an exact cure, and once you have one disease, the chances of developing at least one more is very high. With both Alopecia and Hashimoto's, it has been an ongoing battle to figure out what triggers my symptoms to get better, why I'm suddenly feeling like crap, or why I'm experiencing a new symptom. Must. Stay. Positive.  Some days, when it's just incredibly hard to be positive and self confident, it's always good to take a step back sometimes and remember that I am still me whether or not I have hair or feel miserable. Being surrounded by positive friends and family is necessary for me and always helps. Controlling my disease doesn't always mean taking the right medicine, but should also involve taking control of my physical and mental health. 

If you are or know anyone dealing with Alopecia, I highly recommend this site:

http://www.alopeciaworld.com/

Having a visible condition like this can be very isolating and emotionally challenging at times.  This a great website for anyone looking for support, treatments, or how-to's.

As for Hashimoto's, I highly recommend this blog:

http://hypothyroidmom.com/
Her basis for starting the blog was "I was so pissed off about losing my unborn baby needlessly to hypothyroidism that I set out on a mission to build awareness." It's wonderful to see someone trying to help others out and spread awareness, and her blog is full of other links and resources.