I began my journey when I was 28 years old. I contracted pneumonia. I was terribly sick, but even after the antibiotics were done, I was still exhausted. I found out I was hypothyroid. I was put on medicine. This didn't sit well with me. I was a professional horseback rider. I was young, athletic, and generally prided myself on my good health habits. I spent my days outside and I was doing something that I loved. Why would I need to be on medicine for the rest of my life? That is what my doctor told me. Frustrated, I began to investigate on my own. I made some lifestyle changes. Then, when I was in my mid-30's and trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant, my specialist doctor casually mentioned that my bloodwork showed that I had an autoimmune condition called Hashimoto's. "Hashi-what?" I remember thinking? "What is he talking about? How could this be true? I am so healthy! Why did my regular doctor never tell me about this?" That is when my real journey began, and over a decade later it is still going. One of the most frustrating things about Hashimoto's autoimmune condition is that the people who you think you can go to for advice and help, like your doctor or your endocrinologist, are very little help at all. They simply look at your bloodwork or ultrasound and make suggestions about tweaking your medicine doses. Instead, I have had to seek out many independent doctors, all of whom I have had to pay for out of pocket. This has taken personal resilience and perseverance. I have had to forge my own way. I have made major lifestyle changes. I take a barrage of supplements every day to support my immune system and thyroid function. I have drastically changed my eating habits to improve my gut function. Even though I was never a picky eater, I now constantly get asked why I can't eat gluten. It is very hard for people to understand, and I never like being the one with 'dietary restrictions' when eating with friends. I have adjusted my workouts to be more mid-range instead of high-intensity so as not to over-tax my adrenal system. Even though my life is very busy, I have to fiercely defend my sleep time. All of these things, I would never have wished for. At the same time, however, they have all made me stronger. In an odd way, I am more healthy than most of the people I know. I am now 47. I am fit and active. I see people much younger than me who can't make it through the day with the same energy level that I have. Having Hashimoto's has made me become disciplined mentally and physically in ways that I might not have been if I hadn't learned of my diagnosis. In 2018 I decided to go back to school. In 2021 I earned a master's degree in psychology. I am now enrolled in a MS program at the University of Florida in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology and I hope to pursue my PhD in human performance. I have opened a performance psychology coaching business. Some of the people I help have chronic illness. It is my hope that holistically treating autoimmune conditions will become the norm instead of the exception. My passion is mindset, however, not medicine. With the skills that I am learning in graduate school, I hope to help other men and women persevere and live their best lives through mental outlook and discipline, even in the face of a lifelong disease.

The first choice Billy and I made was to get Tessa. Tessa was a three-month-old border collie. I remember the day we brought her home. She was scared during the thirty-minute car ride. Billy drove and I held her, wrapped in a towel, in my lap. I wasn't sure if I would be a good parent, or be able to help her to adjust to leaving her litter mates. When we got home, we both lay on the floor and played with her. Her intelligent little eyes lit up and soon she started to smile and play. My heart melted. She was our girl. Two months later, one of Tessa's sisters was going to be returned. She hadn't settled into her new home well. Her energy level was too high and she would shriek in fear and discomfort every time she was left alone. I told Billy we needed her. One for each of us, and the sisters would have each other. Billy was unsure. He loved giving all of his attention to Tessa. The new puppy was very wild compared to our little girl. Thankfully, though, he gave in. We named our second little girl Talia. Billy would be gone during the day, but I was working from home and in school online. I worked with Talia and Tessa every day. Talia had severe abandonment fear. I hugged her and loved her and let her know that she was all right. She had us now, and she had her sister. We worked on gaining physical skills like running, jumping, playing, and catching a frisbee. I began to be able to separate her from Tessa at night in different crates, and gradually her fears subsided. That was two years ago. Now our little girls are grown up. Everyone told me that border collies are one-person dogs. I don't see that in ours. These two girls think that both Billy and I hung the moon, and we feel the same way about them. They spend most of their daily time with me as I work and complete school, but every day Billy takes them on long walks and plays frisbee with them. We take them on adventures to dog-friendly restaurants and to the beach. We both miss them terribly when we have to be away. There have been many hard moments in my life in the past few years, and sacrifices I have had to make to push forward with my career goals. These dogs have carried me through. When I lost my last dog four years ago, he took a piece of my heart with him. I had no idea when Tessa and Talia came into my life that they would give me their hearts to help fill my own. I can't imagine my life without them.