I faced the first of what was to be many conundrums as a parent with a chronic illness: do I do what is best for me, or my child? What if what is best for him is actually worse for the family unit as it entails such a negative impact on me that I cannot care for him to the extent I otherwise could?

I believe that my son and daughter saved my life. During this difficult period of my life, all I wanted to do was go home and be a mother to my children. Knowing how much they needed me, strengthened my resolve to claw my way back to them.

The "damn good" labor story that thankfully ended happily but ended with a diagnosis of lupus and sjogren's on top of hashimoto's, and the attitude and mindset shift that brought strength on top of a great sense of humor.

With my moves across different nations during my lifetime, what has surprised me is how disjointed and poor it can seem in some of the developed countries as well. The narrative that follows highlights my journey with my eventual diagnosis of Hypothyroidism, and various other related maladies. I hope that women from across the globe will benefit from the nuggets of information embedded in my experiences, and go on to make better, more informed decisions about their personal healthcare.

At a year and a half postpartum I’m feeling more optimistic about balancing life as the mother of a toddler and coping with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. I remember last year coping with this condition wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. I was dealing with symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, and it was taking a while to get back to a regular monthly cycle.