011: Living With Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - With Anna Arrey

Living African

Dear listeners, this week - we will be talking about “Living with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis”. We will be having Anna Arrey on this episode(11) to discuss her journey with this disease, raise awareness, and share the lessons learned through battling this disease with you. So firstly, what is Hashimoto's Thyroiditis?

Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disorder affecting the thyroid gland. The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of the neck just below the Adam's apple. The thyroid produces hormones that help regulate many functions in the body. An autoimmune disorder is an illness caused by the immune system attacking healthy tissues. In Hashimoto's disease, immune-system cells lead to the death of the thyroid's hormone-producing cells. The disease usually results in a decline in hormone production (hypothyroidism).

It is our hope that by the end of this conversation – you learn something new, become more aware of this disease through Anna's experience, and equip yourself with knowledge you or a loved one may need.

Things You Will Learn in This Episode:

[00:01 – 03:00] Introduction

• Introducing our guest - Anna Arrey

[03:00 – 40:00] Anna Shares Her Journey

• Life growing up in Cameroon
• Getting diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis
• The impact of the diagnosis on her life
• Getting a wrong diagnosis in Cameroon
• Traveling to India for treatment
• Spending three months in India

[40:00 – 1:10:24] Further Diagnosis & Treatment

• Finding alternative medicine
• The impact support groups had on her
• Linking up with foreign doctors
• Dealing with insensitive words from the community
• The importance of having a support system
• We must show more empathy and less judgment
• How to get in touch with Anna

[1:10:00 – 1:09:00] Final Words

• Anna's final words
• Anyoh’s final words

Tweetable Quotes

“I've learned that if you put God at the center of your life, he's going to be there for you. I am a testimony of God's grace.” - Anna Arrey

“I'm going to use the opportunity to give a huge shout-out to those Uncles and Aunties and family members that step up for the other family members and take the role of a parent to other family members who are definitely not their children – directly or biologically. So, I just want to give a shout-out to your [Anna's] uncle and auntie and tell them that, we really appreciate them here at Living African Podcast for everything that they have done for you.” - Anyoh Fombad

“I don't let anybody stress me. I walk away from shitty people – negative and toxic people. If I find out you are a toxic person, trust me. I won’t even say good morning.” - Anna Arrey

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Check out our website www.livingafricanpodcast.com for more resources and to learn more. Connect with host, Anyoh: You can connect with Anyoh on Facebook (@anyohf), Instagram (@anyohfombad), and Twitter (@anyohfombad).