Dr. Sannelli became convinced that she had an undiagnosed thyroid condition after learning about the signs and symptoms while training at the Institute for Functional Medicine. Even though she had been tested for two routine thyroid markers which came back negative, Dr. Sannelli took a step further and went to an endocrinologist. She asked to be tested for thyroid antibodies, which ended up returning positive results, indicating an autoimmune condition called Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Subsequently, she had an ultrasound done of her thyroid, and it showed a nodule with blood vessels going to it. She knew that was not a good sign, and requested a biopsy. The endocrinologist insisted a biopsy was not necessary, and that the nodule was there because of the Hashimoto's. Dr. Sannelli trusted her intuition, and the biopsy revealed that the nodule was cancerous. She needed a total thyroidectomy, and thanks to her training in nutrition and functional medicine, she takes the nutrients needed to support her body without a thyroid. Dr. Sannelli has never felt better!

The lesson she learned as both a patient and doctor is that if someone has most of the signs and symptoms of a condition, regardless of "normal" baseline markers, dig deeper to find the root cause. Don't give up until you have answers and solutions. It can save your life!