"What you're experiencing isn't just a thyroid problem," Dr. Thomson said gently, leaning forward.
She pulled out her chair - that familiar squeak of medical office furniture - and leaned in close.
"Let me show you what's happening."
She pulled out a piece of paper and drew three circles.
"First - Hashimoto's keeps inflammation permanently switched on. Think about the last time you had a cold, you felt terrible, and then it just went away. That's how inflammation is supposed to work. With Hashimoto's, it never does."
"Second - your body has a natural off-switch for this inflammation. It's produced by selenium. But selenium has to be activated in the liver first. And your liver is already overwhelmed just processing the constant flood of inflammation. So it can't activate the selenium."
"Third - with the off-switch broken, the emergency never ends."
"Wait," I said. "So my liver was the missing piece this whole time?"