I’m ScientistSeeking (AKA Allison). I’m a physicist by degree, electrical engineer by trade, and aspiring neuroscientist (currently back in school becomming a nurse practitioner). I was diagnosed in November 2009 with a rare neuroendocrine disorder called Hashimoto’s Encephalopathy (HE), it is also more generally called Steroid Responsive Encephalopathy related to Autoimmune Thyroiditis (SREAT).

I am fortunate that I finally have the correct diagnosis, but unfortunately I was diagnosed with something that very few doctors have ever treated. Considering this disease can cause irreversible brain damage, I decided I was going to learn everything I possibly can about HE and really take an active role in my treatment.

My doctor and I decided we are going to collect data on more patients and probably write a case study. Of course this involves a lot of research. So that is one reason why I started a blog (henotebook.wordpress.com), to act as my scientific notebook.

After joining an email forum for HE patients called HELPS, I realized other people are just as curious and research minded as I am. That is the other reason I started this blog, to save others a little legwork in their research.

I am primarily focused on the most recent case studies. I also have been a willing guinea pig in different treatments, as the current accepted treatments for this disease give side effects almost as bad as the disease itself.

If you want to read about the personal side of my illness (or whatever else I choose to blog about every day) you can check out my personal blog at http://scientistseeking.wordpress.com