RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN - Since the age of 20, Misty Smith, now 49, had been struggling with thyroid issues, experiencing episodes of choking and difficulty breathing. After many years of ultrasounds, biopsies, and consultations with various doctors, she was diagnosed with Hashimoto's, an autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks the thyroid, leading to fatigue and other non-life-threatening symptoms. “Despite this diagnosis, I just lived with these challenges and continued to see .