I'll keep it as short as possible. I have Hashimoto's, an autoimmune thyroid condition, and I renewed my efforts to reverse it about a year ago when "The Thyroid Secret" webinar series came out. There was little to no info available re the underlying root cause of autoimmunity when I was diagnosed in 2001. I was simply told by an Endocrinologist, who I am thankful to for pegging the diagnoses quickly, that I should not worry about it: the solution was that once my thyroid was destroyed to a high enough degree, I could get on synthetic hormones at a fairly low cost and be dependent on it for my life!.
. That did NOT sound like a good plan! 
If my body was indeed attacking itself, that WAS something wrong! Fortunately, nowadays, there is so much more information (communities) online about it, for that and for things like this. 
The increased communication we have via the internet allows for a kind of revolution in medical practice, driven by lots of solo or group "experimenters" coming together to try to make sense. It's neat. 
It may not be as painstakingly controlled, but we need answers.I did discover a vitamin D deficiency in 2010 or so, and that I was a genetic carrier for hyperinsulinism. I wondered if that latter explained my apparent sensitivity to and at the same time dependence on sugar? I have not worked with Dr.s and have not taken hormones. I have been on the AIP (elimination) diet since March and have felt much better since then - although I still allow too many "sugars" in the form of juice, maple syrup, fruit, honey, and wine.
Part of the Hashimoto's protocol (I have been using Izabella Wentz book) is to look for your root cause(s). The elimination of food triggers really helps, but sometimes there can be another underlying cause (viral, adrenal, etc.) which requires you to dig deeper. You can tell by your symptoms and antibodies. One thing to do is to check your MTHFR status, SO I ordered 23andme and got the raw data. I found out that I have 3 homozygous mutations in my methylation/detox pathways (MTHFR C77T, MTRR, and SOD2). SOD is superoxide dismutase key in limiting oxidative damage. I think the methylation status also decreases my bodies ability to get rid of metals, like mercury. I have 2 heterozygous in COMT which would then effect whatever solution there is for the others. This MTHFR issue seems to require another protocol, and more testing, to "fix" nutrigenomically. I find the methylation cycle very complex!
Also, when the 23andme out of the box reports came before that, they had (behind an extra button that said essentially "are you sure you want to KNOW this information???") APOE status. I pressed it without hesitation and found out mine was e4/e4.
It said that meant the absolute risk for European females (higher than males and higher than other ancestries) was about 65% by age 85. (I think those were the numbers.). My first reaction was to be actually not too surprised. I knew I was at risk. My paternal grandfather died of "Alzheimer's "in his late 70's, as did his eldest son (except they called his "Lewy bodies"), and my father died just 2 years ago in his early 70's of severe dementia, which they had called a "Parkinsonian Lewy body" form of Alzheimer's. To me they are all just flavors on a spectrum (not tasty). On my Dad's side, only my paternal grandmother and my aunt did/do not have it. My cousin, son of the uncle, has acute autoimmune issues. On my mother's side, both of her parents lived into their late nineties/early 100's - they had no memory of who anyone was before passing. It wasn't labelled Alzheimer's - it was another kind of dementia it effected them each for 5-10 years. My mom is still fine mentally and in her early seventies. (I am in my forties and my memory seems sometimes a bit weak to me, but its hard to say if that is brain fog from thyroid or what).I did some googling and that has given me an increasing sense of dread about e4/e4. Everything I have seems to increase risk of Az's
Family history, European ancestry, female, sub-clinical low thyroid, chronically low vitamin D levels, MTHFR/MTRR impairment, SOD impaired, chronic autoimmunity. Most of those factors increase the risk of Az's in addition to the e4/e4. I feel like "the perfect storm". I feel like it's all connected too, and that if I can solve autoimmunity/methylation, that I will be already most of the way there on doing the best possible on Alzheimer's prevention. All I can do is the best that is possible with the information I have today, which is a lot more than there was in the past. My Dad and grandfather never had a chance to look at this. (I am not sure, come to think of it, if they even knew they had anything.) Now there are several different protocols (Wentz for Hashimoto's, Yasko for MTHFR, Bredesen's for Alzheimer's prevention) for the different problems. How do I combine or reconcile them when they contradict, which they often do?
I am trying to find a functional medicine Dr. now. There is someone named Michelle Eads. I'm sorry that wasn't "short"! I guess it is a relief to talk to others who have the same.
