My Graves' disease story
I loved having Graves' disease. I had energy to spare. Of course, by the time I realized I had Graves' disease, most of my symptoms were gone and clinically, I only had a subclinical disorder. Subclinical hyperthyroidism is not usually treated since it can easily resolve on its own. It's no wonder that by the time of my diagnosis, the hypertension I was diagnosed with in my 20's had disappeared.
In retrospect, I realize that my symptoms peaked in my mid-20's after the birth of my children. Then, at 5'8" I weighed 115 lbs although I seemed to be eating all the time. After being diagnosed with hypertension in my late 20's, I changed my lifestyle...I quit smoking and started aerobics. By my late 30's when I was diagnosed with Graves' disease, my blood pressure was normal and I weighed 135 lbs. I was in excellent health except for occasional problems with allergies.
I was inadvertently diagnosed with GD shortly before I turned 40 when my allergist noticed my thyroid was enlarged. Working in a hospital laboratory, I ran my own lab tests and discovered that I had a low TSH indicating subclinical hyperthyroidism. Despite having no worrisome symptoms, I got caught up in the drama of having a disease.
At the time of my diagnosis my only symptoms were mild irritability and impulsiveness. In fact, I was a dynamo, working full-time, attending graduate school, raising a family, doing aerobics, and volunteering at a nursing home.
Considering my mild symptoms, I should have waited. However, the attention that accompanies a medical diagnosis prompted me to find a quick solution. Consequently, I rushed into having radioiodine ablation. Since, I've never felt as good as I used to. I have severe hypothyroidism, and I have pretibial myxedema. In addition, in 2007, an ultrasound showed a solitary nodule, which I'll need regular follow-ups for. I've since found that nodules and adenomas are common occurrences in remaining thyroid tissue.
In retrospect, I likely had Graves' disease since early childhood. My predominant symptoms changed over time and I managed to keep them in line naturally without knowing what caused these symptoms. Up to a third of all GD patients go into spontaneous remission each year. I could have been one of them. ♦
