Grave disease

hey @DnzCal,

i don't have a grave disease myself, but i can relate to the struggle of balancing things in terms of work/study when i was dealing with my own mental health. like you, at the time i didn't realise how much it impacted me.

if i could go back, i would tell myself to take things slow. i'd lighten my workload and stop comparing myself to my peers. i also wish i reached out to the uni for support earlier. have you reached out to support at your uni? are there ways to make your plate a lil lighter (i.e. less subjects per semester)?

Hey @DnzCal, Graves’ disease, sounds rough, is rough 😌. A bit tough on the body and the mind, I do wonder if you are regularly in touch with GP or maybe a specialist. If not may be worth looking into, stress can make thyroid blood tests worse but also stress can be a sign thyroid function could be worsening (chicken or the egg right?)

For me I don’t have graves (offical diagnosis), however, it is likely the prediction. The toughest thing to accept for me is that’s it’s autoimmune and essentially nothing you can really do about it (in simple terms of course). It’s a bit out of our control which can be uncomfortable and sometimes I think “why me”. I was all booked for a surgery after waiting awhile for a date recently, however I can’t have the surgery now as my thyroid is too out of control they want to stabilise it first which will take some months. I now am on medicine I tried hard not to go on (which is a hurdle in itself and twice daily, regularly, honestly it sucks atm).They have planned for me to see the endocrinology team again so maybe in the end I’ll have two things managed my thyroid and then surgery, so maybe it will work out! I just am trying to focus on the long term goal too.

It might be useful to re check in with you GP etc re you condition and perhaps even though “toughing it out” is commendable and strong you don’t need to, hopefully like @rav3n mentioned speaking with someone at the uni as-well? That could help.

I am not sure if you are able or want to share what you are studying at uni but hopefully apart from the challenges I hope you are enjoying other parts of it too.

Take care and hats off to you, thyroid issues are complex for the little organ it is in our neck, who would have thought it could give us this much trouble? 🤯,

I think it is definitely an underestimated organ in our body for most people but hey it always makes for an interesting discussion when you get talking!

Hello @Chasingsunsets , i am in touch with them atm, my next appointment is next tuesday. I think bcs of im not local, but international student, i did escaped them before... many years. Wasnt too aware of what insurance can help. And the cost is too pricey for specialist.. but later on after more discussion, turned out they cover.. i start going to checkup more regularly from this year, last year not too much. I will meet my GP again Tuesday, so will see from there. I did communicated with uni before around covid era.. but didnt get much help, and a year after i shared my concern but they didnt do anything much to help, they just asked me to change my degree. Only recently this week, one of them called me to check up on me, bcs i failed too many subjects from around covid time, and they will put me to be in touch with disability team. So, apparently, our condition is part of hidden disability. Which i was unawared of. And they will also provide more support for me. I hope then i can cope more better.

I am doing nursing study and yeah it is not easy to memorise many things. And the last time i studied biology in school was year 8, so a bit more challenging. Actually i wanna study something else, this degree is more of my uncle decision.. so i just hope i can finish it regardless.

Thank you for sharing your story. I hope everything goes well with your treatment and surgery as well.. i know it aint easy.. i believe a brighter day will come for all of us ❤️