grandma zoomie@ravenousreader
For 5 years I’d suspected I had Graves’ disease. My grandmother had it, I had symptoms - especially elevated rhr. As an athlete, I closely monitored these things. Every time I asked for a thyroid panel they only tests TSH. It was always”normal”.
Then, suddenly, I started soaking my sheets at night. I couldn’t run because my heart would pound. I had a baby recovering from open heart surgery, and husband that was never home.
I started spending all day on the couch. I couldn’t breathe. I went to urgent care. They test tsh - normal, rhr 80 - Norma ish sent me home (my “normal” rhr at the time was 52).
Husband returns home. We go to Lowe’s. I am too weak to go in with him. When he returns to the car I am unconscious.
He drives across the highway to the ER and carries me in.
High white blood cell count, enlarged thymus, They diagnose me with leukemia. I see my GP. She FINALLY did a full thyroid panel.
T3/t4 readings are highest possible.
Liver enzymes dangerously high.
TSH essentially zero
RHR 120.
I am diagnosed with “Thyroid storm”. A life threatening event.
I receive no treatment AT ALL and am given a 1 month wait to see an endocrinologist.
I start having hallucinations. I go to the ER, with this diagnosis and the tell me it’s anxiety.
I am lucky to be alive.
When I finally see the endocrinologist he says, and I kid you not, “if you wouldn’t have been an elite athlete you’d probably be dead.”
THATS A FRIKKIN LOT YOU TWIT.
I guess I was just being a “hysterical female” that whole time…
