In August of 2014, I wake up one morning as if beginning a normal day. To my surprise, when entering the bathroom, a glance in the mirror traumatized me. I see my scalp and realize that a significant amount of hair on top of my head is gone. There is some hair but I can see my scalp! I begin smacking my cheeks, hoping I am in the middle of a bad dream. This is not the case. Without time to waste, the scrambling begins to get ready to visit my hairstylist. I remember walking in to find a group of people staring at me. The stylist advises me to go home and call my family doctor immediately because there is definitely something wrong. Life Beyond The Grave is the beginning of a metaphor describing the illness of autoimmune disease and how your body is affected for years to come.

After returning home, I double-check my pillowcase and bathtub for hair before dialing my family practitioner’s office. The front desk receptionist tells me that it is alright to head to the office right away. I begin the journey of my life-changing forever. We discuss hormone problems and she puts me on medication because apparently, estrogen grows hair. I am totally in the dark but I am willing to try anything. Over the next four months, I find myself experiencing many symptoms that left me panicking often. Insomnia becomes a normal part of my life. Now my body is itching all over. This only happens at night-time, and it feels like I am itching from the inside out. Crazy, I know, but just exhausting! No lead way on the hair loss so I  started using Nioxin hair products and biotin supplements for hair, skin, and nails.

Christmas time is near. I feel agitated, exhausted, and arguing with people in my life. I manage to get through the holiday. Truly my heart is sad because I love people. I find joy in helping others. The day after Christmas, I am in bed sick and find myself bedridden for five days. I can only struggle to the bathroom and back to bed. Vomiting every couple of hours made me extremely week but I was able to keep fluids in me. Finally, I am bouncing back. Apologizing to family and friends, I explain, I think I have a bug that I just cannot get rid of. My heart is racing and skipping beats at certain points of the day. Body tremors occur if too much is happening.

February is approaching. I am looking forward to Valentine’s Day! I begin to feel rough again as if the flu is still haunting me. It is now the last week in February. I am back in bed vomiting, extremely sick and weak. It is Monday, March 2, 2015, and I am on my way to the emergency room. It took three and a half hours to find out that I was very sick and the problem is my Thyroid. Advice is given that the situation is not something I caught recently. The emergency room doctor informs me that in fact, the illness has been with me for a while, possibly back to childhood. I am feeling anxious and fearful because the only information I know is that something is wrong with my Thyroid!

I return home and contact my family doctor. She is able to see me right away and explains that I have Graves’ Disease. What the heck is that? We need to schedule you with an Endocrinologist she says, and by the way, if you are a smoker, stop because this will agitate the disease! Your immune system is at war, and you will be making many changes in your life from this day forward. They say the name “Graves”, is like being in the grave. There is no real explanation about why someone wakes up one day with this disease. There is no cure and no medication for the disease. They can treat the thyroid and it is possible for the disease to go into remission in time.

My first post, “Life Beyond the Grave“, is the beginning of my story to share with everyone who suffers from Thyroid Disease or knows someone with an Autoimmune Disorder. I will share my experiences in the days to come, not feel the need to stay hidden, and reach out to what feels like beyond the grave because life is worth living!