‘I had very few places to turn when diagnosed, and the BTF was one of them.’

I am 24. When my doctor told me I had hypothyroidism in February this year I had no idea where my thyroid even was!

I actually felt relief when I was diagnosed, because I thought it meant I could have some medicine and get better.

I soon learned that thyroid conditions don’t quite work as simply as that. I have since found out I have autoimmune hypothyroidism (Hashimoto’s), as well as other ailments. My life has been turned upside down, going from a young, athletic, energetic woman to someone who struggles with the most debilitating fatigue and pains.

I’ve had to educate myself, and my friends and family on the thyroid, where it is, and what it does - or doesn’t do in my case. I have a following on my social media, not a lot but enough, where I try my best to post about my condition and how it’s affected me.

I had very few places to turn when diagnosed, and the BTF was one of them. I now want to get out there and gain more awareness for others like me, who are going to go through the scary few months post diagnosis and having to figure out the new world around them, and needing support from the BTF. That is why I want to do this challenge. I want to walk 23 miles in October, as I was diagnosed on 23rd February 2023.

Niamh Gibson