Support Patient stories Irritability - a poem by Linda It is hard to pinpoint when it all beganBut I remember a particular day in churchWhen, after Mass, I was approached politely by a young manThen surprising myself I yelled at him and fled with my clutch My irritability was severe in manifestationsMany times I felt like jumping out of my skinThe profuse sweating and heart palpitationsAdded to the weight loss that made me so thinAnd these symptoms only scratched the surfaceI withdrew from people because I hated myselfAlways hiding my faceAs I became a shadow of my former lively self I first noticed the signs in March of 2005. Heck!My GP kept treating Malaria and TyphoidIt was not until mum noticed the bulge on my neck That she requested a referral to see a consultant for thyroid Finally I got a diagnosis in August that same yearAfter blood tests, Graves’ disease was confirmedAn autoimmune condition whose name reeked of fearMy internet research, however, helped me stand firm I therefore understood why I was tired all the timeWhy I lacked energy for the simplest of tasksWith shortness of breath and sleeplessness at night timeAlas! I had answers for the questions I asked Then came the right medicationsBeta blockers and Carbimazole These helped to relieve the symptomsOnce again I began to feel whole Life became a succession of routine drugs and blood testsDosage constantly adjusted based on resultsOh! When will these needles let my veins rest?So that I can be free from hospital consults Doctors said in about a year I will be freeThey advised either of two options - radioiodine or surgery But one year soon became two years, and two became threeBecause I chose to await a miracle to end this suffering How I went to the university with this is still a miracleBurying my face within my books to hide my stigmaSo many hurdles I had to tackleGraduating with a First class and years later, a Ph.D., remains an enigma All this time I battled depressionThe loneliness, sadness, low self-esteem, and anxiety were staggeringMy brain eventually exploded from all the tensionBut the support from my family and counsellors was unwaveringThirteen years down the line I opted for radioiodine therapyThe definitive treatment that would put an end to my hyperthyroidismAlone in the hospital room I swallowed the pill That would ablate my thyroid gland and later bring me hypothyroidism Now it is almost a year since I had the therapyIn October of 2018 - the year I turned 30My body is finally beginning to feel truly happyLong after the diagnosis in my late teens I currently have a new lease on lifeAnd feel like a brand new person latelyThough my body is yet to fully stabilizeTo Levothyroxine which I now take daily Yes I am still healingAnd my health is a daily work in progressTo anyone readingKnow that there is light after the distress Super grateful to God as I feel my confidence coming backI sometimes wish I could undo my past irrationalityAnd perhaps apologize to the young man from the church way backBut it was no fault of mine; it was the irritability! For more information on hyperthyroidism please see our information leaflet We rely on donations to fund our work supporting and informing people living with thyroid disorders. Please consider making a donation or becoming a member. Donate Become a member Manage Cookie Preferences Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility