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Hyperthyoidism & hypothyroidism

I am a middle-aged woman who after years of misdiagnosis was finally diagnosed in 1990 with Graves' disease (an autoimmune illness, by definition chronic, and a hyperthyroid condition) and Hashimoto's disease (an autoimmune illness, again chronic and a hypothyroid condition).

In 1991 I received standard U.S. treatment for Graves' disease, radioactive iodine. I was removed from the danger of thyroid storm, however, to my dismay, this did not make me feel "better" nor was I "cured".

Dr. Christiane Northrup says, "There is a difference between healing and curing. Healing is a natural process and is within the power of everyone. Curing, which is what doctors are called upon to do, usually consists of an external treatment and medication or surgery is used to mask or eliminate symptoms. This external treatment doesn't necessarily address the factors that contribute to the symptoms in the first place. Healing goes deeper than curing and must always come from within."

I have grown to understand that healing takes time and calls for a look at causes and not just the alleviation of symptoms. I have stopped looking for a quick fix-there is no quick fix for chronic illness. Since diagnosis, living with my illness and running a support group for over a decade, I have become aware that there is a strong need to educate, encourage, and empower all thyroid patients, their families, friends and physicians.

To satisfy this need, I have written a book for others who suspect thyroid problems or who have been diagnosed with Graves' disease. I hope this book will help create public awareness, which in turn will foster earlier detection while avoiding misdiagnosis such as I suffered. This book is now out in two editions. In both books I explain Graves', offer practical tips on locating physicians and managing one's health care as well as address the many complementary therapies and offer help in finding practitioners. While the first edition shares more emotional roots of the dis ease, the second edition offers a great deal of updated and new information on thyroid disease, particularly about women, pregnancy, children and nutrition, and the disease and thyroid eye disease.

I wish such a book had existed for me at the onset of my illness when I felt so vulnerable, overwhelmed, confused and alone. I wrote this book as a part of my healing journey. I hope that my book will help others in their quest for wellness, their healing journey.