Well, its official, Kathy's diseased...
She has Graves' Disease. My sister has a disease. I thought it would be nice if I posted more about the disease so that people understand why Kathy and I keep on laughing whenever we mention it. Oh, wait, no, I can't explain it. I think we are just sick and twisted.Graves' disease is the most common form of hyperthyroidism. It occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks your thyroid gland and causes it to overproduce the hormone called thyroxine. This abnormal immune response can also affect the tissue behind your eyes as well as your skin, usually on your lower legs and feet.
When you have too much thyroid hormone in your system, your body's metabolism rate can increase by 60 percent to 100 percent because thyroxine regulates your cells' metabolism. A higher metabolism can lead to a number of health problems, such as an irregular heartbeat or anxiety.
Graves' disease is rarely life-threatening. Although it may develop at any age and in either men or women, Graves' disease is more common in women and usually begins after age 20. The disorder is uncommon, affecting about five in every 10,000 people in the United States.
There's no way to stop your immune system from attacking the thyroid gland, but treatments can decrease the production of thyroxine.
Signs and symptoms of Graves' disease and hyperthyroidism may include:
Anxiety
Irritability
Difficulty sleeping
Fatigue
A rapid or irregular heartbeat
A fine tremor of your hands or fingers
An increase in perspiration
Sensitivity to heat
Weight loss, despite normal food intake
Brittle hair
Enlargement of your thyroid gland (goiter)
Light menstrual periods
Frequent bowel movements (Hehehe)
Don't worry, we will keep everyone updated. There still is a chance that its not this disease but another one. We will know more once she has more tests done. But considering that she has most of the symptoms listed on most of the websites and in my textbooks, Kathy and I are pretty sure this is her disease, well until the doctors tell us something different.
Kathy is so Goth, she has Graves' Disease,
Juls
posted by Julie @ 12:18 PM
6 Comments:
I got a raise at work and I think it's because I have Graves disease. Having a disease definatly has it's perks.
Oh, I hope one day I can be as fortunate as you. So how much did you get?
yeah, how much did you get? Enough to buy a vacation home in Aspen.... or enough to pay off your credit card debt?
Oh and by the way I think it is totally grave to make fun of someone with Grave's disease.
Plus how cocky was that guy...he had to have a disease named after him? He already has everyone buried in his name... her name... (but we all know it is a him...
Oh it was def a man. He was the doctor that discovered it has a disease. At least that is what he said...
Ellen-those were great!! Always feel free to join in with the semi-mocking! I have known you long enough to know that you are very good at it. Life at the lab would not have been as fun without your mocking of Artur and the others.
so should we get a little grave to put Kathy's soon to be deceased thyroid in it?? okay that one was from my mom, not me hehehehehehee ( by the by, I still say that this whole thing sucks Sperm-Whale gonads....)
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