The Importance of Learning Your Family Health History

When I headed to college I knew a little bit about my family health history, usually not enough to fill out the doctor's forms completely. At the time I didn't think anything of it, even though I was about to major in biology. In fact I was so concerned with obtaining a degree in marine biology I let other things slip away, including my health.

I began to struggle my second year in college. My professors began to tell me that perhaps I wasn't cut out for biology. They asked me to think about trying a different avenue of study, maybe humanities. I had always excelled in humanities, and while I had to work a little harder in biology I didn't see that as a problem. Frustrated I finally listened to what my professors were telling me. In fact I let their words eat away at my confidence. There were a lot of times I felt depressed or had an easily excitable temper. For me to lose confidence and become erratic was unnatural. I had always been extremely confident in my abilities, and while I had a nasty temper I didn't let it show. Instead I usually just let my feelings go until I was rational enough to think. These were my first symptoms, but I rationalized them away.

The fact that I had studied biology should have helped me see there was more to the problem than I was realizing. I didn't pay attention to the symptoms until they became so known I had little choice. Sure my hair was all the sudden dry when it used to be oily. I was brushing more strands out of my hair than I had in previous years. I started to lose weight despite what I was eating and the fact that my only exercise was walking a ¼ mile to school and back. I became clumsy, my hands were shaking, and I had a shortness of breath. My skin became more sensitive to fragrances, soaps, and the weather. In fact it would become so dry I couldn't sleep at night. I tried hundreds of products to make my skin feel better, and yet nothing was working.

By this time I was in my last year of school. My grades in all classes were slipping, I began to have attendance issues, and I couldn't remember most things that happened in one day let alone the last five years.

In my last semester of college several things happened at once. My boyfriend of four years left to pursue his career and I was supposed to meet him in December. My symptoms were getting worse, and eventually my menstrual cycle stopped. I became quite concerned by this last symptom because I knew I wasn't pregnant. After three months of having problems I finally went to see the nurse at the university. Being a college student I didn't feel I could afford the expense of going to a doctor. This was one of many mistakes. The first words out of the nurses' mouth when I explained my symptoms were, "Have you ever been diagnosed with a thyroid disorder?"

I had not. At the beginning of the semester in my abnormal psych class we had touched on thyroid disorders and how it can affect a person's normal life. In fact as we went over the information I said that sounds like problems I am having, but I refused that self- diagnosis. Most individuals diagnosed with thyroid problems are in their thirties. The disorder tends to appear in women over men, and it is hereditary. I was only 22, how could I have this problem?

Well rather than listening to the nurse I headed out for a second opinion. Of course I was still stubborn and refused to believe I had a health problem. Plus I didn't have health insurance and I couldn't afford going to the doctor for tests. As I became worse I finally decided to do something. I got insurance, went to a general practice, and they diagnosed me with a thyroid disorder. I had to visit a radiologist to have pictures taken of the pronounced goiter so the doctors could recommend treatment. Based on the test results, the goiter, and the fact that my eyes had started to bulge the doctor's diagnosed me with hyperthyroidism, more seriously however, they diagnosed me with Graves Disease.

Left unchecked Graves Disease can interfere with your normal life. The high blood pressure, weight loss, and mental disabilities it can cause will make it impossible for a person to function without help. Seeing the bare facts and reading more than my classes had ever taught me I decided I would never let myself deteriorate as I had in the last three years. I spent eight months trying to gain control back of my life. In that time I had to have two radioactive treatments in the form of pills. These radioactive pills kill cells that produce the throid hormone that I was over producing. For a year and a half after the radiation treatments I was on medication to get the production of the thyroid hormone back to a normal level.

My last test results showed my levels were normal and I was again healthy. This will not always be the case. I have to be tested at least once a year, and more if I start experiencing symptoms again. My overall point in this life history is that my grandmother was diagnosed at an early age with a thyroid disorder. She had to have her thyroid gland removed to improve her health. Had I known this about my family history I may not have dismissed what I was learning in class when the symptoms were written out for me to see. I would have sought help earlier rather than being stubborn. While not everyone is as stubborn as me or afraid of doctors, I learned I cannot risk my health and not having all the facts about my family allowed my bad decisions. I also know when I have children I will explain this very story to them in order to prevent the college experience I had.