Stories matter

Since we began The Thyroid Trust we have started to collect patient stories and we share some on these pages, that we hope will be useful for people affected by thyroid disease who are looking for positive and inspiring case studies. 

Additionally we are collecting stories from anyone who would like to have their experience recorded, with a view to using the information provided in a variety of ways, depending on permissions granted by the individuals concerned, to help make things better for thyroid patients in the future. 

In 2020 we started a series of chat show style video interviews, with people involved with The Thyroid Trust. You may enjoy watching some of these videos. The series is called TTT 24 Questions ~TTT24Q. 

#ThyroidStories 

In a moving prose and poetry book, This is Not My Nose, renowned writer and broadcaster Michael Rosen tells the the story of his long undiagnosed hypothyroidism and recovery and how he felt very unlike himself for a period until he was successfully treated. ​

Karen's story starts with a thyroid storm, describes life without a thyroid, explains how The Thyroid Trust has helped her and reveals what she got up to on International Thyroid Awareness Day 2020. 

Helga's story tells how specialist treatment for hypothyroidism finally resolved difficult symptoms she had struggled with and got her running again!  (And read about Helga's amazing fundraising too). 

Read Michelle's story where she explains the benefits of practicing mindful self care and keeping moving. 

Read Kelly's story, about having Graves disease, which was diagnosed in her twenties and caused both an overactive thyroid and thyroid eye disease, then fifteen years later attending the EUGOGO Conference in Pisa as a patient representative for The Thyroid Trust.

Look out for Maureen's story, coming soon, as told by Lord Borwick in the House of Lords and hopefully resolved, thanks to our interventions and support from her local CCG. 

Also Jenny's story - of postpartum thyroiditis - originally published on the National Childbirth Trust website, NCT Matters.

Some stories are more difficult - and we feel it is important that those  are collected and used to inform research, health policy and clinical practice. 

Read Pamela's story about being misdiagnosed with depression. 

Una Cavanagh writes about the negative impact of shaming on diagnosis on our thyroid friends blog. 
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If you would like to share your thyroid story with us - either to help inspire others or because you feel it is important that it is documented and may be used to help improve care for others - we would love to hear from you and you can submit it via the following form. 

Submit Your Story

Thyroid patient, Maureen Elliott