[Tina171]

in reply to: Studying whilst suffering from Graves’ Disease… sorry it’s such a long ramble! #1171972

Hi kms1246!

My mum had suspected that there was something a bit off about me the summer the year before I found out that I had hyperthyroidism, as I began sleeping a lot but my grades (GCSEs) didn’t suffer and I was doing really well with high grades achieved and a good work ethic.

After going to the doctors, blood test results that year came back showing that I had the thalassemia minor trait which runs through my family, and that I was slightly anaemic. So, they just put the tiredness down to that, prescribed me iron tablets. Even though I didn’t really think that having the trait would really affect me that much as I would have had it since I was born!

It was the following summer that my grades began to suffer as I began sleeping even more, sleeping through my alarms, not being able to focus properly in lessons as well as before, was getting really confused all the time and not getting my homeworks done quick enough. I began thinking to myself maybe it was because the subjects and exams were harder now as they’re at a higher level as I was in a higher year at school (A-level), these grades are probably what is expected in the beginning and I’ll get better.

Unfortunately by the autumn I got worse and back to the doctors I went where they carried out more tests and I found out that I was hyperthyroid. Ever since, I have found a lot of things in terms of my studies a lot more difficult. Even though I don’t suffer the heart palpitations and muscle aches anymore I do still have anxiety and fatigue but not as extreme as when I was hyperthyroid. All of my revision for exams is a lot harder, I don’t take things in the same way as I used to…

But slowly I think things are going to get better.

I’ve come to the conclusion that things just take time, everybody deals with it in their own ways. I hope your son gets better soon and gets as much help in school as he can i.e. extra time in exams which he is entitled to (I had to get it and still require it even now at uni) and maybe special requirements such as an external exam room seperate from the exam hall.

Best of luck,

Tina

[Tina171]

in reply to: Studying whilst suffering from Graves’ Disease… sorry it’s such a long ramble! #1171967

Thanks everyone for all of the helpful advice I really appreciate it! I really wish I’d seen the forum when I first became ill! Hope all is well with everyone! hugs

[Tina171]

in reply to: Studying whilst suffering from Graves’ Disease… sorry it’s such a long ramble! #1171966

Thanks Bri! I’ve done 3 out of 4 of my exams now, one left to go!! I’ve booked an appointment with my university needs assessor who is going to help me figure out what I’m going to do.

Taking time off sounded like a very good plan for you!

Unfortunately I had to make sure I got into uni this year (September 2011) to avoid the huge UK university fees hike before it begins in September 2012 making getting into uni a whole lot more stressful! I think I would have taken a year off maybe to recover if this weren’t the case.

I also thought that being stable on my meds in time for uni, maybe I would feel okay with the first year and that I’d cope better than I did in the last year of high school. I didn’t know what to expect really, but now I know firsthand what it’s like at uni with my condition, hopefully I can plan/arrange my second and third years a lot better and hopefully by then I will be feeling overall a lot better and more able to deal with my health issues and university.

Thank you for sharing your experience!! I really hope that you get much better soon!

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