I have a diagnosis. I have an over active thyroid. When I was told I became quite emotional. It is an easy fix. Well not a fix but it can be controlled with medication.

It explains all my symptoms but for some reason I had discounted hyperthyroidism as the cause of how awful I was feeling. I had a vision in my head (a throwback to my nursing career) of a ‘typical’ person with an overactive thyroid. Female (it is more common in women), skinny, anxious, fidgety, damp with sweat and with thinning hair. Most of these don’t apply to me. Not that I’ve noticed anyway. But the breathlessness, dizziness, palpitations, chest pain, weight loss, muscle weakness, muscle loss, fatigue, brain fog boxes have all been ticked. I’ve gone from a woman that could bench press 20kg dumbbells to one that struggles to open a jar. My heart rate has elevated. My resting heart rate is usually below 60 bpm. It is now closer to 80 bpm. I have started to feel like an old lady. I can palpably feel how weak I’ve become. And how tired.

When I got the diagnosis I spent the rest of the day in a state of euphoria. My life doesn’t need to change. Once the treatment kicks in I can return to the level of activity I previously enjoyed. Mountains and marathons beckon.

But when I say it is easy fix that is largely dependent on your GP. My GP experience is not good. Twice before they have risked my health so I’m not overly optimistic. I had a vision of starting the medication almost immediately but I’m now a week in. It is an uncomfortable feeling knowing that you have an illness that is attacking your body, that could easily be sorted out but requires a doctor’s signature which for what ever reason is being delayed.

It must be a sign of my advancing years but I have a sad case of GP envy. When someone says that they have a good GP I feel myself turning green. It is such a postcode lottery. My cardiologist did suggest I change my GP but from what I hear there is not much to choose from where I live.

Having a GP that is difficult to access, indifferent and sometimes incompetent has meant that I’ve had to spent a lot of money getting a diagnosis. Money well spent but I’ve now grinded back to a halt. I had assumed that once the GP got my blood results he would immediately sort out a prescription. But the results were delayed. I had to have another blood test. And now I’m waiting.

There is something ironic that after spending most of my working life oppposing the privatisation of the NHS I’m now so reliant on private medicine. Maybe I shouldn’t have gone on all those marches.

The waiting is stressful which is never good but apparently can make an overactive thyroid spew even more throxine into the body.

I’m also not out of the woods where my heart is concerned. l’d been told that my heart was fine but the actual results told a different story. Dilated aorta, mild to moderate regurgitation of the aortic valve, calcified mitral valve and diastolic dysfunction. It sounded horrendous but I did suspect that it could be fairly normal for a 62 year old woman whose heart has been severely stressed, cut open and repaired. As it turned out my cardiologist thought they ‘are not particularly worrying’ but wants to ‘discuss things further’.

I have a friend with a dilated aorta so I asked her if she has been given any restrictions. Scuba diving apparently is a no-no. Fortunately not on my bucket list.

Of course, I’m now a google expert on all things thyroid. It appears that this is a disease that is often ignored. Putting the symptoms down to just getting old. My symptoms came on fairly rapidly and presented through exercise. What if I didn’t exercise and they had developed over time? I may have put it all down to being of a certain age. There is certainly a view that thyroid function should be assessed as part of an annual checkup. It is easily missed but easily treated.

So I now have two autoimmune conditions. I’m going to do my best not to get a hat trick.