20 and Autoimmune (Long Post Ahead)

The biggest struggle in my life, at this moment, is trying to manage my autoimmune disease and be 20 at the same time. 

The best way to explain this is to tell y’all a story about last semester. Basically, I thought I was invincible and could take on a “typical” heavy load like I’ve seen many other college students do before. I was taking 19 credit hours, working 19 hours a week, playing club volleyball and attempting to have a social life. 

I had good days and I had really bad days. Days where I couldn’t manage to go to class or practice because of my mental state. Days where I didn’t move from the bathroom floor because I had gotten the flu. And multiple days where I didn’t leave my bed because I got bronchitis too many times to count. 

This past summer I went home to find out my thyroid was struggling to keep up and my immune system was pretty defeated. Therefore, the doctor increased my medication dosage. 

Two months later, I found myself having panic attacks, dealing with insomnia and crying several times a day because I was so overwhelmed. Little did I know, the increased dose put me into Graves’ disease, which is hyperthyroidism. So, my thyroid was producing too much hormone. 

After a few blood draws and a small diet change I am back to “normal.” I say normal with quotations because I will never be like any other 20 year old. Per doctors orders, I had to either quit my job or quit doing something I love (volleyball). I have to get more than 8 hours of sleep a night but what 20 year old college student can do that? And I was supposed to be trying this specific diet but again, what college student has the funds for that? 

In the end, I’m doing my very best, but sometimes the autoimmune disease gets the best of me.