Story
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; background-color: #ffffff;">Graves Disease is an autoimmune disease where the thyroid is overactive, producing an excessive amount of thyroid hormones ( a serious metabolic imbalance known as hyperthyroidism and thyrotoxicosis)</span></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; background-color: #ffffff;">Since being diagnosed with Graves Disease in Aug 2011 it has become starkingly apparent to me that there is limited knowledge and understanding of this and other thyroid conditions</span></span></p>
<p><span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Graves' disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism (60-90% of all cases), and usually presents itself during early adolescence </span><span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">and although the symptoms of Graves Disease can be treated the cause of this condition as yet has no known cure </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; background-color: #ffffff;">The disease typically begins gradually, and is <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" title="Progressive illness" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_illness">progressive</a> unless treated. If left untreated, more serious <a class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" title="Complications (medical)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complications_(medical)">complications</a> could result, including <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" title="Osteoporosis" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteoporosis">bone loss</a> and <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" title="Bone fracture" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone_fracture">fractures</a>, <a class="mw-redirect" style="color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" title="Inanition" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inanition">inanition</a>, <a class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" title="Birth defect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birth_defect">birth defects</a> in pregnancy, and increased risk of a <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" title="Miscarriage" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miscarriage">miscarriage</a>. Graves disease is often accompanied by an increase in <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" title="Heart rate" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_rate">heart rate</a>, which may lead to <a class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" title="Cardiovascular" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiovascular">cardiovascular</a> damage and further heart complications including loss of the normal heart rhythm (<a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" title="Atrial fibrillation" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atrial_fibrillation">atrial fibrillation</a>), which may lead to <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" title="Stroke" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroke">stroke</a></span></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; background-color: #ffffff;"><a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" title="Stroke" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroke"></a>It is my aim to raise funds to aid in research and education of Thyroid Conditions (</span></span><span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">One study puts the average time for diagnosis at 2.9 years, having observed a range from 3 months to 20 years in their sample population)</span></p>
<p><span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Thank You for your time and money to support my cause</span></p>
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