I remember falling pregnant with my first child and I thought that everything was fine but shortly after I slowly began putting on weight and I felt my body was on ‘a go slow’. When I fell pregnant with my second child, my weight ballooned. That was back in 1982.

I went through many tests and was even called a hypochondriac, because my doctor couldn’t find anything wrong. I had diabetes tests and every test imaginable except for one. A simple thyroid blood test.

In 1998 a locum (a doctor who was covering for my regular doctor) found me in her rooms suffering from heart flutters. She did an ECG but at that time, it stopped. Out of the blue she asked me if I had ever had my thryoid tested.

She sent me for the test and immediately gave me a prescription for Thyroxine. The blood tests were completely surprising and it was a relief to find that there was actually a name to all my medical problems finally.

Please don’t go through years of not knowing. If you are unsure, have your neck checked. Have the blood test and eliminate it before it turns your world upside down.

Take some time and read the press release – Expectant and Pregnant Mothers: Get Your Neck Checked.

Toni Livesey