This archive report was first published on 15 July 2020.
I'm Still Recovering from My Pregnancy, Two Years Later ¶
It's been two years since Sophie's life was turned upside down by a harrowing experience with hyperthyroidism during delivery. The young mother, who was once as healthy as any young woman could be, found herself fighting for her life and struggling to regain her senses.
According to Dr. Eric Njenga, an endocrinologist at Aga Khan University Hospital, hyperthyroidism is a condition characterized by the overproduction of thyroid hormone, which can cause a range of symptoms including tremors, muscle weakness, anxiety, and goitre.
Sophie's ordeal began when she was diagnosed with high blood pressure during her first month of pregnancy. She also experienced terrible morning sickness, which, combined with her blood pressure, made her pregnancy a challenging one.
However, it was during delivery that Sophie's thyroid hormone levels shot up, leading to her loss of consciousness. Her distraught family was told that she had hyperthyroidism, and treatment was commenced immediately.
Dr. Njenga explained that a more common cause of hyperthyroidism in pregnant women is autoimmune Graves' disease, which occurs when the immune system becomes overactive and forms antibodies that attack the thyroid. However, in Sophie's case, her thyroid dysfunction was caused by the stressful delivery.
After 28 days in a coma, Sophie was taken to the high dependency unit, where she underwent round-the-clock care. It would take year-long therapy for her to regain her lost senses, including her speech and use of her limbs.
Today, Sophie is slowly getting back to her old self, but she acknowledges that the disease has left some marks on her physical appearance. Her eyeballs protrude more, and her feet swell severely, but she hopes that things will go back to normal as she continues her treatment.
As she looks to the future, Sophie's greatest hope is to be self-sufficient again. She is still on medication and has her hormone levels closely monitored to ensure that they remain normal.
