Maliayah’s Graphic Novel
Storyboard Text
- This all started 6th grade summer…
- I don’t feel good. I hardly eat and barely have energy, almost as if I’m sick. Maybe I should tell my mom.
- I bring my mom into the kitchen to tell her what’s going on with me.
- Mom, I haven’t been feeling so well lately. My energy is all out of wack and so is my appetite.
- Yeah sweetie, I’ve noticed how you’re always sleep and your weight is dropping like crazy because you’re not eating. I’m going to take you to the hospital so we can figure out what’s going on.
- We arrived at the hospital and the doctor did a series of test. While patiently waiting for the results, we were eager for the doctor to come back in the room.
- Okay Maliayah, we have your results back. Unfortunately, you have a condition called hyperthyroidism, as well as Graves’ disease.
- Ms. Ashley, what exactly does that mean?
- Hyperthyroidism is when the thyroid gland makes too much thyroid hormone (it’s also known as the overactivethyroid). Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder that leads to an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) which also effects the eyes.
- Well that explains it…
- Luckily, there is medicine that you can take. I will send it over to your nearest pharmacy so you can pick it up and start taking it as soon as possible!
- I was in the hospital for no longer than 4 hours. The doctor got us all checked out and sent over an order for my medicine to the pharmacy and now it was time to go.
- Well at least we were able to get a diagnosis before it was too late!
- Yeah sweetie. Now let’s go get you that medicine so we can go home.
- Six months into taking my medicine off and on, I’m headed to a thyroid specialist to see how I’m reacting to the medicine.
- As a result of you not taking your medicine as scheduled Maliayah, I suggest that you consider getting surgery.
- We are now in the doctors office.
- (4) It is out-patient, but we will keep her overnight. Someone from my office will call you to set up a surgery date.
- (2) My team and I will put you to sleep, make a small incision at the center of your neck, extract the gland that’s causing these issues, and close you back up.
- (1) What surgery?
- (3) Is this an out-patient surgery?
- A couple of weeks pass to what is now my surgery date (08/17/2020).
- This should take about 2 hours. Now I want you to count backwards from 10.
- Okay!
- Start anesthesia.
- 10, 9, 8…something feels spicy…
- After my surgery, they transferred me to the recovery room where I slept peacefully. I felt no pain because I was sleep. However, once I woke up, everything hit me at once…
- I finally woke up around 8:00 am and the first person I saw was my dad on his phone. I was in so much pain, my voice was horse (very raspy and crackling sounding) and I could barely move. Any movement I made was painful.
- (2) Everything hurts dad and my throat feels really dry.
- (1) Hey, you’re up! How are you feeling?
- Later on in the day, it was time for me to get up.
- (2) If it’s no problem, I would like my mom to bathe me.
- (1) Hey Maliayah, how are we feeling? Are you ready to take a shower?
- (3) Sure thing, I’ll bring her in here!
- After lying down for a while, it was time for me to get up.
- Hey Maliayah, how are we feeling? Are you ready to take a shower?
- After being in the hospital for a total of 3 days and 2 nights, I was finally released. The doctors said that everything looked good and I should have a smooth recovery. I was prescribed a medicine called levothyroxine (a pill that I was told I would be on for the rest of my life as a hormone replacement). With no excitement or disappointment to the news, me and my dad were happy to be on our way home!
- With the medicine I’m taking, I have to get routine check ups which includes routine bloodwork and doctor visits. I now have hypothyroidism, which is the underactive version of what I had before (hyperthyroidism). This is now my new normal.
- This concludes “My Diagnosis “. My message to you would be, if you feel something is wrong, don’t be afraid to speak up, get it checked out, and get it treated!
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