Living with hashimoto’s: Meg’s story
Journey to a hashimoto’s diagnosis
As so many people experience, Meg’s diagnosis journey of Hashimoto’s disease was a frustrating one. It began in the summer of 2024 when she was on a break from University. Meg returned home from a music festival and out of nowhere started experiencing severe heart palpitations and extreme sleep difficulties.
“I didn’t sleep for about 4 days. I contacted the doctors and attended A&E multiple times over the course of several months. I was living above the pub I helped run at the time and had to stop working because I physically couldn’t. I was so worried as I had to return to University for my final year that September.”
From August 2024 to March 2025, doctors repeatedly told Meg that her symptoms were caused by anxiety, but Meg knew that wasn’t the case and that there was something else causing this. “My body knew something was wrong, and I felt like doctors had no answer.”
It wasn’t until March that one of her blood tests came back indicating her thyroid levels were up, and she subsequently got diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Due to sickness and exhaustion, Meg had to stop attending University classes and had to log a mitigating circumstances claim on medical grounds just before her final exams. She was then offered a lifeline.
“In April, a lecturer within my department reached out to me and said that my symptoms align with Hashimoto’s, which she had herself. She offered me lots of advice on what to ask the doctors and what bloods I would need to get”
In May and June of 2025, Meg was referred to an Endocrinologist following a blood test that indicated raised antibodies associated with Hashimoto’s. Several months later, Meg received an official diagnosis of Hashimoto's disease at her first Endo appointment at the age of 27.
“I was so relieved to be diagnosed after absolutely knowing something was wrong, and being told countless times by professionals that it was just anxiety. Being diagnosed with something tangible meant I was able to do my own research into how to help myself with all of my symptoms which were becoming unmanageable and overwhelming.”
Meg was able to graduate university that summer having experienced one of the hardest years of her life.
“It felt incredibly emotional and monumental for me.”
Learning to live with Hashimoto’s disease
Meg describes herself as a complete social butterfly. However a lot of her learnings of living with Hashimoto’s have come through forcing herself into social situations that had started to become detrimental to her mental and physical health.
“I have had to learn to slow down a lot and allow myself recovery time. I have also had to face a lot of changes that have caused me some upset: things I’m discovering my body doesn’t feel as capable of anymore such as intense exercise. I’ve had to learn to look out for myself, and advocate for myself, especially in medical settings.”
Finding support in family and the Wren Project
Meg says that her partner is a fantastic support and has been there for her since her symptoms first started and has got her through some very hard times.
She has also found support at the Wren Project. Meg has recently been talking to a Wren volunteer and has found it a beneficial way of processing her emotions and experience of living with an autoimmune disease.
“Having a space to talk through your thoughts and your week, what you found hard or good, from someone who doesn’t judge and listens, is so important and validating.”
“Sometimes I find it harder with people who know me to tell them every single thing that goes through my head in that respect. I’m still very much able to talk to my closest people, but knowing that the Wren Project is scheduled as part of my routine every two weeks and I can talk about anything and be understood and heard, is fantastic.”
Meg's words of support
Meg has experienced a lot of difficulties navigating the medical system to eventually get her Hashimoto’s disease diagnosis and advises anyone who is experiencing the same to keep advocating for yourself.
“Navigating the medical system in my experience has been incredibly tough at times, but by asking questions, asking for tests, and not letting up on this you’ll hopefully be able to get the answers you deserve. Keep trying things and see if they work for you.”
Support from the Wren Project has made Meg feel seen, in a time where she felt incredibly lost in the NHS medical system.
“I’m very grateful that a service like this exists for people such as myself. I hope that anyone who feels like I did once, invisible, is able to access resources like these and feel seen in a community like this.”
Meg shared her story with the Wren Project as part of our Wren Voices campaign. If you would like to share your experience of autoimmune disease with us, you can reach out by emailing hello@wrenproject.org.
If you live with an autoimmune disease and would like to access free emotional support from the Wren Project, you can reach out to us here