Grave’s disease — also called toxic diffuse goiter — is a thyroid-related autoimmune disease that generally results in hyperthyroidism and an enlarged thyroid. This illness can cause insomnia, a heart rate that is far too high, poor tolerance of heat, irritability, weakness, and weight loss. In some cases, eye bulging and thickening skin can also be indicative of this disorder. A few famous people have suffered from this disorder. George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara were both diagnosed with the disease in 1991. Rodney Dangerfield is an American actor and comedian who suffered from the illness. Marty Feldman also had Graves’, but actually used his symptomatic bulging eyes for comedic effect — the ultimate embracing of the disease.
Among the newest additions to the list of celebrities who have been diagnosed with Graves’ is Wendy Williams. You may have heard of her from her talk show The Wendy Williams Show — or perhaps you are a fan of her earlier work on radio (she has even been inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame for her unique radio personality that she once displayed). Williams was diagnosed with the disorder just days ago.
She announced her diagnosis on an episode of The Wendy Williams Show, mentioning that she had Graves’ and resultant hyperthyroidism. She also mentioned that her endocrinologist recommended that she takes at least three weeks off to recover from going untreated for so long (which she is now doing). It had been suspected for a while that she may have had thyroid issues, but she was never formally diagnosed until now.
In fact, the viewers of The Wendy Williams Show had mentioned possible thyroid issues in the past. After all, Wendy Williams also displays the buggy eyes of a Graves’ disease sufferer. Essentially, when a person is living with Graves’, the disease causes the muscles behind one’s eyes to contract uncontrollably. This causes the signature look of someone who has this terrible illness.
Wendy Williams put off going in to the doctor for quite a long time after she began to develop symptoms — including anxiety, moist hands, difficulty swallowing, and unexplained weight loss. She initially had thought these symptoms were from outside stressors that were not related to her actual physical health. She had been dealing with her job, menopause, and helping her son with prom and college applications — all of which could feasibly cause similar symptoms due to stress.
It is a good thing that Wendy Williams finally made it to the endocrinologist. She had been meaning to go for quite some time before she actually made it, as she is an incredibly busy woman. She even ended up cancelling a prior appointment in order to attend a crucially-important business meeting. This is due to her tendency to put everything else before her own needs — something that Wendy Williams feels plagues most women.
Wendy Williams may be yet another unfortunate sufferer at the hands of Graves’ disease. However, her attitude towards the condition so far has been fairly positive. She won’t let it bring her down easily. This is a great attitude to have and will probably help her feel better and get her back on her feet and working as soon as possible.
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