Katie Schwartz

Though I had Graves' disease and didn't know it, this is what I looked like the day before my eyelids swelled almost three years ago. Since misdiagnoses, multiple medications and going from super hyper/borderline thyrotoxicosis to severely hypothyroid and now here we are today, 14 points away from having a normal thyroid, this is what I look like .  My metabolism and all the medications I took caused me to gain a tremendous amount of weight and changed my physical appearance dramatically. Thanks to proper treatment and being so close to a normal thyroid, I've lost 15 1/2 pounds so far. My eyelids have not changed, nor has my vision, not yet anyway, but they will. I haven't given them an option NOT TO. 

Thank you everyone for your incredible e-couragement and support. You are such honies and so very appreciated. I will be e-stalking yas next week to thank you. Last night, Amy kicked off the festival with the Fabulous Fixx Reading series and it was a blast! I met my faberific, lovely and funny publisher, James @ So New. I met many great writers and Angela Gant, playwright and a true chick with moxie.  Also, super twitters Sawyer and TheFem Geek, co-founders of The UnScene Chicago  -- They are as adorable and lovely and talented as can be. I don't know if yas know this, but it was also the first time I met Amy Guth in person. We instantaneously bonded. As if there would've been another option?! Please...  The child is fan-fucking-tastic. I adored her before.  In person, it's a hundred times bettah. Oh, and... I met our BELOVED blogger Joe and his oldest daughter. I love Joe Bubbsie and his family. I'm hanging out with him again on Saturday night for the NOLA Fund Raiser...