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10 Years with Graves Disease: From Chaos to Clarity.

Writer's picture: Melissa KamemeMelissa Kameme

Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting. I think it’s because I’m edging towards the 10-year anniversary of my diagnosis with Graves Disease (can you call it an anniversary if it feels more like an emotional rollercoaster than a celebration?). Graves is an autoimmune disease that causes hyperthyroidism and, in my case, decided to throw in a degenerative eye condition for good measure.

I've talked before about how my diagnosis was the catalyst for creating MAKaesthetics, but today I want to go a little deeper. Because when I look back, every decision I made in 2015 — even the messy, chaotic ones — was like a stepping stone that led me exactly where I’m meant to be.

This could easily turn into a novel (I do love a tangent), so let’s keep it concise. Here’s the TL;DR of my journey so far from 2015-2020:


2015: Diagnosis, Europe, and Chaos

  • Mid-2015: Diagnosed with Graves Disease.

  • 2 months later: Moved to Europe with my then boyfriend (because, clearly, what better time to uproot your life?).

  • We opened a café together — I was running purely on adrenaline at this stage, so why not?!

  • No medical help overseas, and my health declined severely. I dropped to 45kg and felt like a shadow of myself.

  • When I finally returned to Australia (relationship in shambles), my own dad didn’t even recognise me at the airport. I’ve shared a photo of what I looked like back then on here before — go find it if you’re looking for a jump scare.


2016: A Spark of Hope

  • Late 2016: Traveled to Vietnam with a new partner, and my passion for holistic health practices was ignited.

  • My health wasn’t getting worse, but it wasn’t improving either. Graves Disease still had me in a chokehold.

  • Then came the crushing news: I was going into early menopause and told I wouldn’t be able to have children and would need to start HRT.

  • Around this time, I went back to floristry, which is actually how I met my now-husband. (The universe works in weird ways, huh?)


2017: New Beginnings

  • Early 2017: Started dating my now-husband.

  • A couple of months later… surprise! I was pregnant.

  • We moved in together, and this pregnancy felt like it saved my life. I gained 18kg, and for the first time in years, I felt stronger than ever.

  • I became obsessed with learning about the human body — partly out of necessity and partly because, well, knowledge is power when your body doesn’t come with a user manual.

  • January 2018: My son was born. Doctors and specialists urged me to get radiation or surgery to manage my thyroid, warning me that if I wanted another child, I needed to act fast. I listened politely and then said, “Thanks, but no thanks.”

  • June 2018: Surprise, surprise — I was pregnant again.


2019: Clarity at Last

  • March 2019: My daughter was born, and my body was absolutely depleted by the end of that pregnancy.

  • With a 14-month-old and a newborn, I knew I needed to get serious about my health. I couldn’t just survive — I needed to thrive.

  • I started working with a naturopath, who explained that my thyroid wasn’t the root issue. It was just a symptom of an immune system that was completely out of tune. Cue the lightbulb moment.

  • And that’s when it all clicked. Everything I had been through — every challenge, every twist and turn — had led me to this moment. I finally understood that my purpose wasn’t just to heal myself. It was to help others redefine how they age, heal, and thrive, too.


2020: Starting Over During a Pandemic

  • Early 2020: I officially launched MAKaesthetics. I was ready, motivated, and excited... and then COVID-19 had other plans.

  • I spent the next year in lockdown — not exactly the entrepreneurial launch I had envisioned.

  • After some soul-searching (and a lot of waiting), we made the decision to move to Brisbane to relaunch my business (and our life).


Looking back now, I see how every heartbreak, every setback, and every wild decision was part of the bigger picture. It’s strange, isn’t it? How life feels like chaos when you’re in the thick of it, but in hindsight, all the pieces fit together perfectly.

Creating MAKaesthetics wasn’t just a business move — it was the natural evolution of everything I’ve learned on this journey. I know firsthand what it feels like to be lost in your own body, and I know how powerful it feels to reclaim your health, your strength, and your life.

So, here’s to the past 10 years — the messy, unpredictable, beautiful decade that brought me here. And here’s to whatever comes next.

If you’re still reading, thanks for sticking with me. Life may be wild, but at least we’re in it together. 💛


Big love,

Mel x



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Stacey Rodda
Stacey Rodda
Oct 18, 2024
Rated 5 out of 5 stars.

Love this Mel! God, what a journey! Thanks for sharing. 💗

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