Fans of Daisy Ridley are sharing messages of support and encouragement after the Star Wars star revealed she was diagnosed with Graves' Disease last September.
In an interview with Women's Health that dropped on August 6, the Magpie actor publicly shared her diagnosis for the first time, telling the publication:
"It’s the first time I’ve shared that [Graves’]."
Ridley has historically been very candid about her health, opening up in interviews and on social media about her diagnosis with endometriosis in her teens and later with polycystic ovaries, and now she is shedding light on Graves' Disease, a rare autoimmune disorder that results in an overactive thyroid.
After wrapping Magpie, the actor was aware of the changes in her body, but she chalked it up to the "really stressful role."
“I thought, 'Well, I’ve just played a really stressful role; presumably that’s why I feel poorly.'"
Ridley's general practitioner urged her to see an endocrinologist after she described her fatigue and hot flashes. Her other symptoms included a racing heart, weight loss, and hand tremors.
After her doctor mentioned Graves' and that it is often described as "tired but wired," Ridley realized she had also become irritable.
“It was funny, I was like, ‘Oh, I just thought I was annoyed at the world,’ but turns out everything is functioning so quickly, you can’t chill out.”
Upon learning of Ridley's diagnosis, fans on social media rallied around her, sharing uplifting words of support.
While there is no cure for Graves' Disease, Ridley has been able to adapt her lifestyle to help with symptoms. She has implemented daily medication and reduced gluten in her diet, and has begun working with a personal trainer.
She said she has already noticed a change.
“I am not super strict about it, but generally cutting down on gluten makes me feel better."
She added:
“I didn’t realize how bad I felt before."
"Then I looked back and thought, 'How did I do that?'”
She now has a better understanding of her body and its limits.
“It’s just finding the balance, and me understanding now where my tolerance really ends.”
