A woman has shared her fear that she was going to die after her body “spiralled out-of-control”.
But now, Amanda Mata is “starting over” after unexpectedly falling pregnant again in her forties.
Her battle began after her body swelled, along with intense itchiness and flares ups of redness.
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The 41-year-old recalls feeling “out-of-control” over her deterioration, which quickly started to affect her heart and eyes.
Her condition only worsened to the point where it was near life-threatening – and then she got a diagnosis of Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease.
And, after going through invasive treatment and thinking her time was up, she’s now expecting.
“I didn’t think I’d ever see those two lines again,” the director of nursing told Need To Know.
“I had given up on that dream long ago.
“After everything my body had been through, I truly felt like my life as I knew it was over.
“There were moments where I genuinely feared it was going to kill me.
“So to be starting over again, in my 40s, with a baby on the way is completely surreal.”
Amanda, from Michigan, US, was a “very active” mum prior to her diagnosis.
She worked full-time, travelling regularly across the state, worked out daily and maintained a busy social life.
When her symptoms hit, though, every part of her life became a “challenge”.
She said: “in the beginning, I really did brush off my symptoms.
“I blamed them on stress, getting older or even possible depression.
“At the time, nothing felt extreme enough to immediately think something more serious was going on.
“There were moments where I genuinely worried if I was just losing my sharpness or losing my mind.
“I went from being sharp, active and on top of everything to struggling to find simple words and just trying to get through each day.
“It was completely unlike me.
“It wasn’t until my symptoms continued to progress that it became impossible to ignore – and I realised something much more serious was going on.”
Amanda, who already has a 16-year-old son, was first diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease in 2019.
The chronic autoimmune disorder attacks thyroid cells and causes fatigue, weight gain and muscle aches.
If managed, it’s not generally life-threatening – though untreated cases can be fatal.
For Amanda, despite her thyroid levels appearing stable, she was suffering symptoms including extreme fatigue, brain fog, intermittent white noise and ringing in her ears and the constant feeling of “being on a boat rocking from side-to-side”.
In December 2022, however, her condition only worsened when the aforementioned swelling, itchiness and redness took hold.
With doctors unsure of the cause, she was left fighting for her life daily.
By April 2023, her body was in full hyperthyroidism, with her levels failing to stabilise despite trying various medications.
It quickly began impacting her day-to-day life.
She said: “I was constantly exhausted, anxious and struggling.
“I felt like I was always waiting for something to change.
“But nothing ever did.
“My heart rate was constantly elevated, even with minimal activity and during rest.
“I thought I was going to die from a heart attack.
“I kept experiencing severe tremors in my hands and legs, which were so intense, it felt unsafe to drive.
“My eyes also became swollen, sensitive to light and constantly watery.
“And then my right eye started to bulge and I was experiencing blurred, as well as double vision.
“I had never felt so much fear in my life.
“I was also dripping all the time with excessive sweating, which was so embarrassing.
“And the extreme fatigue I had made it nearly impossible to stay active or spend quality time with my son.
“Most weekends, I was sleeping just to recover.
“I was spiralling into a deep depression.
“I was overwhelmed with mum guilt, crying myself to sleep because I didn’t have the energy to be fully present.
“I was helpless and so lonely.
“I truly thought this was the end and I’d never get my old life back.”
Other symptoms included painful mouth sores, itchy rashes, joint swelling, muscle issues, gastrointestinal problems and extreme sensitivity to the sun, as well as significant hair loss.
In April 2023, she was diagnosed with Graves’ disease, another autoimmune disorder which triggers the thyroid to overproduce hormones.
With both diagnoses working against each other, it was a struggle to find balance.
As a last option, she made the decision to undergo a thyroidectomy, which involved removing her entire thyroid gland.
Amanda slowly, but surely, started displaying signs of the “old” her again.
Now, her symptoms have gone away and the thyroid levels are easier to manage.
While pregnancy wasn’t off the cards entirely, the mum wasn’t actively trying to conceive; especially as her conditions have a high rate of miscarriage.
She thought her time to welcome another child had passed – due to her advanced age and health conditions – and “grieved” the reality.
But then, in January 2026, Amanda began experiencing extreme nausea, left breast pain and abdominal bloating.
She “gaslit” herself into believing it was the peri-menopause.
But, after taking a test, the next – unexpected – chapter in her life was confirmed.
She added: “I thought there was no way I could be pregnant.
“I was completely shocked and in a state of disbelief.
“But, over time, and a lot of processing, I have come to realise this baby is a true miracle that has given me purpose back into my life.
“A dream I had once given up on and grieved so long ago has now become true.
“Sometimes, life surprises us in ways we never expected.
“God truly had a plan for us that we never saw coming.
“This journey has come with its challenges, but it’s also made this moment feel even more meaningful and emotional for me.
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass – it’s about learning to dance in the rain.
“I’ve been one of the lucky ones.”
