HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Article by Gail Devers
It's Not Too Late to
Prioritize your Eye Health
(BPT) - At age 22, Gail Devers was living her dream. She was a senior in college, already an American record holder in the 100-meter hurdles, and on her way to competing at her first Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea. Then suddenly, it became evident something was off. Within a couple of months, Gail went from posting her personal best to running slower than ever before, causing her to miss the Olympic finals. Soon, Gail had lost nearly 40 pounds, her skin was flakey, her hair was thinning and she was suffering from pain in her eyes, too.
Eager for answers, Gail met with a multitude of doctors, all who said: nothing was wrong, she was stressed, she'd peaked too early with her training, or worst of all, she was imagining things. With no answer in sight and her track career on hold, Gail's physical health began to take an emotional toll. She stopped leaving her house, covered up all the mirrors, and just wanted to black
out the world. Her body and eyes had changed so much to where she didn't recognize the person staring back at her. But even in the toughest moments, Gail was determined to find answers and come back even stronger.
Nearly three years later, Gail was finally diagnosed with Graves' disease, an autoimmune condition where the thyroid becomes overactive and produces more thyroid hormones than necessary, also known as hyperthyroidism. "The diagnosis was both a relief and a turning point, as I had the motivation to take the next step in my health journey," Gail said. "I still had my goals and dreams, and as someone who knows hurdles, I decided this was just another one I had to figure out how to get over."
With Graves' disease finally under control and with a lot of grit, determination and support from coaches, family and friends, Gail qualified for the Barcelona Olympic Games, where she