Camilla Luddington Reveals She Has Hashimoto's Diagnosis

Grey's Anatomy star Camilla Luddington, beloved for her role as Dr. Jo Wilson on one of TV's top-rated shows, walks us through another kind of personal health journey, this time as the patient. During her iHeartRadio podcast Call It What It Is on Thursday, the 41-year-old actress shared that she has been diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, a type of autoimmune disease that impacts thyroid functions and energy production.

The Grey's Anatomy alum has bemoaned feeling slow and exhausted for years, even teasing her followers that she's a "sloth," an endearing characteristic they've come to cherish. However, her need for naps was driven by something more than a liked pastime. "As long as you've been listening to us, you've known that I joke about being slothy," Camilla said. "Slower, tired. Wanna be in bed. Love a nap."

It was discovered during her annual blood work. She, too, believed that because of her age, she would get a clean bill of health, but was instead hit with the news that she had Hashimoto's hypothyroidism. "My doctor was like, 'Everything looks great except this one little thing,'" she recalled. "And I remember hearing the words 'autoimmune disease' and thinking, 'What the f—k.' And then being told that I had something called Hashimoto's hypothyroidism and that it was very common."

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Luddington's diagnosis shines a light on a condition that is ridiculously pervasive but often ignored, especially in women. The symptoms were all there: chronic fatigue, weight up and down like a yo-yo, depression, and thinking slower than molasses. Hashimoto's can cause the above symptoms and more. One of the sad things about PCOS is that it is treatable, but a lot of women can go years undiagnosed because they are not really sure what is going on, something Camilla now understands intimately.

And she was just like nearly anyone, spending six months doing what lots of men and women do, disregarding symptoms, until a blood evaluation told a different narrative. Her honesty has since found a willing audience of fans, who view her less as an actress and more as a regular person dealing with health issues. With tragic hindsight in mind, Camilla is using her platform to remind people to trust your body and get checked out, no matter how small the symptoms may seem.