{"id":84727,"date":"2025-08-11T17:07:45","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T23:07:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=84727"},"modified":"2026-04-02T15:29:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T21:29:23","slug":"musician-and-songwriter-recovers-after-deadly-thyroid-storm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/musician-and-songwriter-recovers-after-deadly-thyroid-storm\/","title":{"rendered":"Musician and songwriter recovers after deadly thyroid ‘storm’"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"When
When Teresa was at her sickest, music therapists in the hospital helped her heal. Teresa’s father was a talented musician who taught her how to play several instruments. When she woke from her coma, she started singing \u2014 in Swedish. Photo by Kathryn Scott, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As Teresa Brooke was recovering from an incredibly rare thyroid incident that caused a heart attack, a stroke, cognitive damage, near amputation of her leg and almost left her blind, her first words were not spoken.<\/p>\n

She sang. In Swedish.<\/p>\n

Waking up from more than two weeks in a coma after doctors were not sure she would survive \u2013 or whether she would walk, see or speak \u2013 she showed signs of life and began communicating but in an unexpected way.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mom\u2019s family was from Sweden, and it was my second language as a child. While I was recovering, I heard my mother singing nursery rhymes in my head in Swedish like she used to when I was growing up, so that was one of the first things I did. I was confused and living in a dream world, but I remembered those songs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Teresa\u2019s treatment and rehab at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital<\/a> was nothing short of remarkable. Her team included doctors and caregivers from many departments including ophthalmology, vascular surgery, endocrinology, music therapy and physical and occupational rehabilitation. Even the volunteer therapy dogs stopped by her room.<\/p>\n

They all worked in concert \u2013 whether it was providing the lifesaving care she needed in her surgical trauma intensive care<\/a> unit room when she first arrived, or during her subsequent recovery in the UCHealth rehabilitation unit.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cDuring one of the first days we were there, a doctor told me she was the sickest person in the entire hospital,\u201d said Teresa\u2019s partner Tony Andrist. \u201cIt seemed she had every doctor there helping her get to where she\u2019s at today. She has come so far, and she is so lucky.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their monumental effort, combined with Teresa\u2019s determination to walk out of the hospital with her musical talents intact, means that she is back today making music for friends and family.<\/p>\n

\"Teresa
Teresa with her family. From left to right, Davan Andrist, 14, Teresa\u2019s partner, Tony Andrist, Becklin Andrist, 12, Berkeley Andrist, 20 and Canyon Andrist, 18. Dogs Josie and Luna complete their happy brood. Photo by Kathryn Scott, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWhen I first treated Teresa, she\u2019d had a heart attack and a stroke, and there were moments when we didn\u2019t know if she was going to survive,\u201d said Dr. Daniel Ozzello,<\/a> UCHealth ophthalmologist, whom Teresa credits with saving her eyesight. \u201cBut her entire team came together and said, \u2018We are going to do everything we can to make sure she leaves here and plays the piano again and has a chance for the life she had.\u2019 We all gave it everything we had, and she\u2019s made a remarkable recovery.<\/p>\n

\u201cHer story is just so inspiring. When I met her, she was in the intensive care unit and in a really tough spot. But through all of this, she has continued to progress by putting one foot in front of the other. Her attitude and courage are remarkable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because music has played such an important part in Teresa\u2019s life and a vital role in her healing, it has allowed her to recover note by note, as well as step by step.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is evidence that as humans, we are hardwired for music. Our speech has pitch and inflection; we walk with rhythm, we sing, we dance, and it is truly the universal language,\u201d said Angela Wibben, board-certified music therapist and supervisor of the UCHealth Creative Arts Therapies department.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have just one musical center of our brain, but several areas that process different qualities of music. Music also has a way of bypassing neurological damage and injury to optimize learning and rehabilitation. It provides such great access to our own humanity and to memories formed in youth, and it often stays with us the longest when our other faculties are impaired or gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Teresa
Teresa with 12-year-old Becklin Andrist. Teresa has had her baby grand piano since she was 4 years old. Photos by Kathryn Scott, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How did a rare and dangerous thyroid condition almost kill Teresa?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland in the front of the neck. The hormones it produces control many important aspects of our health, including regulating our metabolism, growth, weight, energy level, internal temperature and skin, hair and nail growth.<\/p>\n

Too little of these hormones is called hypothyroidism<\/a>, or an underactive thyroid, and can lead to brain fog, weight gain, depression and extreme fatigue. An overactive thyroid is called hyperthyroidism and occurs when the thyroid produces too many hormones. In severe cases, it can increase the risk for blood clots, heart attacks, strokes, eye problems and worse.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the consequences of Teresa\u2019s hyperthyroidism would mean she would suffer all of these dire outcomes in the first few days of her illness.<\/p>\n

\u201cThyroid hormones have a broad range of impacts on the body<\/a>, including metabolism, heart rate, digestion, temperature, bone growth and even brain function.\u00a0This is why patients can present with so many symptoms and why the presentation can be so severe,\u201d said Michaela Gregory, who was a UCHealth endocrinology fellow when she treated Teresa.<\/p>\n

Originally from Southern California, Teresa moved to Colorado more than a decade ago, working as a preschool teacher in Allenspark, a small town east of Estes Park near the southeast corner of Rocky Mountain National Park.<\/a> It was there that she met Tony, and they were happy with a large family, including two dogs and his four children.<\/p>\n

\"Teresa's
Teresa’s family visited her regularly in the hospital and helped her recover after a rare “thyroid storm” caused numerous other health problems. Here, Teresa and her partner, Tony, pose with his children. From left to right: Davan, 14, Canyon, 18, Becklin 12, and Berkeley, 20. Photo by Kathryn Scott, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

She was 44 and healthy, and though she had been having some thyroid problems, she was trying to manage her symptoms while waiting to see a specialist. But last year in April 2024, she noticed she was losing sensation in her right leg. Anxious neighbors worried she had formed a blood clot and called 911. She was first transported to UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital in Longmont<\/a>, and then, as her condition worsened, to the ER at University of Colorado Hospital, a\u00a0Level 1 Trauma Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the time I got there, I was in a really bad state,\u201d Teresa remembered. \u201cIn the ER, they said I had a blood clot in my right leg and that they would do everything they could to save it, but that they might have to amputate.<\/p>\n

\u201cTony was my savior and my ange,l advocating for me. My family all flew out \u2026 no one knew if I was going to make it.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the time, Teresa was unaware of just how sick she was or what was causing it. But doctors believe Teresa had likely been experiencing extreme hyperthyroidism prior to her arrival. The high level of hormones in her body was causing an irregular heartbeat, and her heart was creating clots, which had traveled to her right leg and decreased the blood flow there. She needed emergency surgery if doctors were to save her leg.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were not sure how much of this was survivable,\u201d said Dr. Jeniann Yi<\/a>, the UCHealth vascular surgeon who sprang into action to save Teresa\u2019s limbs. \u201cShe was very sick.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the ER that April day, Teresa\u2019s care team faced multiple close calls since many of Teresa\u2019s organs were catastrophically affected all at once.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe had clots built up in her heart and they were showering through her entire body,\u201d Tony said.\u00a0 \u201cIt was affecting everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Teresa
Teresa and Tony hold hands. He was a dedicated supporter during her frightening illness and long recovery, staying by her side at the hospital for her entire 40-day stay. Photo by Kathryn Scott, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Teresa needs emergency surgery to avoid leg amputation<\/strong><\/h2>\n

With her right leg quickly losing neurological function from the lack of blood flow, Yi performed a minimally invasive thrombectomy to remove the clot. But just as Yi was finishing, Teresa\u2019s vital signs crashed, and she suffered an embolism, or another blood clot, in the same leg.<\/p>\n

This time, Teresa underwent much more extensive surgery. Part of it included fasciotomies, where large incisions open the fascia (the outer layer of the leg) to reduce swelling to help preserve leg tissue; it also included Yi making an incision into Teresa\u2019s groin to directly remove the clots from her arteries to the leg.<\/p>\n

\"Photo
Photo courtesy of Teresa Brooke.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Unfortunately, during the procedure, Teresa went into heart failure. Her body was flooded with additional clots that traveled to other organs, including her brain, which caused a stroke on her right side, as well as to her left leg.<\/p>\n

Teresa had entered a \u201cthyroid storm\u201d on the operating table, and her hormone levels were accelerating at a frightening rate, more than three times the normal level.<\/p>\n

This is a rare and potentially fatal condition when an overactive thyroid generates staggeringly high and lethal levels of thyroid hormone. When this massive amount of hormones is released into the bloodstream, they can cause system-wide organ failure and serious heart problems, which is what Teresa was experiencing.<\/p>\n

While only time would tell how severe the stroke would be and if it would cause cognitive damage, more than 10 hours of complicated vascular surgery performed by Yi helped save Teresa\u2019s right leg. At the time, it was too dangerous for continued surgery on her left leg because of Teresa\u2019s fragile condition, and doctors treated her clots with medication and blood thinners.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was a worst-case scenario of acute limb ischemia, which is the loss of blood flow to the leg that threatens limb loss,\u201d said Yi, also an associate professor of vascular surgery<\/a> at University of Colorado School of Medicine at the\u00a0Anschutz Medical Campus<\/a>. \u201cIt was not clear when she first arrived if she would be able to walk.\u201d<\/p>\n

With both her legs saved, Teresa\u2019s doctors next worked on saving her vision. Although Teresa was unconscious, her eyes were wide open, as swollen tissue behind them was preventing her eyelids from closing.<\/p>\n

The underlying condition that had caused the thyroid storm was affecting the muscles and fat behind her eyes and causing them to swell. The inflammation of the eye tissue had compressed the optic nerve as it pushed her eyes forward beyond the reach of her eyelids.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was in crisis mode,\u201d Ozzello said. \u201cShe was in danger of losing both eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Teresa
Teresa with her partner, Tony. She would sing to him during the long nights of her hospital stay to soothe both of them and help her spirit heal. Photo by Kathryn Scott, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Teresa almost loses her eyesight, but an innovative treatment saves her vision<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Most cases of hyperthyroidism, like the one Teresa suffered from, are caused by an autoimmune disorder called Graves\u2019 disease. According to endocrinology specialist Gregory, Graves’ is a condition in which a person\u2019s body develops antibodies that bind to receptors in the thyroid and stimulate it, causing it to overproduce thyroid hormones.<\/p>\n

\u201cGraves\u2019 bypasses the feedback loop and safety mechanism that typically tells the thyroid to decrease the amount of hormone that is being produced, hence causing high levels of thyroid hormone,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Typically, a person with undiagnosed Graves\u2019 disease might notice certain red flags over time, such as weight loss, heat intolerance, anxiety and tremors, with medication usually helping to regulate hormones and decrease symptoms.<\/p>\n

Bulging eyes \u2013 what Teresa had \u2013 is a telltale sign of Graves\u2019 disease, which affects more women than men and is more prevalent in people under 40.<\/p>\n

\"Music
Music has been central to Teresa’s life. Listening to music, writing songs and playing both the piano and the guitar helped Teresa recover after she suffered rare thyroid problems that led to other critical health issues. Photo by Kathryn Scott, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The first thing Ozzello did was to perform an emergency procedure where he carefully stitched Teresa\u2019s eyelids closed so her eyes could begin healing from the scarring that had occurred on her corneas.<\/p>\n

As Teresa began to regain consciousness in the coming weeks, the stitches would be taken out, though her eyes had to be taped shut during the night. Special masks and medical drops were used to keep her eyes hydrated, and contact lenses made of amniotic membrane tissues helped accelerate their repair.<\/p>\n

Doctors have found that amniotic membranes have amazing healing properties and can help treat cornea injuries, Ozzella said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were healing the surface of her eyes while the rest of her body was healing, and with the work of the other great medical teams. But we still had the problem of continued swelling and tissue pushing the eyes back out,\u201d said Ozzello, also an assistant professor of ophthalmology<\/a> at University of Colorado School of Medicine.<\/p>\n

To remedy that, Teresa would eventually begin IV infusions of a drug called Tepezza every three weeks to help transition her eyes back to their natural position so she could close them on her own. The infusions reduce inflammation and block the protein that causes eye tissues to swell, he said.<\/p>\n

Over time, Teresa\u2019s eyes would lose their bulge and return to normal under Ozzello\u2019s care, as she underwent eight months of IV treatments and would eventually return to 20-40 vision.<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Ozzello knew me so well and advocated for me to get the IV treatment. He saved my vision,\u201d Teresa said.<\/p>\n

While her sight was slowly being restored, she was facing a long rehab in the hospital and beyond. Would her cognitive abilities be the same, and would she sing and play instruments like she once did?<\/p>\n

Teresa begins long recovery. Music played a key note in her healing<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Some of Teresa\u2019s most precious memories are of her father teaching her how to play the guitar as they listened to Bob Dylan, John Denver and other folk musicians. She learned to sing, play the piano (her parents got her a baby grand when she was 4) and even compose. For her entire life, music has remained a constant and would take center stage during her convalescence as well.<\/p>\n

Teresa was unresponsive and in and out of consciousness for more than two weeks, breathing with a ventilator, on a feeding tube and with her eyes stitched closed. Tony, along with Teresa\u2019s mother and siblings, gathered around her bed to talk and sing to her while they peppered her care team with questions about next steps.<\/p>\n

After a few weeks, she slowly became more responsive. Doctors removed her breathing and feeding tubes, and she began to breathe on her own and to eat solid foods.<\/p>\n

\"Teresa
Teresa plays the guitar. During her hospital stay, her family played music in her room while she recovered to create an upbeat vibe. Photo by Kathryn Scott, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Teresa began physical and occupational therapy since she had lost function on the entire left side of her body, graduating from a wheelchair to a walker and finally, walking sticks \u2013 a long and steady rehab that would take many months.<\/p>\n

While still in the hospital, her speech had not been affected by the stroke, but her memory was shaky at times, and she needed to relearn some writing skills and worked on letter and number recognition.<\/p>\n

Tony had met Teresa a few years prior at the preschool where they both worked. He never left her side for the 40 days of her hospital stay, and his children, daughter Berkeley, and sons Canyon, Davan and Becklin, were devoted to her recuperation too.<\/p>\n

\"Teresa
Teresa and Tony. Photo courtesy of Teresa Brooke.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThey spent a lot of time with us at the hospital, and they took care of the house and our dogs, which allowed me to focus 100% on Teresa.\u201d<\/p>\n

He understood how important music was in motivating her and created an upbeat vibe in her room by playing certain songs throughout the day. At night, she would listen to music from one of her favorite artists, Trevor Hall,<\/a> and his song \u201cThe Fruitfall Darkness,\u201d<\/a> which seemed particularly appropriate.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis whole time while I was in bed with my eyes taped shut taught me that I couldn\u2019t rush my healing. I was in sort of sensory deprivation, but I learned a lot about myself and that I was stronger than I ever realized.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I would get distressed, Tony would ask me, \u2018What would you do for your preschool students if they were in the same situation?\u2019 And the answer was, I would sing to them. So, I started singing to soothe him and to soothe me. We were both exhausted and scared.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since Teresa\u2019s care team noticed her gravitational pull to music, they brought in music therapists to boost Teresa\u2019s spirits. They visited her room several times each week, bringing instruments and using music interventions to \u201cwake up\u201d the left side of her body and cognition.<\/p>\n

Just as Teresa had once taught her preschool students, she practiced banging on a drum, tapping a few notes on a keyboard and strumming some strings on a guitar.<\/p>\n

Soon she was singing and playing tunes with the therapists; she recalled choking up while singing John Denver\u2019s \u201cSunshine on my Shoulder,\u201d which had been a favorite of her dad\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt like he was there with me while I got better,\u201d she said. \u201cThe music therapy program was comforting and inspired me to get back on my guitar and get sensation back in my hands.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to music therapist Wibben, singing and playing musical instruments are important, evidence-based components that help patients like Teresa heal. Music boosts patients\u2019 physical, emotional, cognitive and even spiritual health.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe used our specialized training in how music impacts and changes the brain to support Teresa cognitively and in her physical recovery. We were part of her PT, OT and speech rehab team, but using music as the tool.\u201d<\/p>\n

That therapy included Teresa playing instruments to support strength, dexterity and endurance on her left side, which had been weakened by the stroke. Also, cognitive tasks such as creating melodies and mini compositions helped her memory and executive function skills.<\/p>\n

Tony said there was a moment early on when she was coming out of her coma and couldn\u2019t yet move the left side of her body. His children noticed she was instinctively moving her right hand like she was strumming a guitar. It was the first time she had moved her fingers.<\/p>\n

A few weeks later, Teresa\u2019s family brought her down to the hospital\u2019s main lobby, and she started to play a simple song on the grand piano alongside one of Tony\u2019s sons.<\/p>\n

As Teresa was relearning and retraining her body and brain, her spirit also began to heal.<\/p>\n

\"The
The entire family loves playing music together. Photo by Kathryn Scott, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Teresa composes a song as an homage to her partner<\/strong><\/h2>\n

More than a year after Teresa returned home from the hospital, she is driving, hiking, singing and playing music again. Though she still has Graves\u2019, her hormone levels are regulated through medication, she has routine eye checkups, and her only residual health issue is some pain in her left foot.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m feeling amazing, and I\u2019m getting stronger and stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n

She credits her family, Tony and his children and the UCHealth care team for her happy ending.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to thank them from the bottom of my heart. All the doctors and hospital staff who spent countless hours saving my life \u2013 you\u2019re not practitioners, you are part of my family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her physicians have marveled at Teresa\u2019s strength.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a great outcome,\u201d said her vascular surgeon Yi. \u201cThere is something truly uplifting about her recovery and how important music has been to her throughout her ordeal.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Gregory, now a doctor of endocrinology, Teresa put the necessary work into her rehab, which made her recovery possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe always had a positive outlook and even when she was really sick, she saw the long game,\u201d Gregory said. \u201cShe\u2019s extremely kind, and she was happy to do whatever she could to get better \u2026 and Tony always pushed to advocate for her.\u201d<\/p>\n

When she regained full mobility in her fingers, Teresa wrote a song to Tony and his children to thank them for their support: \u201cNo Rainbows Without Rain,\u201d in which she sings and plays the guitar and piano.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wrote it out of love, and with the intention to help us all heal. I wrote it to tell our story.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Teresa
Teresa is thrilled to be back home again. Photo by Kathryn Scott, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tony had the song lyrics printed so that one of her favorite artists, Trevor Hall, whom she had listened to during so many hours during her recovery, could inscribe them with a personal message.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were in the moment: Every minute, every hour, every day, we would celebrate the victories, no matter how small. Whether it was a change in a medication or finally removing an IV or her being able to pick up a blueberry on her own for a meal\u2026 all those teeny victories helped us keep a positive attitude.\u201d<\/p>\n

Back home, Teresa has been playing the piano daily and even giving some lessons. Performing, singing and composing music has helped her regain not just physical strength and muscle memory, but also a part of herself she almost lost.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had the odds stacked against me, but I didn\u2019t give up. Now, I\u2019d like to work in an area where I can incorporate the therapeutic benefits of music with my own story in a way to help people going through what I did and pay it forward. Music makes connections possible. Music is about healing.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As Teresa Brooke was recovering from an incredibly rare thyroid incident that caused a heart attack, a stroke, cognitive damage, near amputation of her leg and almost left her blind, her first words were not spoken. She sang. In Swedish. Waking up from more than two weeks in a coma after doctors were not sure […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2357,"featured_media":85602,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[4857,235,848,3512,3329,3155,130,565],"class_list":["post-84727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-diabetes-and-endocrinology-care","tag-emergency-care","tag-eye-care-ophthalmology","tag-heart-and-vascular-care-cardiovascular","tag-inpatient-rehabilitation-and-therapy","tag-level-i-trauma-center","tag-rehabilitation","tag-trauma-services"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMusician and songwriter recovers after deadly thyroid 'storm' - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Untreated thyroid issues nearly killed Teresa. 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