Jean, it's one of those diseases where you go through the entire list of what it might be, and find out it's not, and this is what's left.

It's a serious form of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, where the thyroid cycles back and forth between being hypo (low levels of thyroid hormone) and hyper (excess levels of hormone).

Except, in the case of the encephalopathy, the thyroid itself seems normal, but the antibodies to the thyroid are present, as with the usual symptoms.

Your sister has a very good chance of recovery, over 80% recover with steroid treatment. And, as with many other diseases, the majority of people who are struck with this disease are women.

You and your family are in my thoughts.