How long is the progression of Hyperthyroidism?

I went to the ER on 1-1-09 because I woke up with my pulse racing and I couldn't breath. i was diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism and admitted. The indoc. came and spoke to me briefly, I was so wigged out, and didn't ask questions. She put me on methimazole and told me to see her in 4 weeks. I developed a rash and she squeezed me in to look at it. She told me to immediatly stop the meds and she would set up the uptake and the radioiodine treatment in one week. Then left. I tried to tell her I've been having weird rashes for several months and I didn't think it was because the medicine, but she didn't care. I understand that with medicine allergies you shouldn't take chances, but felt we were skipping the first option very quickly. I'll try to run this down quickly...2004 after tubal and off the pill I started having long irredgulat periods and severe ovulation pains. GYN did tests and said no problems. Also told me the severe pains in my low pelic area was constipation. I didn't agree. After about 2 years my periods became a little more regular, but still were very different... Late december I started having sore throats that would last for weeks. The Doc couldn't see anything. The pain was very low, right where I just recently discovered my Thyroid is. I would also have pain like something was pushing on the muscles in my neck. It would only last a few seconds but it really hurt. In Late 2006 I started having terrible neck pain. General doctor had neck MRI and saw nothing. Sent me to PT and I enjoyed the neck mages, but didn't help. I also was getting sharp pains that when I would bend over would shoot from the back of my skull through my head to my temple. So painful it actually made me cuss! I also was having clogged ears and pain. I went to the ENT and he could find no reason for the pain and no signs of allergies. He did however feel a lump on my thyroid. They did an ultrasound and said there was a cyst, but it was nothing to worry about. I do not think they did bloodwork. In march 2007 I got Shingles really bad. After that I really started getting bad. I got a very fine smooth red rash all over my body. It would get worse and then better and then worse again. I also started having dizzy spells that would make me fall. The doctor gave me antidepressants. I switched doctors. Soon after this, I started having severe abdominal pains that sent me to the emergency room many times. They did cat scans and could not see anything. Over the next several months I had colonoscopy, they looked in my stomach. I had ultrasounds on all my organs in my abdomin, chest xrays, everything. By fall, the new doctor gave me anti depressents. I decided to go on my own to see a therapist. After 12 sessions she told me that she belived my problems were definaly physical. I forgot to mention that my regular MD did give my a thyroid test and said it was fine. I don't know what test she ran. I just kept getting worse and had so much pain. I cut back my work to only two days a week. a friend referred me to a doctor that is a chronic illness and Lyme disease specalist. She is an MD and can perscribe meds, but also treats a lot of things with special supplements. First doc to spend 4 hours looking over tests and doing a full medical history. Drew 42 vials of blood and ran special tests that regular medical community doesn't use. Results: Strep that traveled to my brain probably from childhood. Parvo virus, whopping cough, Bartanella (cat scrach fever) fibromyalgia, Lyme, vascullitus, and I don't even know what else. Also many low vitamins. I decided that no one else was helping me, and she spent the time to get my history. Looked at all my previous test results. I had to put my faith in her. I believe she also did thyroid test and it was ok. I spent the next 10 months on supplements and hi doses of Antibiotics for long periods of time. She warned me that it was going to be difficult and a long road, but I would be able to get better, maybe better than I have been my whole life. Several months ago I started losing my hair, hard time breathing, shaking, unable to form sentences correctly. I was told these were from the bartonella and all the rashes were from the bacteria dying off. Now I know that is was the thyroid. So after this long story... Could my Hyperthyroidim have been developing for all these years and just really kicked in the last six months?