[Ski]

#1061836

Hi and welcome! I am so sorry you’ve had such a tough road, but glad you found us! I can’t answer in much length right this minute, but wanted you to know that there are answers here, and there is hope, don’t give up! You can do searches for posts that speak of your issues, and you will find a lot of good information. More later, welcome again!

[mizkity1]

#1017958

I was diagnosed about 5 years ago, in my mid 20’s; and was told that I’ve actually had this since I was a child. Over the early years it wasn’t detected because of the shifting levels and anytime my Mother took me to have it checked they were always a bit off but in "range". The first thing they did was radioactive iodine therapy. Since then I have been on one dose or another of Synthroid. Currently at 150 MCG’s but I generally stay in a 125 to 175 dose. The only level that has ever been checked after the initial panel is my TSH. I have monthly visits with my General Practitioner but he has recently diagnosed me (@1yr) with fibromyalgia. I am not so sure that I actually have fibro.

I don’t have an Endo because the one I was seeing, well… let’s just say she had poor bed-side manner. She told me early on that she would address the weight issue when she felt like the thyroid was under control. So the blessed day happened and she said come back in 6 months for blood work but it seems like everything’s good and even keel. I replied "Great! Let’s talk about what I can do about this weight" the woman actually had the nerve to say, and I quote "don’t eat as much" It was like she was saying oh la de da~ your just a big fat pig…

Come to find out it wasn’t just me. A friend of the family was telling a story about a gruesome doc she had seen and then said her name. I was shocked. I knew for sure I had over reacted (I do that some now ” title=”Wink” /> )

Now I have found that this skin rash I’ve had and was deathly afraid of passing to my child is graves related as well. I’ve had the red spots on mostly my legs since I was 12, they look like leaches or hickey’s and I have no physical irritation from them but they move. Top of my feet is the most general place lately. Doc’s were convinced that I had picked up some parasite in the creek behind my house when I was little but apparently this is Graves related too. It honestly never dawned on me to check so I never found the link. You always hear of eye issues but not skin.

So to sum things up I am a 30 something with absolutely NO motivation; hip, leg, and constant ankle pain. Literally 10 sizes larger than I ought to be a 316lbs (26-28) I cry at the drop of a hat (and HATE that) I am angry ALL the time, I have a really hard time going to church (and for the most part don’t) because of the anxiety of being in a crowd and NOW I feel like it’s stressing my marriage. I am not lazy; I do try. It’s just overwhelming and I feel like nobody cares.

[Kimberly]

#1061837

Hello – On the skin rash, have you visited a dermatologist? There is a skin condition associated with Graves’ called Pretibial Myxedema. This rash is usually red and appears on the front of the shin; it has the consistency of an orange peel. A dermatologist can help you with some options that will get you at least a bit of relief.

If you do a search for “weight” on this forum, you can see that there are many Graves’ patients who struggle with weight issues after treatment. Of course, for patients who lost weight while hypER, *regaining* this weight is a sign of returning to good health. But there are several of us on this board who gained weight above and beyond what (if anything) we lost when hypER.

I absolutely believe that my metabolism is different now than before I was diagnosed. I’m a Lifetime member of Weight Watchers, so I have close to 7 years’ worth of food journals to prove it! I gain weight more quickly if I go off of my usual healthy eating program – and it takes an extra long time to lose it. Loss of muscle mass is probably part of the equation (even though I regularly lift weights), but I absolutely believe there is something else going on. I seriously wish that a group of researchers would take an interest in this issue – as excess weight not only affects our overall health, but also our energy levels, our self-confidence, and our mental outlook.

Below I’ve listed some tips from a nutritionist who presented at our conference in 2009. This was a great presentation, as she provided one example of an actual client who had been treated with RAI and stabilized on a dose of thyroid hormone replacement. There is a "standard" calculation based on weight, height, and activity level that many people use to determine RMR. However, the nutritionist found that this woman’s RMR was actually about 150 calories a day *less* than the standard. The nutritionist’s comment for patients trying to lose weight was, “you have to track EVERY calorie” – because our margin for error is so thin.

I’ve included some of her other tips below. In the meantime, it’s important to keep fighting the good fight – making sure that our bodies are getting good nutrition, engaging in activity (with a doctor’s blessing first), and *trying* to not get discouraged when the scale doesn’t reflect our efforts.

1. Include breakfast daily within 2 hours of waking up.
2. Don’t go longer than 5 hours in between meals
3. Select “high volume” and “high fiber” foods such as fruits, veggies, and whole grains
4. Limit servings of healthy fats to 1 per day
5. Prioritize at LEAST 7 hours of sleep a night

Once a doctor’s clearance is obtained to engage in activity, she also recommended 150 minutes per week of physical activity, plus strength training 2 times per week.

Hang in there – and feel free to vent here if you need to!

[mizkity1]

#1061838

Sorry about the original post. As I started to write I started to get emotional (happening more and more lately) and then started to feel a bit down. Maybe I need to start depression meds again…

As for the weight, I’ve always been a big girl so I’m not aiming for anything drastic. In fact I’m pretty happy with myself and don’t personally have a problem with it; everybody else does.

I eat healthy I admittedly don’t exercise much because when I do I always seem to hurt myself. I walk my dogs regularly (2 great danes) but that’s about it. I eat healthy – more than most give me credit for. And I don’t eat much – quantity.

Things have just been overly difficult as of late. The job market around here is horrible and I am limited by my inability to stand for long periods of time. Now I have found that some family members think I am taking advantage of my husband because I haven’t found a job.

So once again I apologize, I think I just needed to vent to someone that doesn’t know me and doesn’t judge based off my appearance. I can’t / don’t vent to anyone because in our family dynamic I am the strong one. I am the one everyone else leans on. So thank you to everybody for letting me be weak and bending your ear.

[snelsen]

#1061839

Hi. YOu are so welcome here. No apologies needed. I think each one of has been at the very bottom of our lives, whether for Graves’ AND other stuff, or only other stuff. The economy is scary, jobs are hard to get, and life does get very complex.

It is hard to be the person who everyone else leans on in any situation, family or work. So that is another stressor you have. I don’t know if you would like any suggestions in this area, but being the "strong one" is a stressor for you, and perhaps you might consider gently suggesting and responding back to the people who come to you with THEIR problems, that "Why don’t you make a list of pros and cons, and then when you make your decision about that, it is your decision. I don’t want to tell you what to do, for really, it is your decision." I have absolutely no idea if this is even an issue for you, so forgive me for making the suggestion in this area. I was just responding to that part of your email (:

Re your weight. I am aware that bias exists against people who have more pounds than the charts recommend. I commend you so much for not aiming for anything drastic. Having said that, it would be nice for you if you were able to move more, stand more, etc. I am sure you are doing the best you can, and added to that is you are pretty happy with yourself in some ways, so motivation to lose weight is in conflict for you with the opposing interests of kinda wanting to lose SOME weight, and kinda being happy just as you are. It is distressing to be judged by your appearance (whether weight, bulging eyes, eyes that won’t shut and so much more,) and it does happen. NOt fair.

I think you are doing a great job with beginning to think about your world! It is so nice that you found this site. You have many new friends here, including me!
Shirley

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