[Ski]

#1066170

Hi Sue,

Cathy, one of our facilitators, is likely a VERY good source for information for you, since she’s in the thick of the nursing business, and she’s also experienced issues with her eyes. We’ve also got one other member in nursing school, so I hope you’ll get some comprehensive answers from those who have been there.

What I can tell you is that with successful treatment and stable thyroid hormone levels, your muscles should get back to a state where you can effectively use them, and once your eyes go fully to the cold phase, you can easily use prism glasses to resolve your double vision, if that symptom even continues after you’re fully stable.

I would hate for you to drop a lifelong dream, believing that you’ve reached a state where you would be unable to perform the job duties. You may have to be gentler on yourself until you are truly well, and you may need to pay really close attention to stretching and exercising so that you keep your muscle strength up, but you CAN do it. We had a speaker at a conference a few years ago who was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease, treated, and then trained to CLIMB EVEREST. And DID IT (trained AND climbed ~ clumb?) . It was a truly inspirational story. He was already a climber, had summited several big mountains, and he acknowledged that his training after Graves’ was much tougher, but he DID IT. And you can too. I know it.

[Sue_Conard]

#1066171

Thanks so much Ski for giving me encouragement when I feel there’s no hope. I’ll be going in April to get another opinion on treatment, in hopes that I can get my muscles back to feeling better. I don’t want to have a thyroidectomy, but it might be the solution to this monster, I don’t know. What I do know is that I’m tired of walking around, feeling like I have weights inside my shoes all day long…it’s wearing me down physically and mentally. ” title=”Sad” />

[Sue_Conard]

#1018641

I’ve been accepted to nursing school after working on my prereqs for 3 yrs. in Oct. ’10. I’m not a young chicken (52 yrs. old), but have always wanted to pursue a nursing career; however, the double vision seems to hendering my decision. I’ve been seeing the same GD dr. for my eye disease and I’m not still not stable. My dilemma is that I don’t want to spend our finances on nursing school (i’m not eligible for any financial assistance, funding or grants) unless I’m capable of working wholeheartedly in this field. Right now I can’t see it possible to provide patient care (starting/removing IV’s, etc.) with my double vision. It’s been 18 mos. since diagnosis and I’m "leveling out", but as anyone with this disease, I have good and bad days.

Along with the TED, I also have GD. I’m experiencing the hot flashes, etc. and one of my worse symptoms lately has been the muscle wasting. I feel like a 90 yr. old woman most days and can’t imagine picking up patients or moving them around or being on my feet for 6-12 hrs. of clinicals.

Can anyone out there in this career give me encouragement or tell me the TRUTH "what they would do in my situation"? Along with this decision comes the emotional part of this disease for me. I try often to pull up my boot straps and keep on going, but some times it just seems impossible.

[npatterson]

#1066172

Dear Sue,

There is a lot more to nursing than starting IV’s! You have taken all this time to get your prerequisite courses done–go for it! Long before I had Graves’, I went to nursing school, and always knew I wanted to work in psychiatry. For the most part, that meant a lot of talking and interacting with people. I can still draw blood (if absolutely necessary). Most of that is a "feel".

YOu do need to get some glasses with prisms in them. You have lots of videotapes to watch and lots of notes to be taking. Good luck to you, and keep in touch.

NAncy Patterson, "ARNP" PhD (Just so you know that you can do it!)

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