[Anonymous]

#1165758

Hiya Debbie! Snowed here yesterday, thought I was in Minnesota instead of the California desert!

I was slightly hyper at the beginning of the disease and it was quickly brought to Hypo using PTU within a couple of months. I guess you could say I’ve been in remission with it all this time. I can’t help but wonder about the accuracy of Thyroid tests though as I have had to be on Beta Blockers twice for high heartrate (latest just last month) and have had definite symptoms of the thyroid disease.

Apparently there is no doubt about it being the Ophthalmopathy just by the eye doc looking at it. Classic symptoms were present such as extreme Glacoma when looking up and the swelling of course.

I’m not sure what blood tests were done at the time although I suspect a TSI would have shown high levels, as is normal with even Euthyroid eye disease. I think this is one of the main indicators from what I’ve found out lately. Here is a quote from my last lab report in which my TSI is high again:

“TSI are found in as many as 95% of untreated hyperthyroid patients with graves’ and in up to 57% of patients with euthyroid graves’ disease. Extremely high TSI values are found in patients with severe graves’ ophthalmopathy requiring orbital decompression and in pretibial dermopathy.”

Say hi to Brent for me, Bruce

[Anonymous]

#1165759

Hi Bruce! By george, I think you’ve got something there. I dug out my old endo reports from Feb. 1992 and found this tidbit: . . .The thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin level is 5.2 (0-1.3 TSI index). The latter value indicates that your Graves’ disease process is still active and I think this is connected strongly with the tendency for your eyes to improve only very slowly. . .

I now remember you talking about beta blockers last month. How’s the ol’ ticker now? Are you still having problems with glaucoma? No problems with that on this end.

We just survived another blizzard with -50 to -60 degrees wind chill. We have some snowdrifts as tall as some of our buildings!!

California dreamin’, Debby

P.S. Brent found another wood background (dark hickory, I think) to play with.

[Anonymous]

#1057326

Hi Unca Bruce! Maybe I should email you with these questions, but I figured someone else on the BB would probably be interested in your answers, as well. Please review your GD situation for me. I know that you don’t have the thryroid problems, but have had major eye involvement. Was your thryoid ever hyper? If not, I can assume that you never took beta blockers, PTU, considered RAI, etc. If your thyroid tests came back in normal ranges, then how did the doctors determine that you had GD and not some other eye disease? I probably have heard or read this answer before, but I just don’t feel like digging for it. Please enlighten me.

Debby

[Anonymous]

#1165760

Hi Debbie. I almost forgot to answer your last question. Heartrate is good now. No glaucoma anymore, it went away when the Graves’ quit attacking my eyes and was probably also made worse by the prednisone.

Will be about 70 here today (rubbing it in). Ho hum, where’s my suntan lotion.

Bruce

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