Anonymous
Hello everyone,
Sorry I had to stop the other day. As I read it, I apologize for the typographical errors. My favorite is working for six years to attain dredibility (instead of credibility) with the medical community. I guess tht might as well lead into my next comment:
10. You will notice that you don’t hear much about “alternatives” from the NGDF. What you DO hear is that there are MANY things that COMPLEMENT our thyroid treatment, and just be sure you are communiticating with your doctor about whatever else you are doing. Denial will only make you sicker, longer. To let you know how far the medical community has come on the long road to treating people rather than symptoms, when I left the eye surgeonn’s office Friday, he gave me a prescription to take 3 days pre- and 3 day post operatively. I was rolling on the floor! “herb? as in h-e-r-b-?”
11. What can one do “in the meantime” while we WAIT for our eyes to stabalize? First, stay in touch with a good ophthalmologist who will keep track of your eyes. Measurements, color vision, prisms, and whatever else s/he can do. You can use cold compresses to reduce the redness, warm compress to feel good. You cannot use too many PRESERVATIVE FREE eye drops. Get your doctor to teach you how to tape your eyes at night after applying lubricant. Raise the HEAD OF YOUR BED (not just pillows) about 4″ (two Reader’s Digest Condensed books work nicely. That way gravity will help you, not work against you. The cold tofu, cucumbers, reusable bags of frozen peas, or regular ice packs will all cause vasoconstriction, which is what you are looking for. You may need antihistamines or diuretics, which will be by prescription from your doctor. The whole problem is that not only is there a way to predict if your eyes will become involved, there is no way to predict if they will receed. That is the reason for the “we’ll just have to wait and see”, which they hate to say as much as we hate to hear!
12. It is difficult to grasp, but Graves’ Eye Disease has no relationship to your thyroid. You have noticed that some people are saying that they have no thyroid involvement, but just their eyes. It can occur in only one eye. It can occur twenty years later, but there is no sense in worrying for twenty years about something that may or MAY NOT happen. Thus, the reason for regular checkups with your eye doctor.
13. PREDNISONE – usually reserved for 1. when sight is threatened, or 2. to “test” for the hot phase to indicate that orbital radiation might be effective.
14. And now a message from our sponsosr:_____________________________________________________________________________________________
15. And a plea for you to join the NGDF. Our only source of funding are your dues, and your support.
Well, they are kicking me out again, so I willl save everything else for later. Except for one thing: Unless it is to praise, NO DOCTOR’S NAMES, and actually, no brand names of drugs. We can get into HEAPS and GOBS of trouble.
Sorry I have to run. Always,
Nancy