Kimberly
Online Facilitator
    Post count: 4288

    Hello and welcome – make sure that you are looking at the “normal” or “reference” ranges for each lab test. (That’s just for your own info – we’re fellow patients and not allowed to interpret labs, so you don’t need to post them here. :))

    The good news is that the majority of patients do *not* have severe eye involvement, but it is *very* common to have issues like dryness, light sensitivity, and swelling. The #1 thing you can do on your own to prevent progression of TED is to not smoke (and avoid second-hand smoke). Also, if your doctor eventually recommends RAI, make sure you know the risks of worsening TED after RAI. (Smoking status and very high thyroid/antibody levels are risk factors for worsening.)

    Hopefully, you have a followup appointment with labs in the coming weeks to see if your dose needs adjusting. In the meantime, rest when you need to and don’t be afraid to defer/dump/delegate tasks that are causing stress!