[Anonymous December 22, 1997 at 9:17 pm Post count: 93172]

#1153889

Alot of the Grave’s sites never talk about one “symptom” that doesn’t always go away when you go euthyroid…depression. As I read your post I couldn’t help but feel that you may be having a problem with depression…Grave’s disease itself can lower your seratonin, and this contributes to a mild depression during Grave’s, and I suppose that this could follow on, if not get worse after the disease is controled. I would talk to your doctor about the possibility of slight depression…it sounds like you have the classic symptoms.

Good Luck,

Ron

[Anonymous December 22, 1997 at 10:00 pm Post count: 93172]

#1153890

You are NOT being whiney or selfish! Sometimes it just helps to have those we love take it more seriously than they seem to. I think that if we talk about it “too much” in front of them, it is because we are desperately wanting them to be asking us about it and showing that they care. This disease can be so consuming mentally. Because it effects our day-to-day “state of being,” we are really in-tune each day to whether we are on or off, more so than we ever were before this disease. In fact, we probably didn’t think a fraction as much about our daily ups & downs before as we do after Graves. It is extremely helpful if there is a bit of consoling, comforting and “hey, are you alright today” going on from those who love us!

I hope that you feel better soon,
Glynis

[Anonymous December 23, 1997 at 1:21 am Post count: 93172]

#1052414

Hi everyone,

I’d like to extend a belated “thank you” to all those who took the time
to send me advice a few months ago, esp. the very kind Valerie.

Just a tiny refresher…I am a Graves’ person (diagnosed a little over
a year ago) who had written a while back complaining to the Graves’
support group that I was feeling lousy and was not getting what I
thought was necessary familial empathy.

Well, things haven’t changed a whole lot and I guess I’m writing to
ask if anyone has had similar problems and he/she has solved them.

It’s all so very strange as I should be feeling the best I’ve ever felt since
diagnosis one year ago. This September, my endocrinologist pronounced
me “euthyroid” (unbelievable!). Hurriedly she wrote up my next blood
tests for January 1998 and sent me on my merry way (boy, was I glad to get
out of there!).

Am I wrong to be suspect that “euthyroidism” as wonderful as it is,
is a mercurial state and as fast as it arrives, it may go? Would that
explain why I’ve been sleeping an average of 12+ hours a day (I thank
God I was able to make it through my classes okay!), been depressed,
unmotivated, and indifferent at times, foggy headed, physically weak, etc.
etc. I suppose I should ask my endo again but I’m afraid I no longer have
the interest or courage to stomach the questioning beneficent look.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know” is all she can muster.

All I am able to say at this point is that I am nothing like what I’ve described
above. I have a keen interest in everything I do and that part of me is
somewhere underground. I get so angry–I want to be who I was before
I had fight to ward off the deadening effects of whatever it is!

Lastly, I cannot seem to get my family to take my condition seriously.
On the contrary, they think I do and so they are dismissive about it.
Perhaps I am. I do get pretty complainy sometimes. Honestly, my family
has always been supportive of me (more than I ever could have imagined)
and I feel badly writing this. And yet, I feel more hurt each time I try to
articulate how I’ve been feeling.

If I say I’ve been feeling tired, it’s “Maybe you should exercise more”
(I used to swim all the time, no one ever had to tell me to go — now I can’t even get up the motivation to
get to the Y and sign up).

If I say my eyes hurt (I thank God my eyes are only early stage condition
–how sorry I feel for those who are far worse than I!) and occasionally,
I’ll get one of those debilitating headaches that make it hard to keep my
eyes open, there’s always some other reason for it to be happening (stress,
etc,) but, no, never Graves’ opthalmopthy. Strangely enough, right before I
was diagnosed with Graves’, it was my mom who noticed that one of my eyes had
crossed badly, not me. We had no idea that it was hyperthyroidism.
I’d never had trouble with my thyroid –it was never a consideration for me
–I thought it was something else that was making me feel so sick.

And I could go on. Just because they cannot see what is happening doesn’t
mean that nothing is there.

Without being too annoying, I wanted to ask others if they would tell
of their experiences and how they’ve handled them.

I felt writing to the group would be my only recourse tonight as I’ve just
had a terrible argument with my sisters and dad (whom I hate to be angry with).
This is the only place I thought I’d get some understanding. Please don’t
hesitate to be sincere if you think I am a selfish, whining individual–I want
to try and fix that. I want to resolve positively how my family and I view Graves’.
How should I articulate it and how should they respond ideally.

Thank you again!

Magdalena

have had these e

[Anonymous December 23, 1997 at 9:38 am Post count: 93172]

#1153891

Magdalena:
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if one of them would just give a hug once in
a while?! There is nothing wrong with needing comfort, so you shouldn’t
feel selfish and whining is good for the soul! Husband and children
have been very supportive, in fact they have surprised me in many ways.
But, I think that there is a need for family to find “other reasons” for the
way that we feel and therefore offer a quick fix. My husband used to
tell me that I felt lousy because the weather was changing! In his mind
he knew the answer and therefore fixed the problem. Didn’t do me much
good though!
I have found it most difficult to deal with extended family members.
They have no idea what we feel or experience and although their concern
is certainly genuine, I always get the impression that they want me to
say everything’s fine when they ask how I am. My sister-in-law’s
response when I learned it was GD was “oh, you’ve had that thyroid
problem for years, it’s no big deal”! She then went on to tell me
about the fortune teller who predicted someone in the family would
be seriously ill, but that they would recover in time! In her own
strange way she was trying to be comforting. I also like the ones
who say “you’re a strong person, you’ve been through a lot, you can
handle this with no problem”! Sure, but it was handling all of that
stress that probably got me here in the first place.

I just think that most people don’t know how to react because
they are afraid of what they don’t understand. This
is not a common illness and for most people sleep cures the feeling
being run down. I tell myself people mean well and are doing the
best they can to comfort me even if it is a bit skewed. If I have
learned nothing else over the past few months, it is that the most
important thing I can do for someone is listen.

Just a few thoughts, hope I’ve helped.

Susan

[Anonymous December 23, 1997 at 10:05 am Post count: 93172]

#1153892

I totally agree with what Glynis posted. You hit the nail right on the head. Even some of the days when I feel great, something can come over me and I analyze how I am feeling, whether it be up or down. It is a mentally consuming disease. I know, I have been there, am there at times and know just what you are saying. That is one common thing, alot of us seem to have experienced. Well stated, Glynis!

Sandra

[Anonymous December 23, 1997 at 10:33 am Post count: 93172]

#1153893

Hi, Magdalena:

I thought Sue’s response to you about the wierd ways family tries to be supportive was a good one. Not everybody is skilled in handling empathy and grief. Yes, grief. I think a part of what we go through is a grieving response, to having a disease, to being sick, to losing efficiency in our sight, to not being able to do what we used to do. And I think the family’s response may be somewhat involved in grieving too. They have “lost” — at least temporarily — whatever it is that you used to contribute to the family mix and they don’t know how best to react. They may never be able to do what you need most, but it helps (like Sue could do) if you can recognize that they are trying — poorly maybe in your estimation — but trying.

As Ron mentioned, there may be a physiological reason for why you are feeling so down right now, but there ARE things that you can do to help yourself out here. Unfortunately, when we feel down, depressed, whatever, it can take a lot of effort to drag ourselves by the nape of the neck to do those things that make us feel better emotionally. I don’t want to sound like a Pollyanna cheerleader here (having wanted to scream at a couple of Pollyannas in my life lately) but there are activities that raise the levels of certain chemicals in the brain that lead to a sense of well-being. When they aren’t there in sufficient quantity we feel depressed, don’t do the things we SHOULD do, and it gets worse. Sometimes, we may need a chemical mood elevator to help set things right. A doctor might be able to tell if that’s the case. But there are other things that will help as well. I sort of think of it as writing myself a prescription for joy, for laughter. It doesn’t necessarily come spontaneously anymore, so I have to write myself a” prescription”. Laughter, smiling (even if you have to start out forcing it), getting out in the sun, and yes, exercising, can all elevate the mood. But start off easy on yourself. If you used to swim 80 laps of crawl, begin with just of few of side stroke, and think about how good it feels to be back in the water. I, for one, would never put myself in a pool to find joy, but it sounds like that used to provide you with a lot of pleasure, so maybe you need to try it. All of us have activities that we love that we often forget to do when we are feeling lousy. Just getting back to them, or some reasonable facsimile of them, can make us feel better emotionally. Jake goes canoeing. Bruce rock climbs (crazy man). I’m more sedentary — I’ll sing, or play some favorite music, or watch Jumping Jack Flash (now for about the twentieth time), or go out to lunch with a group of my friends and talk about ANYTHING other than Graves. Whatever “it” is, that gives you pleasure, joy, you need to try to do. It isn’t the complete answer, perhaps,, but it does help.

[Anonymous December 24, 1997 at 10:57 am Post count: 93172]

#1153894

I jsut wanted to thank everyone who gives of their time and their hearts by helping us who are in shock/fear of being diagnosed with Graves. Everyone’s encouragement and messages have helped me and continue to help me. This is a great BB to share information and encouragement. I will focus on the positive people and let the others find peace in their own way.
God Bless Us All (Everyone–positive or not). Merry Christmas.

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