[bradybunch6x1]

#1018632

Hi all,
I often try to think of things that are funny about what Graves disease has done to me. I have recently started noticing that it is on the rampage again. It has started to attack my toes. I know for alot of people they may not think of this as funny. I myself have always had the ugliest feet you have ever seen. Now you add this too it, and man oh man. I tell my children and my husband that it isn’t Graves disease, it is my muscal toe. That it looks as though I do daily work outs with it. Can you imagine doing toe push ups?
Now as for the lumps and bumps it has caused on my legs well, that to is often referred to as my muscal legs. Thank goodness for long pants. Sometimes when I look at my legs I think to myself how it looks as though I have worn ankel socks for a year without removing them, because the stuff doesn’t start until above my sock line. Wonder how I made em that big!LOL
I have even come to realize that making it funny and a little gross to children helps them to understand that it may make me different but I can still be normal. I can actually take a finger and put it at the bottom of my eyes and push and it appears that my eye is about to fall out. It grosses them out, and my children often tell there friends about my cool trick. It also helps them to understand that being different isn’t so bad all the time. I have found that laughing at the disease that seems to have taken away my beauty is easier to do than cry, plus it helps me to make a connection. I can often tell people about this disease and to help them to understand that even if it makes us different were still normal people.
I hope some of you will share some of your funnies with me, as I have with you.
Valarie

[Kimberly]

#1066130

Thanks for your post — you are teaching your kids such a valuable life lesson! I know that Jake has lots of "funnies" — I will have to try and think of some. ” title=”Very Happy” />

[mamabear]

#1066131

I am never to far from my multitool. I carry a knife with me at all times, it’s a pretty one but effective, i use to open things with. I also have a multitool that I carry with my almost always. If I touch a handle and it’s loose I fix it. THere is always something somewhere that needs fixing. (remember this part, it’ll get funny in a minute)

Well I have been one to say several times on this board in fact that finding the problem is the hardest thing, once we know what it is we can kick it’s butt!

Well my kids know about my thyroid and know that mommy hasn’t been sick in a very long time (remission for almost 3 years now). But they tell their friends that mama kicked Graves’ disease’s butt with a multitool and that is why she carries it all the time so if it comes back she can fix it.

ROFL………………….Priceless!

[bradybunch6x1]

#1066132

Love it! Oh so funny. Maybe we all need a multitool that has that slogan on it!LOL Make sure it is green….LOL.

[bradybunch6x1]

#1066133

I think that the reason my children support me is because it has actually become an everyday part of life for us, since our oldest was dignoised with Graves two years ago, and the three youngest were born with Neonatal Graves. So we live it everyday. It is possiable that one day it will affect the other children so they all need to know about it, and they all need to be aware of the things that all of the people with this disease struggle with so they too can be prepared. I don’t want my children to be blind sided by this disease like I was.
I myself also think that education about this disease is important as well. I have learned that with my children I just need to keep it simple, so I try really hard to make it understandable. The phrase Keep it Simple Stupid for some reason comes to mind, when dealing with the children. They get some of it, and in the future they will understand the rest, if need be. I have a grown relative that is not as aware of this disease as are my children, and he has Graves. He developed it when he was about 12. He now believe he doesn’t have Graves, that he is cured. He suffered from TED at the same time. He had his thyroid ablated, and still doesn’t even know what that means. Now that he is grown it is hard to explain the whole thing to him since he has gone so many years with these things being told to him. I don’t want this to be the problem for my children.
Anyway. Thanks for the praise! Ya’ll are nice.

Oh and I wanted to say this, have you ever thought to yourself the eye disease is a curse because your eyes look so big? Our 4 year old that was born with Neonatal Graves had the bug eyed appearance, and the one thing everyone commented on was"My what big eyes she has". It often brings to mind the story of Red Riding Hood.LOL she could of been the big bad wolf. That was the biggest thing on her! It also reminds me of the funny little cards you can buy with the animal faces on them and there eyes are so big! For that now it does make me giggle. They must find me strange when I laugh at there comments like that. I don’t usually explain it to them, because then they might be put into a strange situation. They don’t realize that our daughter looks that way because of a disease.
Valarie

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