[Anonymous November 2, 1996 at 6:43 pm Post count: 93172]

#1058310

Hi, all you wonderful people! Much to my amazement, I came to my computer this morning and found my way to the message board at last! My server has been down for a week now and it’s been driving me crazy! I’m so addicted to my daily check ins with the group, as well as the special E-mails I get from some of you…I felt really cut off and lonely when I couldn’t access you. My e-mail server is reportedly still down, so if you have sent me a E-mail, it may be awhile before I can respond. I am WAY BEHIND reading all the messages that have been posted since my last check in, but I read that Jake, your no longer have the poppy eyes…YEA! Did you have surgury again? I’m glad to hear this news…By the way, I’d sure like to help you with this BB biz, but my return to work has been totally consuming these last 2 weeks, and I’m reluctant to commit to more than I can handle. God only knowa how you handle everything and I’m glad Nancy will be facilitating a week off for you.

Just to let you know, last Sunday I met with Bruce and Dianne in the CHAT room and it was hilarious!! I haven’t laughed so hard in months or since. I was totally cracking up, it was so fun. I plan to go for it again this Sunday…tomorrow at 4:00pm Calif. time…I believe Dianne and Bruce will be there, too. I’m not sure how I got there because I had trouble selecting the proper channel to get into conf. rm. # 1. What channel do you select from those options offered?
Dianne and I have developed a close connection/relationship, and if my server problem persists, I will be in touch with her and she will be in touch with the group for me. I need you guys…You’ve all helped me so much when I really needed it…As for my health and return to work…I’m doing it and hanging in there and feeling more and more like my old self as I go, despite this mean, ill-tempered, snooty bully I have to work with. She knew I was vulnerable when I returned and she really went for the jugular with me, initially hurting my feelings alot with her harsh, unkind, psyco remarks…But I’ll show her, and I am, and she won’t get to me anymore because now I’m protecting myself from her. I only wish we didn’t have to work in such close proximity to each other…I’m practicing being a duck…You know…”water off the ducks back…” Anyway, time heals all wounds, and wounds all heels…(HA!)
My eyes are the only problem physically, esp. my left eye…lots of redness and inflammation. I think it’s from reading so much on the job, plus fatigue. I’m so tired at the end of each day, I hardly want to cook dinner or feed my critters…but I do. Still working on getting the energy level up. I see both my endo and my internal medicine docs this month with yet another lab draw, and I need to see the opthamologist, too, but haven’t scheduled appt. yet…I will, tho’. My 1st week of work was intimidating and I was overwhelmed and lacking in self-confidence. My 2nd week, I felt my old spunk returning, largely due to that witch’s attitude, and slowly I feel stronger. For all who are suffering, I can tell you it DEFINITELY does get better, post atomic cocktail, going hypo into the dark tunnel of depression, then crawling out into the light again after starting thyroid hormone replacement. I felt hopeless at times earlier in my course with this illness, but I’m here to tell you this has changed…Believe it! I’m so grateful for this group and some of the contacts I’ve made here. Debbie Jass, Joann, Lisa, Dianne, Jake, Bruce…my life-lines…Nancy…all of your and your stories have really touched my life and heart. I know I’m being long-winded here today…excuse me…I’ve missed you…but I’ll end for now…Till next time…Rachel

[Anonymous November 12, 1996 at 9:28 am Post count: 93172]

#1168224

Greetings All!!!

Well Nancy took over answering the mail for a week and I feel like a new man.
I talked to Nancy on the phone over the weekend about her two posts and she is
right we have to be very careful using Dr names (unless it is something good)
and brand names. I am guilty on both counts and will mind my Ps and Qs from
now on.

I will probable use Nancy’s approach to answering questions by posting large
messages every few days to try and answer the mail. The Brand name issue will
be a little hard for me since I know of a few products that only have one
manufacture. You see we must not to appear to endorse one product over
another or one type of drug over another or one doc over another. Our
credability is very important to the NGDF and we can not jepordize it.

For those of you who are newly diagnosed or have had GD for awhile and would like
some good general info on the disease go to your pharmacy and see if they have
health video’s by subject. I won’t mention who makes the video (they are the
only ones) but they make a video on thyroid disease. It is narrated by an
ex surgion general (with a beard) and the video costs about $20. It is excellent.
It has a work book for watching the video and a place to write questions to ask
your doctor. I show it to all the new folks who come to my support group here in
Florida.

I will be sending some of you answers directly as has Nancy in the past. For those
of you who must wear ground in prisms or are going through orbital decompressions
please send me an e-mail and I will suggest a eye glass frame you may want to c
consider. There is only one maker of these frames and they were made for people
who have a wide nose bridge or a very shallow nose bridge. The nose bridge
on the frames is in the middle like a small horse shoe and all of the weight of
the glasses rests on the bridge of the nose instead of the sides of the nose. They
are great for people with GD who have protuding eyes, heavy lenses or very thick
prisms. I wear a six diopter prism in each eye right now and had nine diopter
(base out) prisms and the lenses were very heavy and thick. I could wear the
glasses in relative comfort and still fold down the temples with thick prisms.
They have an added advantage of putting the lenses further away form the eyes so
if your eyes bug out the eyes or lashes do not touch the lenses. E-mail me for
more info if you like and I will answer you directly. It will be my personal
recommendation and not a recommendation from the NGDF.

I lurked in the shadows all week and read the posts. Keep up the good work and
keep talking and asking questions. I have had GD for 7 years and am still
learning more every day thanks in a good part to you all. I have to call people
to try and get the answers to your questions and I learn in the process. Thank
you for that. When we stop searching for knowledge we begin to loose sight of
what is around us.

Until latter,
Jake

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