[JulieG]

#1017853

I got on this site several months ago when diagnosed w/Graves. RAI on March 5. It seemed encouraging at the time that I would get this fixed and go back to being me. I just want to feel good again and I still can not find the right Thyroid replacement level. I still hurt and I am still weak. What is going to go away and what will I be stuck with forever? I need to learn how to live with this cause I am depressed and tired of being sick and tired. I am a very upbeat person, an optimist by heart, I am loosing heart week by week. Anyone going to Boston, who has experience with this summit?

Julie

[Bobbi]

#1061316

Hi, JulieG.

It takes months at normal levels of thyroid hormone before your body can heal from the problems that hyperthyroidism caused. You didn’t get weak overnight (although it may have seemed like it), and you won’t heal completely overnight either. And I need to repeat "at normal levels" because until you are consistently in the normal zone, your body is reacting abnormally to thyroid levels whether they are high or low.

What you need to be doing right now is looking at progress. And, also, you should be working with the process to restrengthen the muscles that were weakened by too much thyroid hormone. If you have been cleared by your doctor to do exercise, you need to exercise those muscles — wisely — in order to regain strength. Baby steps — not "Exercise", as you might expect it. It all depends upon your condition. From my own experience, I went to a health club run at the local hospital in their out-patient physical therapy rooms. There was an exercise physiologist on duty who analyzed my condition at the start and gave me recommendations on exercises to help strengthen my muscles. His analysis, aided by a computer, was that I had EIGHT Percent (yes of the strength of a normal woman my age at the time I came in. Obviously, I wasn’t going to be doing anything near the exercise of a "normal" woman my age, without working slowly up to it. When I started to lift "weights" for my arms, I used small paperback books, rather than "weights". I could not do the required number of reps using anything heavier. People who do try to jump back in to exercise, without really watching their bodies and listening, can pull muscles or get shin splints, etc. You need to start slowly and pay attention. I also did a lot of sitting on the floor and gently stretching out my muscles. Yoga required too much strength at the time.

We do regain our health again over time, but the process requires patience and persistance.

[JulieG]

#1061317

Intellectually I understand patience, and with other people I am considered extremely patient. With myself however I set such high expectations it is hard to be patient. I am a vice president over IS in a medium sized company in health care. I love my career and feel little to no stress over being busy. I fear I am kidding myself and that the stress is more of a factor than I know. And I am working out within safe limits, I was shocked to take such a big step backward and I want to feel better now!

Thanks for the response.

Julie

[Bobbi]

#1061318

Hi, JulieG:

Try to keep in mind that stress is a constant in all of our lives. There’s a continuum from good stress (anticipating the birth of a child, taking a vacation) to bad stress (death of a loved one, etc.). We cannot control the presence of stress in our lives. What we can do, is try to take appropriate care of ourselves — good nutrition, rest and recreation — to minimize the effects of stress. One of the most valuable lessons that I learned from my Graves experience is that while I was ill, I could effectively prioritize my activities based on my energy resources at the time, and that the world would not fall apart. I delegated some activities, and found less stressful ways to accomplish others. It took me a while to come to this way of working things out, and I certainly wasn’t the VP of a business, but I think the concept might work regardless. It’s a temporary necessity when you are healing — but it could enlighten you, over all, about how to better take care of yourself, without giving up the things you love to do.

[snelsen]

#1061319

Hi Julie,
I completely understand how you feel. I am an action oriented, get stuff done person, and had always felt good. And that is how I was perceived by others. This darn disease IS an invisible disability. Noone understands, you feel crappy, and it is easy to wish you had some kind of symbol, like a big old cast on an arm or leg, that explained everything. THen others and YOU would know that there was a finite period of time, then you will be fine.
It is time consuming to get the right hormone dose after RAI or surgery. My body needs are changing AGAIN and we are fiddling with the right dose. But you will get there. There are lots of folks who have done RAI on this board, you will probably hear from about how long it took them. It is tricky for a while, for there is still hormone circulating for a few months.

Boston? I went to my first meeting last year in San Diego, when I was in the middle of active TED. It was the best thing I have ever done. I live in Seattle, about as far away from Boston as I can get, but I do plan to go. It is a wonderful meeting, very personalized, and informative. The program was wonderful. One of the biggest positive aspects of the meeting was to meet in person, others who felt as horrible as I did, and were really feeling good, and moving along with their lives.
Shirley

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