[rae5]

#1059630

I should be very very fit as I constantly exercise!…Every day I do many many, many laps…. around the house looking for things I only put down 5 mins before..lol.does anyone else do this? Is the 5 minute memory/brain fog thingy truly not recognised by professionals at all? People around me think I have lost the plot, including myself until a few months ago.
I was diagnosed around 3 months ago, levels are still off the chart. I have my second appointment with Endo in two weeks time, he has already said he wants to do RAI..I am so glad I found this site! You have all helped me so much by just being there and sharing your experiences. Im pretty sure I have had graves for at least a year and am at that teary emotional stage where it’s all just so very overwhelming! Guess after all this time reading all your posts I really just wanted to finally join and post..and mostly just say a huge thank you to you all!!!

[Kimberly]

#1176282

Hello and welcome! Having thyroid hormone levels out of balance affects *so* many things that many people don’t realize, including memory, concentration, and emotions. This is a nice bulletin from the GDATF that discusses some of these issues:

(Note on links: if you click directly on the following link, you will need to use your browser’s “back” button to return to the boards after viewing, or you will have to log back in to the forum. As an alternative, you can right-click the link and open it in a new tab or new window).

http://gdatf.org/about/about-graves-disease/patient-education/whats-wrong-with-me/

The good news is that you should see some relief once your levels are stabilized. There are three available treatment options (anti-thyroid drugs, RAI, thyroidectomy) and all have risks and benefits, so it’s good to research these options ahead of time. The “Treatment Options” thread in the announcements section at the top of the forum is a great place to start.

Take care!

[rae5]

#1176283

Thanks Kimberly. I didn’t realise I was actually able to have a choice in treatment options. Perhaps the endo will discuss this with me at the next appointment. The way I found out the Endo wanted to do RAI is because when I saw my doctor a couple weeks ago he said it was in the notes that the Endo had discussed RAI with me already and wanted to proceed with the RAI.
It was my first and only visit and we did not have that discussion about RAI at all!( or maybe I just forgot a whole conversation, I hate this memory thing, it leaves me with no self confidence! PS.. I’m 38 years old)) Also after reading the info in the links you gave me, I am now wondering why the rush to do RAI, I was only diagnosed 3 months ago. I now have so many questions to ask both the Endo and my doc.
So, I will continue to ask questions, educate myself, slow down this rushed/forced decision making and when I have reached a comfortable decision about whats best for me, I will tell them what I have chosen. Not the other way round. It feels so good to have some control! Thank You!

[ChristinaDe]

#1176284

I like your last post. Especially the part about slowing down, asking more questions, getting more answers, feeling more comfortable, and then letting everyone know what YOU’VE decided is best for you. Like you, I’m thinking that it all seems to be going very fast. I’m on the runaway train heading toward surgery & feeling completely out of control. The more I learn, and the more I listen to others, the more I realize that I need to get off this train until I learn how to control it better.

Hold on, while I hit the brakes…

[rae5]

#1176285

I absolutely get the train analogy! And yes, I just hit the brakes too. The only info I received from my doc is a diagnosis of Graves along with a two page basics of hyperthyroidism(nothing on graves!), I then made the earlier mistake of trying to get graves info off the net, I got all sorts of very confusing and sometimes scary pages, it scared me silly!
I feel so much better after deciding to make my own decision, in my own time. I am taking into account a wide range of factors including my individual circumstances, medical statistics, risk factors, the impact of timeframes for treatment/remission, current documented medical knowledge, recommendations, testimonies etc etc. It’s like a weight has been lifted and while I still have a decision to make, most of the pressure and stress has greatly reduced.
I think with any major decision that has a lifelong effect, it’s really important to get all the facts to make an informed decision. Also that before proceeding we are completely comfortable with the decision/choice made, and again, that it is our own decision. I imagine being confident with the decision will make the actual proceedure and recovery time easier to deal with. I also think it’s so important to have control of the things we can, especially with Graves when everything else feels so out of control!
All that aside..I had a good experience today…I went shopping and when I came back out to the carpark, I actually remembered where I parked my car! I went straight to it. It got me thinking and I realised an obvious solution to a continuous problem for me(walking up and down carparks trying to find car) is to simply park near the same area each time, well worth waiting for a park. Its the little things like that that keep me going and make me smile. There is hope yet….

[Kimberly]

#1176286

LOVE the parking idea – thanks for sharing! In fact, you just inspired me to start a “Memory Tips and Tricks” thread…

[Author]

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