[judy]

#1074015

Hello – I have had graves disease for 5 years. When I was first diagnosed my mood swings,yelling,depression always tired,sluggish were out of control..
I know exactly how he feels..

Tell him he must be treated… or he will always feel that way..

Once they have your thyroid levels under control.. He will feel energetic, happy please trust me… been there done that..

he will wonder why he waited so long… you will have the love of your life back..

Judy ” title=”Very Happy” />

[Madame_X]

#1074016

As we all know, this isn’t a condition that cannot be fixed.” title=”Smile” />

I am sure your H. is scared stiff. We can identify.

I am also guessing your H is the type who doesn’t get to a doctor unless he’s really really sick — I hope his doc can talk some sense into him and let him know what he’s up against if it turns out he does have Graves…and what happens if he doesn’t treat his condition.

Maybe it would help your H to know how many famous people have Graves; you’ll find a whole list of them on Wikipedia where the definition of Graves can be found. Rodney Dangerfield was one of them. There’s a football player and a host of other people whose names he’d recognize in a flash.

[tvcm31]

#1019781

My husband will be having tests soon to determine if he has Grave’s. He has all the symptoms and the endo thinks he has nodules on his thyroid. Since hearing this he’s lost all rational thinking. I can’t imagine what he must feel and I know that mood swings, anger, depression etc are all part of what he’s going through. But he’s talking about not doing anything about it, that he will have life long problems with the treatments, that his body is killing him and that means he shouldn’t live. He doesn’t want any one to know about it and says that he’ll kill himself before be sick a lifetime. I try to tell him once he’s on the meds he’ll feel differently that this is part of the disease, but he won’t listen. I am not down playing this condition, but I love my husband and we have a child. I need to do something so he’ll snap out of this and go with some sort of treatment. Any insight?

[DianneW]

#1074017

It’s completely normal to go through a wide range of emotions when first dealing with the realization that one has a disease that will have life-long implications. If your husband does have Graves’, he will certainly need management of his thyroid levels for the rest of his life. This does NOT mean that he won’t feel entirely well, because most people feel well and have a normal lifespan. In fact, a speaker at one of our conferences, Robert Chang, made it to the summit of Mt. Everest after being treated for Graves’ Disease. http://www.robchanginspires.com/ Another speaker with Graves’, George Hood, set the Guinness Book of World Records for stationary cycling. http://www.ridegeorgeride.org/

Then there was Gail Devers who won Olympic Gold in track. There was a movie made on her story, which I had the misfortune to see immediately following my diagnosis before I had very much real information on the disease. The movie was poorly made and I hope it’s never shown again, because it’s misleading about the treatment issues. In the movie Gail’s feet were nearly amputated and they showed her receiving some kind of radiation treatments, but were never clear what those were. She was hospitalized and very ill. This had nothing to do with the experience of most Graves’ patients, but because my feet hurt, I was afraid I would end up like she did. My point is that if anyone sees this movie, don’t take it too seriously. I think it could be edited and be turned into a good resource for GD patients though.

What makes your husband think he will have life-long problems with the treatments? Not all of the treatments are easy short-term, but they all work, and he WILL feel better. He will certainly feel better than he does now.

I know I’m preaching to the choir now. Please invite him to join us on the board and talk to some other people who actually know what he’s going through.

In the meantime, I can only imagine what it’s like for you. Hang in there.

Best wishes,

[lingling]

#1074018

Dear TVCM31,

I was suppose to go through elective cholecystectomy (removal of gall bladder due to polyps and stones) in January 2009. After undergoing blood tests in preparation for the procedure, which included thyroid hormone levels, my specialists for internal medicine told me that my thyroid was overactive. A specilist for nuclear medicine, who ran some tests on me, confirmed that I had Graves disease.

My symptoms started in autumn 2008, all of which I mistook as symptoms of stress – hand tremors, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, weight loss, insomnia, and frequent bowel movement. I did not have exophthalmus as my body had not developed antibodies.

I was put on an antithyroid drug, which brought down my free T3 level, but after a week I developed an allergy towards the drug. I was prescribed another brand, but once again developed an allergy towards it. It was then that my specialists for internal medicine and nuclear medicine decided that I undergo total thyroidectomy. They referred me to the best endocrinological surgeon in my country.

I thought it was the end of the world … I thought I was going to die … I lost all hope … I was depressed.

Well, it’s been 1 month post-total thyroidectomy and I’m still alive and I feel great! The operation was uneventful, except for the fact that I had to stay 24 hours in intensive care. This was necessary as my thyroid was still very much hyper when they operated on me, and my endo surgeon and anesthesiologist wanted my vital signs to be monitored closely. Total thyroidectomy was a blessing in disguise as the pathological report showed that I had a 4mm microcarcinoma on the left lobe of my thyroid. Luckily, the cancer was encapsulated, it had not spread at all.

My endoc surgeon told me how good a decision it was to opt for total thyroidectomy, instead of radioactive iodine.

I am now on 100 microgramme of thyroxine and, as I said, I feel reborn. All the symptoms of Graves disease have disappeared. Mid-April I will undergo tests to determine whether the current dosage needs adjustment. Some people have side-effects from the thyroid hormone replacement, but I don’t (knock on wood!). Each person reacts differently. Important thing is to find the right dosage and to go regularly for blood tests in order not to fall hypo.

My point is this – contrary to what I initially thought, Graves disease is NOT the end of the world. We are now in the 21st century and medicine/science have come a long way. Whatever option your husband has … be it antithyroid drugs, radioactive iodine or total thyroidectomy … be informed of the pros and cons of each option and just do it! Find good doctors, find a very good specialist for internal medicine or an endocrinologist. If you don’t trust what your current doctor says, then get a second opinion, a third opinion.

I wish you and your husband all the best. Tell him, nobody dies from Graves disease nowadays. But, he will surely die, if he leaves it untreated. After treatment, the best is yet to come. Trust me … I am a living proof that life is wonderful after Graves.

And, if you are spiritual, then pray and have faith.

Best regards,
ICB

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