[Anonymous]

#1125061

Hi Charliew–

A high TSI doesn’t necessarily indicate how long you’ve had the disease or how severe it is. There are many factors involved, and other antibodies that might affect the course of your disease. Many people have both thyroid stimulating and thyroid blocking hormones, and your levels could fluctuate for a long period of time before one or the other wins out.

This disease can run up considerable medical bills, and that puts further stress on family relationships that may already be stressed by the personality changes of the patient, and an insuffiency in understanding by the family. If you haven’t already, get a copy of “The Thyroid Solution”, which addresses these issues.

If you think it would help, send me an email and I’ll write a letter to your husband giving him some idea what you’re going through and how he can help. There is also a bulletin put out by NGDF that you can obtain from the NGDF homepage, called “An Open Letter to Husbands of Graves’ Patients”, #38, written by the husband of a Graves’ patient.

Best wishes,
Dianne W
NGDF Asst. Online Facilitator

[Anonymous]

#1038282

I was diagnosed with graves in May after going to an ob-gyn because of menstrual irregularities. I have been living with a lot of symptoms that I was passing of as overworked and overstressed. A few were bizarre and new like hand tremors and elevated temperature that was higher than normal for me, felt like a fever to me, muscle weakness and pain, and a few other things were making me start to wonder. I thought I was going through menopause and suffering anxiety attacks. I am over weight and it is easy to explain most of the symptoms away.
At first it was comforting to know that I was not going crazy, there was something that was real causing my problems. The doctors are good but seem to react slowly to my concerns. Last time I went I was told I was sub-clinical. Even though my THI is really high, and the TSH is non-existent, the T3 and T4 are normal to low normal.
This should be good news because I do not need to get my thyroid radiated or removed for the time being. I just need to take my Beta-blockers and anxiety meds and keep being monitored? I was stressing the radiation, even when the evidence is that it safe. I think that the worry from all the diagnosis has made me even crazier. But then there is no resolution only waiting and more blood tests.
My husband hates the medical bills, even when we have insurance. I am just a burden. My life has lost all pleasure. And I feel like I am in limbo waiting for things to change, to improve. The waiting is the difficult part.
Some days are good with few symptoms and others are torture with eye pain and depression. I yell at everyone and everything. I think that my family thinks I hate them. I have no patience or tolerance for anything.
I have really appreciated the things that all of you have shared it helps me feel like I am not alone it was great to find a place that facilitates healing at least from a mental standpoint.
Does anyone know if a high TSI reading means that a person has had the disease for a longer period of time. I have not been able to find the answer.

charliew

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