[Anonymous December 31, 1996 at 6:50 pm Post count: 93172]

#1057476

Jake, we forgive you for being harsh, okay? What we need to do is realize that we do have an illness an to have an open mind about things. After all, there are many answers to a question.

Hope you have a Joyous New Year folks. In Japan, there are two New Years that they celebrate. The 1st is naturally the New Year celebration, but also the one the Chinese celebrate is numero 2.
The Japanese call this the “small New year”.

Well, talk to you later!

[Anonymous January 1, 1997 at 6:45 am Post count: 93172]

#1166085

Rosemary,

I do empathize (as I’m sure many of us do) with your feelings here. It would be nice if there was a treatment that interfered with the the specific antibody that attacks the thyroid. Zap it and the thyroid is left in peace. It’s wishful thinking, unfortunately. I asked doctors about it when I first got ill. There is NO treatment that gets rid of the antibodies. So those of us with Graves disease have to deal with reality, and select from among the treatments that DO WORK to make us healthier. There is not a single one that doesn’t have some drawback or other.

As far as RAI destroying the thyroid, my response is “Thank God” that the thyroid is one of those body parts that is not essential to life and health. There are many, many people out there whose thyroids do not function for one reason or another, who live productive and healthy lives. Many elderly people have lost thyroid function as a part of aging. They take synthetic thyroid hormone. Since getting sick, I’ve discovered several people within my IMMEDIATE circle of friends and acquaintances who have made a comment like, “Oh, yes, I’ve been taking ________(synthetic thyroid)for (X number of) years.” It never came up in conversations before because it was no big deal. They were healthy. It was just a part of their lives, like taking a vitamin.

I could not take the antithyroid meds, so RAI became the option of choice (the week before Thanksgiving this year). I have to tell you that so far I feel so much better than I have since getting sick, and that includes when I was on PTU, that I am not sorry I had to do this. My endo is careful, and has monitored my progress. I saw her on Monday, and was absolutely amazed to find out that I’m already hypothyroid enough to start replacement. I knew I was getting there. I’ve had some MINOR indications of hypothyroidism (no energy to speak of — but I haven’t had any of that since I got sick — and intermittent muscle cramping, increasing cold intolerance, etc.) but I’ve been feeling so GOOD overall, that I thought I was probably just getting to the very low end of “normal” and would have to wait a while longer. Anyway, I’m now on .1mg of synthroid. My doctor told me that this is the “worst” I’m going to feel, that it will only get better as we work together to get to the proper dose. I felt elated. I realize that there will be ups and downs from here on out, as hormone levels tend to fluctuate over time, but so far this treatment has worked: I may not feel quite “normal” yet, but I do not feel “sick”. A big bonus.

So if you find yourself having to face RAI, please take heart. And try to keep it in perspective: it isn’t a heart or a liver that is going out on you. It is a gland for which there is replacement hormone available. It isn’t the “perfect” solution, but it is not a bad one either.

[Anonymous January 1, 1997 at 12:07 pm Post count: 93172]

#1166086

Dear Bobbi,
What a wonderful message to begin my 1997. Thank you for your upbeat
information. Friday at 11:00am I will have the RAI procedure performed
and I feel that I’ve considered my options — ups and downs of con-
tinuing PTU and beta blockers vs. RAI. My blood work shows a marked
movement toward the low side and it’s time for me to turn a corner. I
appreciate your comments more than you’ll ever know. My decision of
course will not be reversible, so it’s onward and upward (I hope) for
me. Thanks, Bobbi, for your New Year’s message. Let me know how you
are progressing.

Rosemary

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