[shelleymay]

#1018959

Hey there… been MANY years since I posted here and have to say THANKS for those that are still around. This board, I honestly think – saved my life. I "hit bottom" as I like to call it in 2003 and was finally diagnosed with Graves. I nearly died. Due to the severity and size of my thyroid and all the research I did here, the library, and with several docs, I opted to have a total thyroidectomy.At the time, it seemed like the best option for me. I had it removed in November 2003 and was finally able to get pregnant the following August. Since then, my health has been a complete roller coaster. 10 weeks post-partum, I had Pancreatitis which had me in the hospital for four days. My sinus infections then got worse and more frequent – I had to have sinus surgery to remove a cyst in Feb 2005. I then got penumonia May 2005. Had my Gall Bladder removed after my liver began to shut down in 2007. Gall stones left behind had to be blasted out Jan 2008. I’ve now been fighting some form of a cold since then: sinus infections, walking pneumonia, ear infections, bronchitis, sinus infections – did i mention sinus infections? the latest gig in the respiratory department – asthma attacks – yet i’ve not been diagnosed with asthma.I’ve been fighting the most recent cold since May. I am using a rescue inhaler 4-6 times per day, using a nebulizer and have had a couple of trips to ER. I have seen two ENTs and cannot get in to see an allergist until October. The last ENT said that he strongly felt this was immune related since i am getting sick 5-8 days post anti-biotic.

I am sending out a HAIL MARY in the hopes that someone has experienced this or has some insight/guidance/direction. I am honestly at wits end. Mentally – i am spent as i wake each day feeling awful. I have not felt WELL since i was pregnant. My primary care doc tells me i no longer have Graves – as i no longer have a thyroid. What’s the verdict on this? and is there any correlation to what i am going through? I find it very difficult to fight any sort of flu, bug, cold, cut, bruise. You name it… i don’t heal it.

Thankful for any and all guidance.

Shell

[mamabear]

#1068119

shell, Hello and welcome back!

I am rushing out now but wanted to post fast.

Do you have allergies? Indoor or outdoor doesn’t matter, you have resperitory problems with either of them and although outdoor are mostly certain times of the year, indoor can be anytime and all year.

Open your windows and clean your house. Get that crap that is flying around that house OUT. OPen the door and yell at it and say get out! Yep I HAVE done that. After baby #4 was born I had 7months old illnesses with all my kids and myself before I finally said no one is allowed in the house and I did a deep cleaning.

Wash doorknobs, toilet handles, light switches, clean the sinks well. Soap and water work fine if you dont have a bleach solution. Open the windows up and air out the house. Use lysol, wash the sheets and get the dust out of the house too!

Take a pillow case, stand on a ladder . Take the pillow case and use that to clean the fans. With the fan off, take each plank and put the case over it and wipe it into the case. DON"T wash the fans just dust them into the case. Take the case outside and dump it then wash it well. It doesn’t have to be perfect….perfection is not what this is about. It’s about getting the "sickness" feeling out of that house.

When you get appt. with the allergist. make sure you aren’t taking certain medications for allergies(if you are). That way when you get there they can test you right then for allergies adn you wont have to do another appt for just that. To be honest, if you aren’t allergic to anything then dont let them say that you should be tested with a higher dose under the skin. Its nonsense to do that.(been there done that with my 2 yr old)

Wash your hands and your childs hands every single time you come home. When they come home from school. anyone who enters your home should go straight to the bathroom and wash hands with warm soapy water. No excuses and no exceptions. Everyone in my home does this including non family members. I have to many kids to have to deal with dirty stuff out there. I dont use antibacterial soap since i fell it creates superbugs so warm soapy water works best for us.

Although your thyroid was removed, you still had Graves’ disease and it is an autoimmune disease. Therefore it is something your childs pediatrician should have on file so if they ever have issues they know about you.

Forgive me if i am wrong, there will be others to confirm or correct me… Once your thyroid is gone, you can become Hypo , do you take any supplemental medicines for Thyroid like Synthroid or anything like that?

Have they tested your TSH, T3, T4 recently to see? Just because your dr. says you’re fine doesn’t mean a pot a beans. If you are feeling bad they should check. Get a 2nd opinion or demand he do it.
I have to go for now. will post more later.

hugs

[Ski]

#1068120

Autoimmune disease does not mean the same thing as a compromised immune system. Autoimmune disease means that our immune system is OVERworking, and has created antibodies to our own tissue. These antibodies are very specific, with a "lock and key" relationship to the thing they target. That means once our thyroid no longer exists, the antibodies that targeted our thyroid can no longer affect us. They couldn’t attack other tissue in the body, our body would have to create a DIFFERENT antibody in order to attack another part of the body.

However, at last year’s conference, we were told that it is beginning to be recognized that Graves’ may be more a *syndrome* than a single disease. EVEN SO, it comes with site-specific antibodies (some to the eyes, which create TED, and others to the tissues in the shins, which create pretibial myxedema), so we can’t say that all maladies following our experience with Graves’ can somehow be connected to Graves’ as a disease. I think the closest we can come to that type of statement is to say that the time we spent hyperthyroid may have weakened other body systems, and afterward those weakened organs show it. Other than that, slightly imbalanced thyroid hormone levels MAY play a part in "keeping us weak," if we haven’t properly dialed in OUR normal (vs. finding someplace in the normal range and calling it "okay").

And one last thought ~ having one autoimmune disease gives us a slightly higher risk of acquiring another autoimmune disease, so these other conditions MAY be related to that. The facts about autoimmune diseases are just now coming to light, we’re very early in the research process, and it’s possible that other autoimmune diseases may be found that could be contributing to these conditions you’re experiencing.

[shelleymay]

#1068121

you ladies are awesome. thanks for putting some things in perspective…. luckily the allerigst/immunologist called today with a cancellation. i’m going in tomorrow and will hopefully have some answers!!!

[mamabear]

#1068122

Keep us posted… I can’t wait to hear what he had to say.

[Author]

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