[bmw2002]

in reply to: Story and Looking for Input #1169326

At the end of this month I have another lab draw, with an appointment a week later. I have a feeling that nothing much has changed, as the symptoms have been suppressed by the beta blocker but remain unchanged. I do have better days (95% normal) and worse days.

The October appointment feels like a crossroads, a time to make a decision. I’ve done a lot of research and have come to some preliminary conclusions, but am trying to keep all treatment options open. If someone were to tell me, "If you can handle the symptoms, and you’re protecting your heart with beta blockers, we can wait up to a year for remission", I would probably say, yes, let’s just stay the course as long as the symptoms don’t make me feel worse, I could handle it. The AT drugs scare me, and RAI scares me too, especially because of the possible likelihood of TED. Surgery scares me the least, and has the appeal of "finality". I can accept taking a pill a day for the rest of my life (most of us will probably have to take some kind of pill eventually, right?). I’ve also been witness to a loved ones positive transformation by surgery, so that has a significant bearing on my decision.

So, I’d love any input. I’m not sure if I’ve asked a question or not. Maybe the question is, is it OK to "wait it out"? What’s a reasonable amount of time to wait before giving up on remission and taking the next step? Is it safe to wait? The endos haven’t really answered this question (I’ll ask in October). I am under the impression that my heart is protected by the beta blockers (50 bpm in the morning upon wakeup and up to 80 during the day). Also, do the anti-thyroid drugs "trigger" remission, or do they just get your hormone levels to healthier numbers while you wait for your body to go into remission at whatever point it would occur (with or without the AT drugs)?

Thanks for reading

– j

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