[Boomer]

in reply to: Acronyms #1180034

TDGDIARPITB= This Damn Graves Disease Is A Royal Pain In The Butt.

IILTAA= Is It Lunch Time Already (Again)?

IIHTTOMPIGTS= If I Have To Take One More Pill I’m Going To Scream!

Hope these help clear up any confusion,

Boomer

[Boomer]

in reply to: Dose increased yesterday/feeling worse today (?) #1178287

Alright Flora!

Thanks for sharing your good news! When I read about you (or anyone for that matter) feeling better it makes me feel better too! Didn’t know this stuff was catchy did ya? Me neither

I’m sure you’re jumping for joy because you’re feeling so much better but try not to overdo it and get run-down okay? Stay mindful of your meds, eat good healthy food, stay hydrated, and keep on doing whatever you’ve been doing ‘cuz you must be doing it right!

Continued good heath to you,

Boomer

[Boomer]

in reply to: Tapazole allergy #1180054

Hey there!

I *thnk* a rash is lised as a serious side-effect of Tapazole (Methimazole). It could very well be an indication of an alergy. Probably best to talk to your doctor right away.

Be very alert and aware of any other allergic symptoms such as breathing difficulty, hives, swelling of the tongue and throat, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Hopefully some others will chime in before too long but regardless- I think a call to your doctor is in order.

Hope you feel better right away. Let us know how things pan out okay?

Okay!

Good health to you,

Boomer

[Boomer]

in reply to: My 4 year old son just diagnosed with Grave’s Disease #1179987

Hey there Kim!

I’m SO glad you found this site- there is a wealth of good sensible info here that I’m sure you guys will find helpful as time passes.

I’m so sorry to hear about your little dude – I can’t imagine how difficult it must be for the whole family. The good news (gotta look hard for good news sometimes huh?) is that Grave’s can be treated and your little trooper will probably bounce back faster and with less fussing than we adults. I guarantee that he whines less than me- I’ve got the market cornered in that department…

You really sound like you’re on top of things and doing a great job looking out for your son but should questions or concerns arise be sure to take advantage of the knowledge base here- it’s really been a godsend for me and so may others so don’t be bashful!

I look forward to hearing good news as your sons moves back towards health. In the mean time hang tough, stay courageous, and stay positive!

Peace and health to you and yours,

Boomer

[Boomer]

in reply to: Had My Consult – Bring on the Surgery! #1179854

SueAndHerZoo wrote:

May your days be filled with opportunities to have tubes shoved up your nose.
Sue

Thanks! I think…. heh heh!

I am pretty sure you can take your drops in juice – in fact I remember reading that it was suggested to do so. I can’t imagine they taste good straight *shudder*. Maybe a whiskey chaser?

Were you really gonna post the video? Holy cow I really AM a bad influence on you! Or wait-you were here first – YOU’RE the bad influence!

I gotta get outta here before you get me into trouble…

Stay cool,

Boomer

[Boomer]

in reply to: Surgery (non-thyroid) update #1179932

Hey Bill!

I’m so happy to hear that surgery went well. I’m sure you’re hurtin’ today but think about how much better you’l feel once you’re healed up- hard to see it right now, I’ll bet, but you’ll get there.

It sounds like you’re up and moving around already albeit bent over. That’s good but don’t overdo it – listen to your body.

Hang tough!

Health and non-itchy stitches for ya,

Boomer

[Boomer]

in reply to: TED flare #1179922

Hey thee Holly!

I hope this is a simple and temporary setback for you and that you feel better right away.

Stay patient and hopeful!

Boomer

[Boomer]

in reply to: Just got diagnosed:( #1179865

Welcome to the forum Moonbeam!

We call one of my closest friends Moonbeam too!

I thought I had the market cornered on babbling. Watch out- I wll not give up my title easily…

Glad you found this place- I’ve gotten the best most straight-forward answers here and that’s a big comfort. They say that ignorance is bliss but the more I know and understand about this the better I feel mentally and emotionally. I was in the dark prior to being diagnosed and it was scary! I was actually relieved to finally have some answers. Happy about it? Heck no but at least I was no longer wondering what the heck was going on with me.

My endo started me on a very high dose of Methimazole too- I think the object is to “shock” the thyroid into slowing down. I was able to lower my initial dose but ended up going right back up high again. Apparantly this is “normal” in that there seems to be no one-size-fits-all due to so many variables.

Hang in there, be patient, ask any questions that might come up, and use the search function here as chances are it’s already been discussed- what a great resource!

Looking forward to seeing you around as we travel this road alone together

Health and love to all,

Boomer

[Boomer]

in reply to: Aches #1179875

Hey there!

When I started on Tapazole (Methimazole*) as well as a few days after any dose increase I had joint pain, muscle pain, and more cramps than I’ve ever had mostly in my feet of all places.

I was told by my Endo that this is indeed a normal side-effect and that rash, nausea, vomiting, and fever are the ones to call him about right away.

I swear the cure feels as bad as the cause sometimes. Just think about how tough this makes us though. The Graves Gang: Fear us.

Hang in there and stay positive!

Health and good vibes comin’ atcha,

Boomer

*corrected typo

[Boomer]

in reply to: Hyperthyroid Symptom Question #1179884

I don’t have an actual answer to your question (not that it has ever stopped me before) but I can tell you that the same darn thing happened to me this past weekend.

I was outside with the dogs doing nothing strenuous – just poking around in the sun – and it was not hot at all. We came in, I sat down, and broke out into an insant clammy sweat, felt lightheaded and nauseous, and were I not sitting down I would have had to because I felt like I was going to fall out. I no sooner recovered from that and I had to run (actually crabwalk/hobble as usual) to the men’s room.

It started out of the blue and ended just as quickly and I felt fine, relatively speaking, no more than 5 minutes later. A lady friend of mine suggested it was a hot flash but having never had one, per se, I’m not sure. It felt more like a fast drop in blood sugar to me but again- this is just guesswork on my part.

Had you eaten enough prior to this happening? Any caffiene? Something loaded with sugar an hour or so prior? The only thing that stands out in my mind that day was that I’d eaten a light breakfast instead of my usual trough of anything that doesn’t run away from me.

If something like that should happen again make up your mind right now that if you happen to be driving that you’ll pull over to a safe spot, put the car in park, and not drive until you feel 100% okay? Okay! The same goes for me too – it came on so fast I need to remain vigilant in the future.

I hope it is a one-time thing.

Health to you and yours,

Boomer

[Boomer]

in reply to: Had My Consult – Bring on the Surgery! #1179852

How did I know you’d be bragging about the Nose-Cam™? Some girls have ALL the luck don’t they?

I’m SO glad your consult went well! I mean the only thing better would have been two tubes in the nose burt we can’t always have everything we want right? Right! It really makes a difference when the doctor listens, isn’t rushing, etc., doesn’t it? Sounds like you picked a winner!

No matter how good she is I suggest you don’t tip her until afterwards- they don’t take too kindly to tips in advance. Don’t ask me how I know this…

I’ll be standing by while you upload the video. As they say “Pics (in this case video) or it didn’t really happen!”

Glad it went well and that the wait won’t be too terribly long. Keep taking care of yourself, stop Googling, and keep thinking postitive. And remember to tell your Thyroid “Nyeah nyeah I WIN!” on your way into surgery

Stay great!

Boomer

[Boomer]

in reply to: lab work question #1179794

I’m happy to hear your good news Allie!

Stay positive and hopeful- a lot can happen in three weeks so focus on today’s victory and worry about the future in the future. Think positive!

Thank for sharing your good news- I needed that

Love to all,

Boomer

[Boomer]

in reply to: Disadvantages of not having a thyroid? #1179831

Good luck tomorrow Sue!

Now you don’t really expect a straight answer from me did ya?

The advantages to having no thyroid:

1. One less thing to go wrong.

2. One less body part to be mad at.

3. Instant weight loss- as soon as it is removed it’s weight will be subtracted from one’s body weight.

4. No more late-night discussions with it which cut into one’s sleeping time.

5. A cool scar that you can tell folkss you got in a knife fight back when you were an enforcer for the mob. Instant street cred.

6. You never have to explain where one’s thyroid is ever again. If they press you see number 9 below.

7. You no longer have to cook for it.

8. You can have the surgeon stitch it up to make a little pouch to keep your keys in- never misplace them again.

9. You can keep it in a jar of formeldahyde on your coffee table. Great conversation piece.

10. You can finally tell it, on the way into surgery: “Nyeah nyeah I win!”

I’ll be here all week. Don’t forget to tip your waitstaff. (don’t worry- I won’t quit my day job.)

Let us know how things go tomorrow please.

Courage and health to you,

Boomer

[Boomer]

in reply to: Methimzole & Propanolol for 7 weeks, no improvement #1179824

Hey kids!

I’m sorry you’re not feeling any improvements yet. Blah blah blah patience right? Yeah I hear ya there. Patience is NOT my forte’. I know that feeling of desperation. Ugh. It’s hard for sure.

I’ll preface my comments with the fact that my case is “severe” so of course my dosage will be much higher than yours.

Upon leaving the hospital (I was diagnosed in the ER) I was initially put on 60mg/day of Methimazole (MMI) for the first four days. This is meant to “shock” my raging thyroid into quieting down. On the fifth day my dosage was dropped to half of the initial dose so it was lowered to 30mg/day. The side effects were pretty tough but I began to feel some body changhes at around the tenth day as the excess hormones began to flush out of my system.

I had blood drawn after the third week and due to my thyroid’s refusal to cooperate fully my dose was raised back up to 60mg/day. Again, around the tenth day, I could feel some changes in my body again.

I’m now five weeks down the line and although I’ve not felt any changes my numbers have finally dropped significantly enough that I am scheduled to take RAI two weeks from today provided the hospital has an opening. I’ll know for sure tomorrow.

Due to the severity of my case my Endo and I chose to treat it aggressively, deal with non-threatening side-effecs as they arose, and get this show on the road as they say. I was initially scheduled to do RAI in August but I saw no reason to drag things out- the sooner I could get my numbers down the sooner I can get on track to feeling normal again.

Mind you I’m a cash customer- there is no insurance company footing the bill or even part of the bill so both the doctor and myself felt that it made sense to hammer this pre-treatment out ASAP.

While I’m not suggesting that a long slow treatment should be avoided (we all have different health issues, different tolerance to side-effects, etc) perhaps a discussion with one’s Endo regarding ‘gentle” treatment vs. ‘aggressive’ treatment might be something to consider.

I’ve fetlt so bad for so long that I was willing to feel bad a little longer due to side effects rather than creep along gently. I’m most often able to seperate my mind from my body and tune out discomfort pretty well so I chose to really go after this now rather than play around all summer. I’m in otherwise good health and pretty strong (although I don’t feel too darn strong these days) and it was ultimately my choice as to how to pace myself.

I’ve prattled on so much- I’ll close now:

Talk to your doctor and let him know that you are not feeling improvement. Ask yourself if you are willing to feel more discomfort now so that you might feel better sooner. here is no “rght” answer- just things to consider. Most importantly, though, as I said above: be patient. This didn’t happen overnight therefore it’s not going to get better overnight. Plan for the worst but hope for the best.

Remember that many others have (crab) walked this road before us and that you WILL feel better if you keep doing your part: Eat well, drink lots of water, get rest, and take meds like clockwork. Hang tough and keep reaching out whenever you need to.

When I was diagnosed I have never felt more alone. To find you guys made such a difference in my mindset. It gave me hope and it gave me fellowship- I didn’t feel like I was the only one dealing with this mess any more.

Hang tough, stay positive (even if you don’t believe it- it still helps!) and grab ahold of whatever small victories you can find.

You can do this. WE can do this.

Peace and patience to you,

Boomer

[Boomer]

in reply to: Post TT Rides and Scars #1179771

Holy cow 53 miles two weeks after surgery… Slacker…

I kid I kid!

It is SO good to hear the success stories- thanks for taking the time to make such a great post.

I’m glad that you’re feeling good champ- keep on keepin’ on!

Good tires and good health to you,

Boomer

[Author]

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