[cathycnm]

in reply to: Scared, frustrated could use help #1066541

I agree that your daughter needs rapid evaluation for postpartum depression. This is a serious illness that takes lives of women and children!!! It has to do with a drop in serotonin levels with birth and – yes – people change. They can become ill enough to hurt themselves or their children. Sometimes this is deadly!!! Often they find that the thyroid is not functioning totally correctly, either – which adds to the serotonin issue. Please take her to someone who can evaluate this ASAP. I have a friend who lost her children because people did not recognize her illness in time.

Here is a link to a questionairre that may give you some idea about your daughter. Even if she will not answer the questions herself, I think you will be able to see if this sounds like what is happening. I wish you the very best – the condition is not difficult to treat – but it does require treatment!!! http://www.fresno.ucsf.edu/pediatrics/d … hscale.pdf

[cathycnm]

in reply to: Thanks to Graves’ #1066579

Ice – I think there are often small blessings hidden in our Graves’ journey. Yours is just more "objective" than some of ours! Good luck on your journey to health and wellness!!! ” title=”Very Happy” />

[cathycnm]

in reply to: Question #1066586

PS – If you go on iron supplements, remember to seperate that from your thyroid by several hours – probably take it at night. Best to take with OJ and NOT with milk. My favorite is ferrous sulfate or ferrous gluconate – the gluconate is a little easier on the stomach.

[cathycnm]

in reply to: Question #1066585

Tamara – I agree with Bobbi about the thyroid levels being a common cause of heavy periods. From the gyn side, many times the type of bleeding you are reporting can be from what is called an anovulatory cycle. Simple English – for some reason, your ovary did not produce an ovum or egg. It is the production of the ovum that kicks in the second part of the hormone cycle. When that does not kick in – your estrogen gets higher than normal and overstimulates lining – so you bleed off and on throughout the cycle in a bit of a never ending period.

There are other reasons for this kind of bleeding – like infection or pregnancy – so there is no way to know from a post. But a high percent of the time it is a cycle without an ovum. And it is quite possible that the thyroid changes were enough to keep your ovary from producing an ovum. The anovulatory cycle is not generally linked to anything serious – but it can lead to anemia so be sure you are getting enough iron!

If you are on the pill or something else that keeps you from ovulating – then it could be that you need a slightly different pill to prevent the break through bleeding if, as Bobbi said, your thyroid levels are normal. If your thyroid levels are off – then fixing those is a first step. However, if the bleeding is heavy (a pad or more an hour) or you have pain in your pelvic area – then get thee OB/gyn practitioner ASAP.

[cathycnm]

in reply to: Is there somebody who can give me advice? #1066599

Madame X – Sounds like you have a plan. I can sure empathize with health going through a dip – mine was abn mammogram, osteoporosis (severe prior to treatment), graves, high cholesterol, eczema-type skin condition and irritable bowel – still dealing with the last two but everything else has stabilized. Four years ago – I had no RXs and now, I take 3 everyday for life, one monthly, one as needed, calcium and vit D and then face cream/shampoo from my Derm. It really got to me at first to have to have so many things to treat for life all at once.

That said – if you can shift a bit to counting good things – it can actually work against depression and for your immune system to be healthy. I know that – have read plenty of research – and it was next to impossible the two years ago and the first part of last year. And I have a ton of tools as a coach. So, I am by no means preaching – just spreading the knowledge. As much as possible, don’t let them bring you down – it usually only hurts you. And, yes, employers are not all created equal and employees don’t engage unless they are valued for their strengths. Good luck – my heart goes out to you.

[cathycnm]

in reply to: Planned Pregnancy PTU #1066592

Rhopp – My strong suggestion is a consult now with a perinatologist. Your university center should have one you can see. They are the experts in risks like this during pregnancy. They would not manage your care at this point – so it sounds like you need to find someone you are comfortable with to do that piece – but I do encourage you involve a perinatologist in the team if the treatment plan concerns pregnancy because, in my experience, they have the most knowledge in this area.

[cathycnm]

in reply to: Is there somebody who can give me advice? #1066596

Madame X – I may be able to shead some light. Lupron works by blocking the release of hormones that stimulate our reproductive system. What the doctors want is less stimulation of the fibroids. The seasonique does similar things but more by acting directly on the ovaries to prevent cycles. In both cases, if you can keep the stimulation of the menstral cycle down, the fibroids respond. Anything that messes with hormone levels will have depression as possible side effect – seasonique does, too. But one way to non-surgically help the fibroids is to regulate the levels of hormones that control our cycles, etc. So, it is a bit of a catch 22 if depression is a concern.

Abalation has mixed resulta and I have been out of practice for a few years. I know they frequently re-cur but I am not sure if the rates are improved with newer surgeries – your doc should have statistics on that piece, though.

Hysterestomies are very common in our culture – they are very safe and take care of the fibroids – but they are forever. If you have a hyster – you will want to find out if they are going to take ovaries, too. The ovaries and their hormones protect us from bone loss – so if they take those, you will need to take some replacement hormone until menopause age to protect yourself from bone loss.

I have no huge opinions one way or another on this because it was always my gyn partners who managed the treatment. I have worked with docs who gave a lot of lupron and it was generally pretty well tolerated by patients. So, just keep researching it – because you need to find the right path for you from all these alternatives. Hope that helps.

[cathycnm]

in reply to: HELP MY 18 YR OLD SON’S BEHAVIOR IS OUT OF CONTROL #1066612

What a hard situation for the whole family. He is not happy and it is really creating what sounds like negative spirals.

I think you need to let his psychologist or psychiatrist know what is going on. There are things beyond Graves and ADHD that probably need to be explored – though Graves and ADHD could certianly be feeding the behaviour.

One of the best ways to help stay "grounded" in such a situation, is to focus on little things that you are grateful for and breathe slowly – this is backed by research. In so doing, you calm yourself down and may be an influence on shifting your family a little. It sounds very stressful for everyone right now.

Best of luck – let us know how it goes.

[cathycnm]

in reply to: Scared and Frustrated #1066617

Kristi – I was also scared about RAI. Unlike Bobbi’s story about seeing a mom heal – my mom died of stomach cancer 2 years later (which had everything to do with things OTHER than RAI). Still, she told my sister and I that maybe, just maybe, it was because of the RAI. I am now a nurse practitioner and have read the research – RAI is in no way is to blame for her cancer. Still, there was major apprehension on my part just because of that. Two years later, I would not trade this route of treatment. I feel totally normal physically and am now healing other pieces of my life (social support systems).

Also – yes, wait until you get better before you conceive but you can be encouraged that pregnancy can be pretty normal other than more frequent labs and dosage changes. So good luck with that part – I hope you heal rapidly and can go on to achieve your dreams. I am a nurse-midwife so I always cheer on those babies!

[cathycnm]

in reply to: Question about TSH #1066607

Ruby – I had a situation last year when I first went on replacement that I started feeling a little hyper after 4 months or so. My TSH was normal – but lower than my normal before Graves. I convinced my endo that the irritability and muscle aches were real and I needed a slightly reduced dose. I have been on this dose since that time and felt much better within 3-4 weeks. Interesting that when they rechecked my TSH 6 weeks after the change, it was almost unchanged. I believe it went from 1.7 to 1.86. So, I am a believer that it sometimes only takes a small change.

[cathycnm]

in reply to: Kimberly is our newest BB Facilitator #1066641

Yes – I so appreciate all the facilitators who can do this regularly. My own situation has prohibited that for a few months and will, again, when I start school back up. I honestly feel badly about it but am learning my healing journey has to do with building my own support system first. I so appreciate all my fellow facilitators for all you do. Thanks! ” title=”Very Happy” />

[cathycnm]

in reply to: Kimberly is our newest BB Facilitator #1066639

Welcome Kimberly!!!!

[cathycnm]

in reply to: Dear Thyroid #1066846

There was once a Certified Nurse-Midwife
Who had just entered her midlife
her bone scan was rotten
her social life, forgotten
And her thyroid kicked-in just past midnight

[cathycnm]

in reply to: Dear Thyroid #1066840

Dear Thyroid – Thank you for starting me on a journey to wellness. You have taught me the importance of being well – which is different than being healthy. You have taught me how to rebuild my health, my career, my social supports. Or at least I am in process with those lessons. Sexy – hmmm. No, but alive. More alive than ever. . . .

[cathycnm]

in reply to: Lessons from Graves’ Disease #1066659

A pearl from my wellness coaching course today – "most wellness journeys start with a diagnosis". To me, that means we have to experience illness inorder to truely value and create wellness. I know Graves was the diagnosis that I needed to begin to shift my wellness habits.

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