[cathycnm]

in reply to: to wristmaker #1075211

Wristmaker – Financial barriers are difficult, esp when we live rural. Have you looked into Medicaid?

I think this discussion board cannot get into talking about lab results. I will say that once you have Graves – you have it. However, the over or underactive thyroid can be treated. I might suggest a web search on a reputable site – like webmd – to look up the norms on the various labs. However, remember that different labs may have slightly different values. This is why it is important for you to get in to see someone who can follow you over time. Do you use the same free clinic each time? If so, is there anyone there who can work with the endo(s) as a primary care person? Even a nurse practitioner – someone who can follow you over time and can consult the endo(s) when your labs are off. Or maybe you see the same endo each time. I don’t know your system but it may benefit you to have someone on your case who is following you over time. This helps prevent errors, etc. Cathy

[cathycnm]

in reply to: to wristmaker #1075209

Wristmaker and Ski – High cholesterol and LDL can be associated with hypo thyroid – and can lead to athrosclerosis. This is why even sub clinical hypo should be treated. Or so I was told at a medical conference this fall. My own cholesterol jumped from 180 to 220 this fall, with better diet and exercise this year. My LDL also jumped quite a bit. But my numbers are nothing like you are reporting Wristmaker. That makes me wonder if you have some other genetics feeding into this. I totally agree with Ski – you need to get all this reviewed by a physician who can manage you.

So, you still have no insurance? Is money still a barrier for you? Cathy

[cathycnm]

in reply to: About the holidays… #1075237

Mamabear – My students are RN students. By non-traditional, I mean they are anything but the normal 18 year old just out of high school. Average age is in probably 30-40 something. I have had people well into their 50s in the class – lots of grannies. I do have some traditionals in the group but not a big percent. Cathy

[cathycnm]

in reply to: thyroid illnesses and diet coke #1075440

Lynn – I actually fell in love with coconut milk when my endo had me on the low iodine diet for a month during/after treatment and scans. There are lots of alternatives. One word of caution is to be sure you are getting enough calcium – they have recently raised some of the calcium recommendations. So – just use supplements if your diet does not contain these. (BTW – did you know there is more iodine in a glass of cow’s milk than in the standard RAI dose?) Cathy

[cathycnm]

in reply to: About the holidays… #1075233

Mamabear – You have a nice way of communicating and I see your passion coming through. I teach nursing and there are virutally no traditional students in my program. Your type of story is the norm. We need nurses – I hope you will really consider this career where and when you can. Cathy

[cathycnm]

in reply to: About the holidays… #1075231

Ski and Mamabear – Great points! I was just thinking how I have a nurses pinning to plan/run right between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It really makes for full holidays each year – and while I am feeling so much better these days, I know I am still not at my best.

I would also remind folks to savor the really important moments – really get into them. Like savoring fine wine (though it may be savoring opening gifts), a calgon bath (for those who are old enough to remember those "take me away" commercials) or finding small momentos of the little things. Savoring is an art that not only reduces stress – it creates a happy side. ” title=”Smile” /> Happy is healthier.

Mamabear – I have enjoyed reading your posts – you seem knowledgable. Are you a nurse or health professional? Cathy

[cathycnm]

in reply to: GD treatments / to seekingclarity #1075283

Tammy – Because I was diagnosed with severe osteoporosis two years prior to getting Graves, I did a lot of research on this topic when I was deciding on treatment. As far as I know there is no contraindication to ATDs. The issue is that ADTs have a lower success rate – so during the time frame you are waiting to see if they are working . . . or the times when you go off to see if you are in remission – there is a chance that if you are hyper you could loose more bone. And bone – once gone – is difficult if not impossible to replace. Everything I read said that if you already have osteoporosis and then get Graves, go with RAI because it has a higher effectiveness rate. That does not mean that ATDs are contraindicated – it does mean they may not be the best choice long term as far as bone loss. My own lumbar spine is as bad as many 80 year olds who had normal scans at 50 – so we all loose bone mass over time. The rates just increase in osteoporosis and hyperthyroid. Checking with your doctor and getting bone scans is great advise. Cathy

[cathycnm]

in reply to: GD treatments / to seekingclarity #1075279

I recall reading one source that said that the higher the iodine content of the diet, the less likely ATDs are to be effective – and that effectiveness was dropping in the US as our diets contain more and more iodine. Thought that interesting. In fact, research like that made me more hesitant to do ATDs due to my underlying bone issue, that could get worse if remission did not happen or got worse. I think if you need something you are pretty sure is going to work the first time and stay working RAI – yet not carry surgical risk – RAI has real advantage. 90% seemed like a good shot – even though it was hard to commit to the lifetime need for thyroid. I really went back and forth the week after my RAI had been ordered and before I swallowed it. I just needed a sure shot. Cathy

[cathycnm]

in reply to: Graves and diuretics and allergies #1075288

Kallikat – It sounds like what you have had to antibiotics is an immediate sensativity reaction – you are correct that these, if bad enough, can cause death. This is because your body is sensitized to the antibiotic and, therefore, is ready to attack at full force when the substance is encountered again.

Generally speaking, if you are going to have that type of reaction – it will be quick and you will know it.

Lots of drugs have a similar enough structure that the drug companies issue warnings. Those go in nursing and provider drug books. I often have my student nurses catch those sorts of things when giving meds. When we talk to the prescribing provider, they often have sound rationalle. Usually it is because the risk of cross-sensitization is very rare and the med’s advantages outweigh this risk.

That said – I think it would be good to review your concern with your doctor to get your questions answered. It may have been a different type of allergic responce you were having and – if so – your doctor absolutely needs to know this for the records, esp with your history of life-threatening allergic responce. Cathy

[cathycnm]

in reply to: It was some scary stuff…:( #1075269

Madame X – You know, when I first went on the daily injectable med for my osteoporosis (correlates with time of my first Graves symptoms, too), I noticed my bladder felt irritable and my urine looked like it had particles in it. In the next few months, when I was up 5-7 times a night, it was often feeling the need to urinate with these changes continuing. Almost a year later my bone scan shows little improvement – I go to an endo and get worked up. This is when they found Graves. They also found too much calcuim in my urine. I believe the combo of the med, the Graves and the supplements was a good part of the problem – I was basically flushing all my supplements down the drain!!!! I felt so dumb – I lost a year on the osteo med. If I had said something about the urine symptoms – it might have been caught sooner and my bones would have had more time on the meds without being worked against. I guess we are all in some denial when it comes to our own health.

Dehydration is pretty easy to diagnose – even dipping a urine specimen gives strong evidance that this is going on. That may be where he got that idea – that or a blood count maybe. Sometimes just looking at skin – because it gets a little like a basset hound when we are dry. Cathy

[cathycnm]

in reply to: New to Graves and struggling with life… #1075385

Ski – That is great info about exercise. I am always learning something new here. Before RAI, I was really going by pulse and keeping that reasonable. Of course – my uptake was only 33% so my Graves was mild and my pulse was 80’s at rest. I limited to slow walking with my i-pod. Of course, I have the osteoporosis and am on the med to build bone for 2 years – I already had my thyroid working against me on that. I guess I felt like I needed to keep moving some for the bone’s sake. I am wondering if there is any research on the impact of exercise on bone with untreated Grave’s. I am wondering if – since it is the "stress" of the muscle moving the bone that triggers new bone – it does as much good. I am sure it is really hard to know – give what Graves is doing to the bone, anyway. Your post jost got me wondering . . .

[cathycnm]

in reply to: It was some scary stuff…:( #1075267

Yea!!!!! Each day brings hope.

I think we all have a blind spot when it comes to our own health and well being!!!! I know I do.

[cathycnm]

in reply to: What the Graves????? #1075293

May and Bobbi – Of note on sleep is a recent study by psychologists that found a good nights sleep improved happiness more than a 50K a year raise!!!! Enjoy that cheep happiness.

Sleep was one of my first symptoms of Graves – up as many as 7 times a night. I though it was job stress and went to my PCP requesting an antidepressant I had taken one other time for sleep issues. (I have a sleep disorder from 15 years of on-call as a nurse midwife – so my environment primed me for having this be so BIG with Graves). I slept like a baby (12 hours/night) and put on 15 pounds – but was happier. I did wean my dose down and lost weight. I kept it as a point where I still got my sleep. Love to be happier! ” title=”Very Happy” />

[cathycnm]

in reply to: It was some scary stuff…:( #1075264

Madame X – Wow! To me, there is nothing more stressful than changing jobs esp when this is not totally by our choice. I started taking classes when I was first being treated for Graves – and it was such a stressful time.

It is a time when you will need to maximize your supports, for sure. Those may be family, friends, church a club and/or a pet. One of my lessons from my experience is how apparent it was to people like my faculty advisor that I did not have enough support to deal with job stress, school and illness all at once. I don’t know what supports you have – but make the most of whatever you have and do all you can to enlarge that circle of support around you. Easier said than done – I know – but maybe take a small step each day to grow your support system. I, personally, know it is more difficult if you need to bring in a paycheck to eat and pay rent – and family is geographically distant. The more support, generally the less stressed you will feel and that will, most likely, help you have less symptoms.

The psychologists are finding that staying positive actually helps the brain to build support systems. So if you can do all you can to find small positives throughout the day – that may actually help open the door to new opportunities.

As far as your symptoms – be sure you are keeping a diary and letting your doctor know about your symptoms. Right now, getting well is a huge priority – one doctor apt a month is not asking a lot. You are worth it – sometimes when we leave an unhappy workplace we may question that. Remember – all of this is treatable and you will feel human again. We are here for you – to help and support you through this.

[cathycnm]

in reply to: New to Graves and struggling with life… #1075376

Joy – You ask good questions. First of all – most diseases take the right mix of genes and environment – personalities may play into that. So, maybe my osteoporosis would be an example. I gotta da genes – pure and simple – lot’s of maternal relatives. I also am the right age (post menopausal) and small frame. At the same time, I have eaten OK most my life but not great. Too much pop and fast food during my on-call years, for sure. Started taking supplemental calcium at 35, after I reached the peak bone mass at age 30 (as strong as bones ever get happens at that age so supplements are most effective BEFORE). I am very active – so that is in my favor. So – environment in this case is diet, supplements and exercise. I can add to that environment some medication that may even reverse the damage to some extent. Will I always have osteoporosis even if I am effectively treated? Yes!!! It is in my genes.

With Graves, stress may factor in because it is autoimmune. Stress has major impact on the immune system. Immune cells "talk" to stress cells – they are close enough to be family with each other on "autodial". So, when stress comes into the environment – if we have the right genes – it may tip us into the autoimmune response we call "Graves". Will getting rid of the stress mean we don’t have Graves anymore – unfortunately not. Though it may increase remission rates (??????????? I have not seen research but it is feasible) or lesson symptoms. Stress is something we do have some influence over – any of us can improve resilience to stress even when we are in a bad place. Genes are not influenced so easily.

Many illnesses are positively impacted when we reduce stress (or said more positively, improve optimism/resilience). A huge part of the healing for me is to look at what my environment may be telling me about susceptability to disease and to work on that to improve my resilience – or ability to bounce back from stress. Hopefully that may help me to age more positively and live a longer, healthier life – even though the chronic illnesses will always be part of my life. Hope that helps. Cathy

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