[Darcy43]

in reply to: Successful Thyroidectomy! #1172499

Doing the happy dance of joy. Yayyyyyy I am so happy for you. Wishing you a speedy recovery. Glad you made the right decision for you. Stay well. Whooooo Hooooo!!!!!

[Darcy43]

in reply to: Tomorrow’s the Big Day! #1172482

Good luck and I wish you the very best in your recovery.

[Darcy43]

in reply to: Anyone choosing no treatment? #1172445

Hey Catstuart

I think you had posted a while ago a heart monitor that I could buy at a store. Do you have the name or if Target, Best Buy or Walmart would carry it? I really want to keep track of my pulse as well. Thanks.

[Darcy43]

in reply to: Cannot Believe it… #1172317

Yes I am glad it is finally getting better. I am also doing my very best not to make it worse. I wish you all success if stopping this madness with the hair loss, which for me is the most traumatic. All the other symptoms, no one can really see but when you are balding it is like Darn it, I’m really sick to the world and I cannot stand it. Folks look at you like oh wow and I do not like pity at all. It is a battle and because they do mention the side affects of Methimazole as hair loss I know it is the reason why my hair was falling out, especially because I never ever experienced hair loss ever, not even when situations were extreme. But I do agree that the body pulls from other sources to balance and help heal and hair is affected. Either way I am glad that it stopped for now and I pray and hope it doesn’t start up again or I will be sporting the “be all you can be” buzz cut and rocking huge earrings…

[Darcy43]

in reply to: Anyone choosing no treatment? #1172443

As horrible as treatment can be I am so glad I went to the Endo immediately when my family physicial saw my goiter. I told him of my symptoms, excessive sweating, skin rashes, moodiness, evilness, tired, rapid heart beat, etc. I was diagnosed and placed on meds. Yes due to the hormonal flux with meds, etc. I lost a lot of hair, gained weight but I havent’ had a heart attack. It was so severe and I couldn’t sleep for months. I know sleep, I am not losing anymore hair and God Bless It I am on a very teeny tiny amount of meds now. My numbers regulated with treatment. I could only imagine what would have happened if I did not heed my doctor’s advice and seek treatement. I have a long way to go before I am in remission, but I am doing my very best with the healing process because I want to get and remain better. Please watch your labs, keep in touch with your doctor.

[Darcy43]

in reply to: Scared and panicky #1172408

sending you hugs. I know your surgery is coming soon, this Friday. Everything will be alright. You will do fine and try to stay positive. Here’s to the road to recovery.

[Darcy43]

in reply to: ATD dosage change effects #1172395

Yes it does feel a bit strange, but then for me at least, two weeks into the dosage change I started to feel better. they have been weaning me off Methimazole little by little to almost nonexistent. At first I think our nerves gets to us and we panic a bit. I took a deep breath and tried to stay as calm as possible. If I felt rage coming up I either kept to myself, kept my mouth shut or vented on the boards (lol), but they have subsided tremendously. Good luck and getting your meds reduce is a good thing. It means they are working and your body is responding to treatment and you are healing from the inside. Yayyyyy.

[Darcy43]

in reply to: My decision #1172321

Congratulations on your beautiful baby girl and more importantly, your successful remission of this dreadful disease.

I have been blessed NOT to have kids. I do not say this in a mean way. I say this because it was a choice. Do I love my nieces and nephew, ABSOLUTELY. Do I love the fact that because I am so responsible and successful that ALL my close friend actually willed their kids to me (if a catastrophe occurs I am toast lol) ABSOLUTELY. Have I met a child or a pet for that matter that doesn’t love me? Nope. I cannot keep kids away. So one would think I am the so called perfect candidate to be a mommy BUT I chose not to be. And P.S. I have never terminated a pregnancy.

I cannot tell you how much flack I get. I am now nearing middle 40s and even my gyno says “well you still have time.” ah yeah, time to go back to Europe and do more traveling…time to become a Judge one day. Now I am not knocking ANYONE who decided to be a parent, where naturally, by adoption or just raising someone elses child because it does takes a villiage and it can be a wonderful experience (so I hear). But I get furious when you get slack if you never have a child. First it was “when are you getting married?” I got married at the ripe age of 25 as a virgin (oh the horror I was an old maid), he cheated and after 12 years I am now a free woman. THANK GOD we didn’t have kids. Can you imagine? However, after the first year of marriage we were bombarded with “when are you going to start having kids?” Mind you NONE of these folks were going to contribute to the college fund, the babysitting, the sleepless nights, pushing the little one out my womb, etc. Yeah, you see where I am going with this.

So in closing, I would never, ever give you grief about not having a second child. It seems like you love your blessing with ALL YOUR HEART and trust and believe, coming from someone that had sibblings but still felt mistreated and not loved because my crazy mother didn’t have it in her to love all of her kids the same, your daughter will be just fine being an only child. If she possesses your spirit, she will have lots of friends.

You do what is best for YOU. This is the main reason why many of us have Graves..it is triggered not only by genetics, and antibodies but STRESS. Do you notice that mainly over achievers, people pleasers, etc. are the ones that get autoimmune diseases? Something to think about.

Hugs and lots of support to a healthy life with your beautiful child. You are blessed and if you don’t want to have any more especially due to your health- don’t do it. You want to be here to raise the one daughter you have.

As women we didn’t fight for equal rights, the right to vote, the right over our own bodies, right for equal pay, etc. just to have it thrown in the wind over some other peoples opinions….you know what they say about opinions….everyone has one…just like…

Have a great day and stay true to you.

[Darcy43]

in reply to: 1st labs after starting Synthroid – need help understanding #1172200

Absolutely, it does get better but it takes a while. For me it seemed like forever – almost 12 full months before my hair stop shedding. But it has stopped (thus far as I posted the other day). Yes, like Bobbi said it is the balancing or lack thereof that makes the hair go kray kray. It takes time to rebuild the house (I like the phrase). As insane as this sounds, try not to worry too much (as if that is possible) because unfortunately stress causes more hair shedding and amps the symptoms of our illness. I am now doing yoga and just telling folks to “bug off”. I have new lab to get in 8 weeks and I am being extremely optimistic. The last test was really good and my Endo seemed really pleased. Hang in there, it does get better (the hair thing) but it takes time. Hopefully by Christmas, things will definitely be better (and the way this year is flying buy Christmas will be here before you know it. It is already June!)

Hugs.

[Darcy43]

in reply to: Cannot Believe it… #1172314

thanks for sharing. I didn’t know if I was the only one and I wasnt’ trying to be vain but if losing hair for a man is traumatic can you imagine what it does to us ladies, especially when we are use to having hair? I too use to have reallly long waist length hair and it was really thick and black. The texture and grade has definitely changed and it is barely shoulder length. When it first started falling out I had a lot cut off so it can still look thick. Then it just kept shedding and shedding and now it is thin and nothing like before BUT as I said I was amazed that for the first time I did not have hair all over the place, etc. I know it has been because I don’t have to take as much Methi as I used to, along with the beta blocker. Not everyone has this side affect and some in HyPER start to lose hair before meds, but it does happen and for those of us who are experiencing it, IT SUCKS BADLY!!! When I would hug folks, strands of my hair would be on their clothes…truly embarassing. With all the stress and emotional crap we have, to have the hair issue was crippling. I am still being extremely gentle when combing and washing and I am doing my best to stay as stressfree as possible, but yes ladies, just like folks with cancer and they lose their hair, it does grow back, slowly, but surely, but it does grow back. One day at a time. Blessings to you all. We are going to prevail this horrible disease. Try to stay supportive and positive of each other. This board is amazing!

[Darcy43]

in reply to: Rats! Relapsed #1172171

That is a huge blessing to be in remission for 6+ years. Gives me hope also. At least now you really know what type of battle you are in for and it isn’t as scary as the first diagnosis. Hang in there, stay positive, and stay communicative with your team. It seems like you have great doctors who are working and monitoring you. That is a blessing in and of itself. Good luck.

[Darcy43]

in reply to: Just received call from endo…results #1172114

thanks Kimberly. I asked several times why I couldn’t get that reading. The first two times they did check the T3 and T4, but this last lab was only for the TSH. I am definitely going to push for that. I really want to do whatever I need to for healthy healing and no relapses. Your knowledge has been profound and this board is really encouraging. Funny how they really cannot pinpoint what actually is the true cause of Graves/hyperthyrodism/hypothyrodism but this is a horrible fight to have. The body (or antibodies) attacking you. I feel bad for those when these accurate support groups and information wasn’t readily available like to my grandmother who had a huge goiter years ago (maternal).

thanks again for your help.

[Darcy43]

in reply to: Just received call from endo…results #1172112

I agree Bobbi.

My only concern is that they are unsure and if I am getting positive results which I shared with my doctor (by the way) but was still told to stay the course, then I will follow as instructed. But, based on my own “trial” I am going to lessen my dosage as planned because I am getting good results and feedback and I do not want to damage my liver…ever. I had my enzymes check which is why my pcp said , well as long as you are on the Methi, DO NOT TAKE TYLENOL. He said there are a lot of precautions but he recommended my endo (he was the one who discovered the goiter asap and sent me to her). He said I am doing much better and the goiter has disappeared.

Thanks for your concern and great advice. I would never, ever want my endo to distrust my, but just like I listen to her trial and error, I am glad she is willing to allow me to tinker with my med as long as I follow up with her. She says “I must be doing something right.”

Again not advocating disobedience to the docs, but they are not perfect and everyone is different and for right now, unless something drastic or bad happens because I am listening to my body religiously, I am going to stick with my plan. I am still taking the meds, but weaning off (which was the plan of my endo in the beginning. If I didn’t have a change, then next would have been RAI, then surgery. Glad so far (knocking hard on wood) I don’t have to go that route now. I want to live a long time and even today, call it psychomatic symptoms whatever, I feel AMAZING just hearing that I, along with my endo orders, have been doing thing that have a positive affect on this dreadful disease. I pray and hope it only gets better.

[Darcy43]

in reply to: Had labs this weekend should get results this week–tired of Methemazole #1172089

thanks All . Your heartfelt responses helped alot.

I will keep you posted on what my results are when I hear from my endo this week.

Breathing…just keep breathing…

[Darcy43]

in reply to: how long till brain is back? #1172002

I am in the same situation. You get balance in your hormones, but the anger, moodiness, etc. is much worse. And let’s not talk about the monthly cycles…OMG. I need to be locked up during that week.

Keep us posted. I am praying for you, for us all.

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