[flora]

in reply to: Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah. #1185528

Adding my very best Holiday Wishes to all my Forum Friends, too!

– flora

[flora]

in reply to: What’s Your Greatest Accomplishment Since Your Diagnosis? #1185362

Hi Kimberly,

Love Success Stories! Mine is already written up the Forum, and it was certainly worth the wait, as only ATD patients would understand . But just as an add-on, I was in a car accident just before this last Christmas, hospitalized a week with a broken clavicle, two broken pelvic bones, and a small brain bleed. While there, my thyroid meds were of course continued and many times, the attending nurses would tell me that they wish they “had my vitals”. Recovery was pretty quick, all things considered, with my physiotherapist recording me on his file as a “high-functioning individual, who wishes to re-join her ballet classes”.
Of course, all this was wonderful to hear at at that time, and especially when I think of those long, frustrating weeks/months of zeroing in on “my dose”, that I never thought I would find. The encouragement of you, and so many others on this Forum was so helpful along the way, and I’m very grateful – Thank You.

– flora
PS: I did rejoin my ballet classmates at the barre, this Spring!

[flora]

in reply to: COPING STRATEGIES – The dreaded a.m. wait for breakfast and coffee… #1185344

Hi Old Friends –

I fell in with the Synthroid crowd, when I slipped “hypO”, after a time being on Tapazole for Graves “hypER”. I now set my clock radio to wake me up early, then get up, take my dose, and go back to bed. After listening to an hour or so of news on CBC radio, I get up for good, and get going with my day – heading first to the French press for coffee.

– flora

[flora]

in reply to: Joint/Muscle Pain – How common? #1175025

Just posting here, in case any subscribers might like to read my post under “Share Your Success Story” – it describes the happy (if very long time happening!) outcome of my Joint/Muscle Pain – Gone! Hope you have found relief from this, too, and are doing well.

flora

[flora]

in reply to: On ATD two years-plus? #1183799

Hi Everyone,

Just checking back in on this thread, to let you know that my ATD journey has taken me to a Success Story post, at last – in case you would like to read it, you can find it over there, under “Share Your Success Story”.

All the best,
flora

[flora]

in reply to: Share your Success Story! #1183879

Hello Everyone,

It hasn’t been easy, and my journey surely hasn’t been short, but I too have wrestled this Graves thing to the ground – at last. As many of my Forum Friends know, I was diagnosed in March 2013, several stressful months after three very difficult life events happened, and all at the same time. During this devastating time, I struggled with Graves, and I believe my struggle was made harder and took longer to overcome, because of all that was happening. I mention this, so that anyone who has chosen ATD as treatment will not be discouraged by the length of time it has taken me to post my success story here. Many (most?) who choose this route recover much faster, as you will read in other posts under this thread – one ATD patient was running half-marathons again, after just a year.

Condensing my journey, with caring and supportive doctors, I spent three years on Tapazole trying to find my “just right” dose. Being sensitive to dose changes, I would feel pretty miserable after each one for the better part of a month, and even then, my most aggravating symptoms (that feeling of disconnection, the blues, plus musclo-skeletal/proximal muscle pain and stiffness) just wouldn’t let up. Sometime during the third year of chasing my Goldilocks Dose, we noticed that I seemed to be slipping hypO, which then meant a gradual process of tapering off Tapazole. (This may not happen happen to many ATD’ers, just not sure…) Once off Tapazole, and for about six months after, I was medication-free, in hopes that my thyroid function would keep me in normal ranges. But I had crossed over into hypO territory for sure, and in July last year, we began a low dose of my new best friend Synthroid. I say “new best friend”, because after one year of trying various doses, we have found my own just-right levels. And I feel fantastic – cheerful, happy-go-lucky again, and those pesky musclo-skeletal/proximal muscle pain and stiffness? they’re gone!

Yes, it was a long, long haul on the ATD trail for me, and yes, it took all the patience I could muster along the way. But, “I’m there” at last! You will get there, too, with the help of your your own doctor – this disease does require immediate medical attention in the beginning, and careful monitoring after that – a lot of effort, but we get there.

I’ll close with a heartfelt Thank You to Kimberly and to so many others here, for all their knowledge, encouragement and support, as well as with my wish for everyone, that no matter which treatment path you choose, you will find your very own sweet spot very soon, too – and lasting peace, health and happiness after that. It does happen.

– Forum Friend flora

[flora]

in reply to: After a long absence, back again! #1185111

Just chiming in to say how happy I am for you, too, barbra! All over and done with – good for you!

All the best,
flora

[flora]

in reply to: After a long absence, back again! #1185100

Sending good thoughts and good wishes to you, Barbra – just like you have sent to so many of us here on the forum!

– flora

[flora]

in reply to: On ATD two years-plus? #1183796

Hi scanders –

Great to read your post and to hear you’re feeling better! A long and winding road, this Graves, isn’t it? Here’s hoping the good times continue for you, and that remission is just around the corner,

flora

[flora]

in reply to: dealing with Graves disease symptoms #1184968

Hi normandy –

Being miserable with this stuff, it’s hard to find a warm welcome anywhere – so glad you found your way to this wonderful forum right now. Many of us here have felt a lot like you, when our levels are out of whack. Myself, I need to be “below 1” with my TSH, or else I feel like I’ve been run over, at the end of a decathlon, and it’s all I can do to smile through the tears (well, mostly more than I can do!). The bright side for you, is that you have already known the spot in the range where you feel good – some fellow members here are still “trying on” different points in that wide, wide range, to try and locate it. And I’m hoping that your doctor will be able to get you back there very quickly – as Kimberly suggested, is there any chance you could get in sooner from a cancellation call list? Fingers crossed, for sure. Nine days can seem sooo long, when this thing gives us grief!

Rooting for you – please post again to keep in touch,
flora

[flora]

in reply to: Symptoms lag behind tsh and Free T4 #1185004

Hi Susan,

Like you, I know all about how it feels to have a body that complains fast enough when we change a dose too abruptly, but then acts like cold molasses responding to it – sometimes, early into a dose change, it feels like a Grand Prix wrestler has picked me up, and body slammed me onto the mat! Going slowly is definitely better for me.

And yes, some symptoms just don’t want to let go for what seems like ages. Even though I’ve recently got to a great level for me (feeling so close to “all back to normal”), my doctor says it can take several months after, for things to actually heal – in my case, proximal muscle complaints – and I’m (patiently) looking forward for these to resolve, too.

It took a lot of “trying on” different levels/doses, with the obligatory – and hard! – wait after each one, to see if we were moving in the right direction , but it’s been worth it. I am lucky to have a doctor who understands that each thyroid patient is different, and that sometimes the numbers just don’t tell the whole story – symptoms matter, too. It can be a long process – the ranges are so wide – but I guess all we can do is to slowly soldier on to find our own spot, and then wait some more, till our body heals from all it’s been through.

Rooting for you!
flora

[flora]

in reply to: Ft4 drops after stopping methimazole #1184990

Hi Sallie – flora chiming in!

My experience when first coming off Tapazole (February 2016) seems somewhat similar to yours in the beginning – my TSH declined for the first couple of bloodlabs, and then began to rise back up (which must mean that my hormone levels rose at first, and then dropped – my primary care doctor here monitors my TSH). In my case, it was because I was slipping “hypo”. In fact, doctor had been pretty sure that I was going hypo, over the previous many months, because even though he was gradually reducing my Tapazole dose, my TSH would go “up”. We began replacement hormone last July (Synthroid), and the light at the end of the tunnel has been getting brighter and brighter ever since. This may not be the explanation for how your thyroid is behaving, though. As Kimberly once said, when a doctor has seen one Graves patient, he’s seen one Graves patient

All the best to you and your doctor in figuring things out – it takes time (way longer than we would like), but we get there, sooner or later! Drop back in and keep us posted,

– flora

[flora]

in reply to: dealing with Graves disease symptoms #1184962

Hi knots – glad you found us!

As you will soon notice, this forum is a wonderful support system for those of us dealing with Graves disease, and the curves it can throw at us – you are truly never alone here. Muscle issues have been a complaint of mine, too. I found this article encouraging, and hope it will of interest and encouragement to you: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1736982/ .
And yes, I do remember that disconnected feeling you describe – for me, it felt like watching life go by, from behind a plate glass window – strange and unsettling, for sure. Notice that I typed “felt”, because little by little, I caught glimpses of my happy self returning, and thankfully, it did!
All the very best to you on your journey – the right thyroid hormone levels for each of us are “where it’s at” – hope you find yours, and your goldilocks dose of your medication, really soon!

flora

[flora]

in reply to: On ATD two years-plus? #1183792

Hi Scanders –

Our thyroid gremlins keep us guessing, don’t they? Like you, I know that FT4 at the bottom of the range is no place to be for me either, so I’ve been trying on various spots for size, in that wide range – with increasing doses of Synthroid now. (I was taken off Tapazole last year, because my TSH would slip higher ever other lab, as we were decreasing my doses). What I have learned is that “close, but no cigar” is so true with thyroid levels – speaking for myself, they’ve got be be bang on, or my body is just plain not happy. But I’m closing in now, with each small Synthroid increase. I hope that the tiny dose adjustments you and your doctor are making, will put you back to your happy spot really soon! Keep us posted, and keep the faith,

flora

[flora]

in reply to: On ATD two years-plus? #1183790

@ terppsi –

Hi terppsi – What good news to bring to this thread! So glad things are coming along so well for you – we’ll be watching for your “Success Stories” post soon! Lots of great ones there, by members on each of the treatment paths – peace and happiness eventually happens, one way or another, and you seem to be just about there!

@ Shirley –

OK, Shirley, I’m staying put! Had wondered if I should be on a thread called “From Methimazole to Synthroid” or something, now that I find myself off ATDs and over here in the Synthroid crowd. But, even if not an ATDer any more, I’ll drop in here now and then all the same. I remember noticing pretty early on, that when Warrior Shirley speaks, it’s worth listening – it still is:)! Thanks for always being a big part of this wonderful forum.

flora

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