[gatorgirly]

in reply to: RAI Scheduled for tomorrow #1062493

Hi Susan,

I am 26, and had RAI just about a month ago and had a uneventful experience. My throat was a bit sore, and since I had been on Prednisone and didn’t get a flu shot for the first time this year (my endo is very much against it with active Graves, as about 50% of other endos are, whereas the other 50% encourage a flu shot), I came down with a cold/flu but it was completely unrelated to the RAI. I slept fine and didn’t put myself into isolation. I didn’t leave the house and I flushed twice and sent my dog to the sitter, but my boyfriend stayed with me the whole weekend (upon his own insistence). I’m so glad I went through with it. I have bloodwork on Friday and I see my endo for my first follow-up appointment on the 23rd. I’m starting to feel several hypO symptoms, which I’ve read is pretty normal at one month post-RAI. My thyroid didn’t dump at all once like many do, so that was a plus. I think you’ll feel so much better as soon as you swallow that pill, knowing it won’t be much longer until your body is actually better! Good luck!

[gatorgirly]

in reply to: Post-RAI Day Two #1062657

Daniellent,

I also am struggling with a pretty severe cold, and today is exactly one week since my RAI. I had the dizziness and headaches right up until yesterday, and I attributed those to the cold rather than to the RAI. Are you taking prednisone? I know that can make us susceptible to infection – i.e., colds.

Hope you feel better soon!

I am quite certain my thyroid began dumping last night. After work, my heart rate was almost 110 and I was doing nothing but sitting on my couch reading. It kept me up all night, but the endo said not to go to the ER unless I had chest pain or a heart rate consistently over 120. It’s calmed down today, but I still feel "off." I hope it dumps quickly!

[gatorgirly]

in reply to: Post-RAI Day Two #1062654

Feeling a lot worse today. Throat hurts as bad as it did when I had strep a few months ago. Endo told me to go back on PTU (50mg 3x a day) until I see him in three weeks because my heart rate has been so unbearable that I’ve had to double my Propranolol dose. I get to step down to a lower dose of Prednisone tomorrow, thank goodness. It makes my heart rate and jitters worse, and I’ve convinced it’s killed my immune system because I have my first cold in more than six months all of a sudden today. Other than that, RAI has been without a hitch. I knew the expect the sore throat and hyper symptoms, just wish I wasn’t coming down with something because I really can’t miss any more work.

[gatorgirly]

in reply to: One month till RAI #1063172

Thank you, Bobbi. All those tips were helpful. Unfortunately, my dog is small and very cuddly, so having him around but keeping his distance is not an option. He’ll spend the weekend being spoiled and hanging out with the guys.

I wasn’t told (yet – I assume the nuclear radiologists will give me instructions) about drinking lots of water. I’m big on drinking water and not much else, so that will be easy.

[gatorgirly]

in reply to: One month till RAI #1063169

Thanks for your response, Shirley.

Maybe I was not clear – I am not ONLY going to be eating hard candies. I don’t have any diet restrictions post-RAI. My endocrinologist recommended adding hard candies to my diet to prevent or ease any throat pain after the procedure.

I am in no way ignoring my eyes. Apparently I was not clear there either. I AM going to take the Prednisone as prescribed and recommended by both my endocrinologist and neuro-ophthamologist, both of whom I will see once more before the RAI procedure. My eye symptoms are very minor and while the cosmetic appearance greatly concerns me (being a 26-year-old female in a high-profile job), I have been assured by others with TED and by both the endocrinologist and neuro-ophthamologist that considering how severe my Graves has been, my eye problems are hardly problems at this point and require no treatment except monitoring. I see the neuro-ophthamologist once a month to monitor any changes, of which there have been none in several months. As I mentioned in the original post, I will be taking Prednisone before, during and after RAI to reduce the potential effects on my eyes.

[gatorgirly]

in reply to: Thyroid Hair #1065718

Joy,

Look into ProClear Compatibles. They are the only brand of contacts that are FDA-approved for dryness. I am a new contact wearer, and just a few weeks into my GD treatment, my transition from glasses to contacts has been without incident. Yes, my eyes get dry and irritated by the time I get home from work around 5 or 6 every night, so I’ve added taking my contacts to my routine of putting on sweatpants and getting off my feet ” title=”Smile” />

I also use Systane Contacts Lubricant Eye Drops – Soothing. I use a drop in each eye just after putting the contacts in each morning, and then keep the drops handy in case my eyes get too dry during the day, which happens maybe once or twice a week.

As the others mentioned, your ability to tolerate contacts will differ from others. But I would recommend looking into the ProClear lenses and the Systane drops before completely giving up on contacts.

As for your hair, I can’t offer any advice as I’ve never colored my hair. But good luck with your eyes!

[gatorgirly]

in reply to: Newly Diagnosed GD — Sad and Scared #1065866

Haute, I can’t tell you how similar our situations sound. I’m a 25 year old female and was heartbroken when my endocrinologist told me I was not allowed to work out at all. I understand why, both to protect my heart and any remaining muscles I have, but it’s a lot to ask of someone in this stage of life. I haven’t needed a dermatologist for the itchy, dry skin since my Feb 2010 diagnosis, but I may ask for a referral as lately I’ve had acne breakouts like a teenager! I never had acne, so it’s embarrassing and annoying at my age.

As for the weight, I’ve seen the numbers on the scale fall like rain, but cannot see any signs of this. If anything, I look bigger in the mirror simply because all of my previously-toned muscle mass is now sagging skin and fat.

Please feel free to message me if you want to talk further. It’s been really hard, but my friends (several of whom are graduating med school, which is a bonus for me) and family have been very supportive. My employer has not, but I’m working on securing a new job doing PR for a hospital, where the employee health nurse will ensure I’m not run into the ground ” title=”Smile” />

[gatorgirly]

in reply to: Newly Diagnosed — How Sick were You All? #1065839

Hi Bluewave,

It’s honestly hard for me to determine whether or not the treatment is working (began in February 2010) because I’ve had some a random assortment of symptoms for many months now, that I don’t remember when they began. As soon as I was diagnosed and researched the symptoms of Graves, it all made perfect sense. For a while I thought I had a tapeworm because of how much I could eat without gaining weight and without being satisfied, and the embarrassingly frequent bowel movements had me convinced. I too deal with the feeling that I’ve drank three cups of coffee, but am exhausted all day every day. My line of work (PR) is stressful and leaves me working into the night and often on weekends, but I have bills to pay and can’t even think of a change of careers right now.

I also thought I was pregnant a few times, because of the "morning sickness". No actual vomiting, but unbearable nausea whether or not I ate.

As for mood, I am not myself. I’m newly single, and that has helped me become even happier than ever, but I do get depressed every time I think about the seriousness of Graves and the number one implication it has had on my life = not being able to work out. As a 25 year old female, this has caused me great angst and feeling bad about my body, which is average but flabby and loose whereas until a few months ago, I had the typical former gymnasts’ body. Petite build, could stand to lose 5-10lbs, but muscular and toned. I think this is the root cause of my bad moods on most days. And I have to think that not being able to work out, which releases endorphins, is also affecting my mood. I try to do as much as I can through light walks, low-impact yoga and getting plenty of sunlight. Have you tried any of these work-arounds?

I wish you the best!

[gatorgirly]

in reply to: Newly diagnosed, need to work out #1066326

Thank you all for the support. It’s comforting to know I’m not the only one going through this, but it’s still very hard to deal with. As for work, I have been cutting back on my hours. I no longer check my emails from home at night or on the weekends, I’ve been sticking to a M-F, 8-4 schedule. I’m taking Friday and Monday off from work and spending a long weekend in New Orleans with a friend who lives there. There won’t be any Mardi Gras-esque partying, but it will be nice to get away for a few days are forget about work and stop obsessing so much over my recent DX. I take my meds on time, right down to the minute usually, and will be of course bringing them with me. I’m also going to tell my friend about it, since all he really knows is that I was hospitalized for the tachycardia. I didn’t feel comfortable explaining GD to him over the phone, and didn’t want him to think it was life-threatening or untreatable.

I should mention that my doctor said that since I have a small thyroid, remission is much more likely. Does that actually mean anything? His nurse called me back with my levels this morning, and until I can see him again in six weeks, I have no idea what they mean. TSH = < 0.006; T4 = 2.83; T3 = 10.2. I know levels are different from anyone, but can someone give me a broad explanation of "normal" levels?

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