[Kimberly]

in reply to: Is Doing nothing an option? #1068141

Hello – Others here can address your RAI questions. Unfortunately, doing nothing is NOT an option, as being hyperthyroid over the long haul can cause complications such as heart issues and reduced bone density.

I have found that with ATDs, I have to be an *active* participant in dosing decisions. There have been two occasions over the last two years where I have argued with the endo over dosing — and we ended up "compromising" on a reduced dose. Both times, my subsequent labs proved that I was right…and I would have ended up hypO if I had blindly followed the doctor’s advice.

I don’t know how much flexibility you have with the system in Canada. If your current endo is one of those with a "god complex" who refuses to listen to patients, can you find another one?

Best of luck!

[Kimberly]

in reply to: Shameless Plug for the Conference #1068169

Hey Nancy – Is there a SuperShuttle in Charlotte that can get us to the hotel?

If not, maybe the participants could post our arrival times at the airport, so we could group together and share cab fare. I’ve never been to Charlotte, so I don’t know if there are multiple terminals at the airport. If so, that might make it difficult.

By the way, do you know if Peter ever weighed in on the ideas about generating some support for the PARAID bill at the conference?

[Kimberly]

in reply to: Weigh-in (just for fun) #1068753

"ewmb":3uor32se wrote:

Kimberly,
Sorry to hear about your job situation. That stinks…….. I am trying to get WW at work on the way for more people at my job. ewmb[/quote:3uor32se]

Thanks! WW at Work is how I originally lost my weight…it’s great to have the built in support at the office. Unfortunately, it’s kind of a tough sell right now with the economy the way it is, since you have to pay for the session in advance. In the long run, it’s actually cheaper than paying the fee each week at a regular meeting…but it’s still hard for a lot of folks to come up with the $$ all at once.

Today’s weigh-in was the worst ever in 5 years: 141.8.

I was on vacation in Atlanta for a few days, which didn’t help…and neither did the urge to do some olympic-caliber stress eating.

My goals for this week are to get back in gear with my tracking and exercise and to focus on foods that are low GI and that have anti-inflammatory benefits.

I have an emergency fund, so I have the $$ to tide me over until I can find another job…but I am just really ANGRY at the way employees have been treated. We received a memo last week about how important the cost-cutting measures are…because the company is currently slightly off track on its goal of making $230 million dollars this year. Gee…I would sure hate if the CEO didn’t collect on his multi-million dollar bonus…

I have GOT to get my head in a better place. For me, stress is pretty much an express train ticket back to HYPERland.

[Kimberly]

in reply to: Weigh-in (just for fun) #1068750

"susandemarco":3cnsxkid wrote:

Are you considering staying on the meds rather than having RAI?

[/quote:3cnsxkid]

Hi Susan – Yes, I do plan to stay on the meds and not pursue RAI or TT unless I have liver or WBC issues. I don’t feel 100%…but I do feel OK…and at this point, I figure the devil I know is better than the devil I don’t. ” title=”Wink” />

Best of luck – I know this is a difficult decision!

[Kimberly]

in reply to: Sickofgraves…3 months on Tapazole and getting better #1068227

Hello – I have been on ATDs for two years now, and am currently maintaining my levels on a dose of 7.5 mg/day. I do not plan to go the RAI or TT route unless I develop complications such as liver or WBC issues.

I don’t feel 100% compared to when I was first diagnosed, but I am probably at 80%. At this point, I don’t much feel like rolling the dice to see if I would end up better or worse with one of the other treatments! ” title=”Smile” />

[Kimberly]

in reply to: Weigh-in (just for fun) #1068746

"susandemarco":1pwdnbn8 wrote:

I was diagnosed twenty years ago, and chose to take the meds rather than the RAI. I have been on and off since then. Right now I am on 50mgs a day to maintain it. Are you still taking it to maintain, it and if so what is your dose.

Susan[/quote:1pwdnbn8]

Hi Susan – Your original question wasn’t directed at me, but I’m curious if you are having your levels checked periodically to make sure you are staying out of HypO territory. Are you on Methimazole or PTU? If it’s Methimazole, 50mgs would be a pretty high maintenance dose. I’m not as familiar with how the PTU dosing works, but I do know that you have to take a larger amount for some reason to get the same result.

Just for reference, I started off with 15 mgs of Methimazole, and I am currently stable on 7.5 mgs. I’ve been taking the drugs for almost 2 years now.

Oh, and I missed a weigh-in because I was in Atlanta last weekend, so I missed my WW meeting. I found out my job is being terminated effective 10/9, and I am sooooooooo wanting to stress eat! Between that and vacation, I’m thinking Saturday’s weigh-in will not be pretty.

[Kimberly]

in reply to: confirmed graves #1068306

Hi Deb – Yes, starting off with ATDs while you make a final choice is absolutely an option. However, you will want to have your doctor run regular blood tests to check your liver function and your White Blood Cell count, as these can occasionally be impacted by the use of ATDs. The good news is that stopping or reducing the meds usually reverses the issue.

All 3 treatment options have pros and cons, so you are doing the right thing to do your own research.

Best of luck!

EDIT: Sounds like you already got things figured out…that’s what I get for reading the oldest posts first!

[Kimberly]

in reply to: Weigh-in (just for fun) #1068731

"MRHabetz":25ldc0t1 wrote:

My doctor talked last week about staying on tapazole in hopes of keeping my levels down and said that works for years sometimes……I was like, really?? What’s the point???? [/quote:25ldc0t1]

Hi Michelle – It is true that some folks are able to maintain their levels long-term on ATDs, and others who are able to enjoy remission. So it’s not a "given" that all Graves patients will eventually have to go the RAI or Thyroidectomy route.

With that said, it’s important to research the pros and cons of all the options, listen to your doctor’s opinion, and then make the decision that’s right for you.

Best of luck!

[Kimberly]

in reply to: Weigh-in (just for fun) #1068720

My best week of the last month in terms of activity and food choices, and I was down a whopping 0.2 to 139.4.

I got my lab results this week and am back in range after having a hyper episode earlier this summer. This made me wonder if the fact that our levels are *falling* has as much of an impact on weight as whether the levels are high/normal/low. I really wish someone would do some research on this, as it’s very frustrating!!

I know that the assumption is that we are gaining back "good weight" if we were previously hyper — but I don’t see how it can be "good weight" if we didn’t *lose* any to start with! Grrr. Hope that everyone else is faring better!

[Kimberly]

in reply to: graves is a psychosomatic disease #1072117

Agree 100% with what mamabear said about (1) making sure your labs are OK and (2) dealing with potential issues from your past.

Also, my experience is that people who feel they HAVE to be in a relationship to feel validated and/or happy don’t always make the best choices in a partner…which can make their lives *worse*, not better! I think it’s important to figure out what YOU can do to make yourself happy NOW, as opposed to looking for a “significant other” to do this for you.

Too often we feel that we will be "happy" when we have found a boyfriend/girlfriend, lost weight, gotten a promotion, etc., etc. — and end up wishing away our lives! I have to remind myself of this frequently, so I have the following saying posted on my refrigerator:

"…for a long time it seemed to me that
life was about to begin – real life.
but there was always some obstacle
in the way, something to be gotten
through first, some unfinished
business, time still to be served,
a debt to be paid. at last it dawned
on me that these obstacles were my
life. this perspective has helped me
to see there is no way to happiness.
happiness is the way. so treasure
every moment you have and
remember that time waits for no one.
happiness is a journey, not a destination.

— Souza

[Kimberly]

in reply to: Weigh-in (just for fun) #1068712

Grrrr…another bad week, weight-wise. Up .6 to 139.6 — the highest point I’ve been at in the last 5 years.

At least I know it was probably due to the birthday celebration (and leftovers). I was actually even more upset last week when I *thought* I had made good choices all week and still gained.

Same goals as last week, plus I plan to do some more research on foods with a low Glycemic Index (GI). Perhaps that is the solution to keeping the hunger pangs at bay?

[Kimberly]

in reply to: PTU? #1069820

Sue Conard wrote:hanks Kimberly for responding to my question. The labs on 9 July were as follows: TSH 0.02 & T4 Free was 1.7. On 29 July (3-4 wks. later), they were TSH 0.01, T4 FREE 1.1 and TSI was 310.

Hi Sue – You didn’t list the "normal" ranges for Free T4, but if it’s similar to the lab that I use, 1.7 is on the high end of "normal" and 1.1 is on the low end of "normal". When the numbers drop that drastically, many endos will cut the dose by half or more to put the brakes on the Free T4 "freefall" and hopefully level things out.

However, since your dose was *increased* by 4x, you will definitely want to be on the lookout for symptoms that you are headed into hypO territory.

If you can, it might be a good idea to call your doctor’s office and double-check the dosing. If your doctor made the decision based on your TSH dropping, you might mention that TSH is a lagging indicator and can remain supressed for months while our levels stabilize. That’s why Free T4 is a better benchmark to use in determining dosing during the early stages of treatment.

Best of luck!

[Kimberly]

in reply to: PTU? #1069817

Sue Conard wrote:Just got back from the Endo dr. & he’s increased my Tapazole, 4x the dosage I’ve been taken b/c I’m back in HYPERthyroidism & he’ll see me back in 3 wks. My TSH was 0.02 (low) & my T4 was 1.7 (normal).

Sue – Somone with a medical background could answer this better, but I don’t think you are officially hypER if your TSH is suppressed and your T4 is normal. Did they test Free T4 or just total T4? Also, did they test T3 as well? TSH is a lagging indicator and can take a while to recover into "normal" territory…so while we are being treated with ATDs, it’s not the best measure of where our levels are.

With a normal T4 and your doctor increasing your Tapazole by 4x, please be on the lookout for hypO symptoms and DEMAND a new set of labs ASAP if you think you are headed into that direction.

Best of luck!

[Kimberly]

in reply to: Weigh-in (just for fun) #1068708

"runlacie":2y6884is wrote:

[size=150:2y6884is][color=#FF00FF:2y6884is] Desserts DO NOT count on your birthday! ” title=”Wink” /> [/color:2y6884is][/size:2y6884is][/quote:2y6884is]

Thanks for the birthday wishes! Gotta get back on track big time for my Saturday weigh-in.

I had a chicken dish last night from P.F. Chang’s, and my HR was way up last night. I didn’t get the actual HR, as sometimes that makes me *more* freaked out…which makes the HR go even higher! Wonder if it was due to iodine/salt content. Perhaps I’ll find out after I polish off the leftovers today. ” title=”Very Happy” />

Glad to hear that you got good news (finally) from your doctor’s office!

[Kimberly]

in reply to: Weigh-in (just for fun) #1068701

"runlacie":4p6bwc9f wrote:

Kimberly- STEP AWAY FROM THE COOKIES ” title=”Smile” /> haha[/quote:4p6bwc9f]

I’ve actually managed to refrain from buying any Double-Stuff Oreos so far this week, so that’s good news. However, I am headed out shortly for a birthday dinner…and since it’s MY birthday, I plan to have dessert. Maybe two desserts ” title=”Very Happy” />

I plan to be back on track tomorrow, although the weigh-in could be ugly this week again! I’m really struggling with the issue of whether majorly restricting calories (or POINTS in my case) will make things better or worse. :” title=”Question” />

[Author]

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