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in reply to: Terrified for my teenager…is there any good news out there? #1171875

My daughter did well with surgery. It was a long 5 hour surgery but her doctor was very careful not to damage the parathyroids. Her calcium dropped slightly but she just chewed Tums to get it back up and she’s back to normal within 2 weeks. She did experience some neck pain but we used ice packs to help with that. She left the hospital without narcotic pain meds (tylenol and motrin was all she needed). Her incision area looks wonderful and is easily covered by the collar of a t-shirt. She did experience a couple of days of tremors and heart palps after surgery but nothing too severe. She did not do well on anti-thyroid drugs. She had to take beta blockers and pain meds for the 3 weeks leading to surgery just to make it through school. It was the right choice for her and we are very pleased with our choice and the outcome.

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in reply to: Terrified for my teenager…is there any good news out there? #1171872

I am a mother of 17 yr old daughter diagnosed with Graves Jan. 2012. She had a total thyroidectomy on April 3rd 2012 and is doing very well. She no longer has the symptoms of hyperthyroid (heart palps, joint/muscle pain, hand tremors). We are working through the process of finding the right dose of thyroid replacement hormones. I can totally sympathize with where you are right now. My advice is to read, read, read. Research Graves, the symptoms, treatments, tests, etc. Chances are the doctors will not tell you everything you need/want to know. He will get better. There are a lot of stories on the internet about athletes that have overcome the disease and gone on to do amazing things. Pick the good articles and let your son read them too. And finally take care of yourself. Best of luck.

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in reply to: 17 year old w/ Graves #1171408

Hello. I also have a 17 yr old daughter with Graves and she just underwent a total thyroidectomy on April 3rd. It was the best option for her. Her heart rate was elevated and she was on beta blockers. We started with methimizole but she had headaches, muscle and joint pain and just felt bad overall. She was diagnosed in January 2012 and TT in April 2012 so as you see it didn’t take us long to see that she needed a more long term solution quick. Surgery was long and comes with a lot of risks but thankfully we had a great doctor and she had no negative side affects. I’d be happy to discuss details with you in a PM if you are interested. I know the stress you are under right now – the last 6 months have been the hardest time for me as a parent. Best wishes to you and your daughter.

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