[Lady]

in reply to: Atrial Fibrillation and Graves #1075632

Hi, LP,

At the risk of tempting fate I’m willing to say that my a-fib seems to be completely under control now. I’m almost shiny and new. The meds did it. The docs just kept upping dosage of my heart medicines and tapazole, worrying aloud each time they did. Both my cardio and endo were nervous about prescribing the doses my thyroid and heart seemed to need, so it took many many months for them to get it right. I think it took them time to reconcile the risk. But the dosages seem to be exactly right for me. Apparently not for others.

I haven’t been to the hospital for many weeks now. I realize you worry about taking too much medicine, but as you say, it’s really temporary. I ASSURE you they will make you feel a lot better. I feel 300% better now that my T3s are down to 17. I can’t imagine how cool I’ll feel once I hit 10, then 6, then 4, etc. Must be incredible!

About reading too much: Yeah, I know whatcha mean. I read a lot online about a-fib when I had to learn-up; asked questions and for opinions when I was puzzling through my decision about RAI vs. surgery, but once I settled on a decision, I didn’t read anymore. I’ve mostly tried to take all this in stride. I’m back to my hands-off head-in-sand approach now that I’m out of the atrial-fib woods. Works for me. Aside from severe insomnia and a-fib the past year, I’ve really had no complaints, as everything abnormal just became normal to me over time. The docs speculate I’ve had this for years, but, then, well, I never went to docs. I had years to adjust to all of this which can be an advantage.

I never looked into meditation; the idea of holding still long enough to meditate seemed like a physically impossible feat. Sounds like a good idea though, if you can manage it. I miss the hell out of my exercise, but all the good, fun things in time.

Take yer meds without any worry. Smile knowing that you’ll feel good again soon, real good, and that ya just won’t have reason to worry anymore.

Lady

[Lady]

in reply to: Atrial Fibrillation and Graves #1075630

LPStaples, sounds like you’re developing the right attitude.

As a fellow atrial-fibber, I want to remind you: Worry only to the degree it encourages you to pay attention and make good choices for your health day to day, but worry not ONE JOT more. I discovered that it’s the "stressing" that’s a bad choice, easy to slip into – I mean, to the degree deep-seated anxiety is a "choice" when we have hyper-inducing Graves. I worried silly, and really needlessly, about atfib after my first bout, ridiculously believing it would help me gain some control over my situation, which of course it didn’t, not in the slightest. Now I tend to think all that senseless worry probably exacerbated the problem. Bottom line: When I had atfib, I’d immediately get help and the medical folks would immediately fix me.

I offer this as encouragement: After many cycles of the moon and big meds, my heart has finally settled down. Prior to that, my moment-to-moment worry about atfib delivered me straight into some existential absurdity, a "whatever" attitude – as if my ponderous dread was finally brought down by its own weight. I’m in my late 50’s, and my total T3 level stuck in the upper-20s range (normal range being 0.57 – 1.76) for a number of months. Alls to say: If meds eventually, albeit slowly, put an older hypercalifragilistic girl like me on safe ground, then I think there’s good reason you can rest very easy and totally confident that they will for you too, and probably a lot faster.

Whoever coined the phrase "patience is a virtue" was probably right, but I’ll wager that author didn’t have Graves. ” title=”Wink” />

[Lady]

in reply to: Choosing Thyroidectomy on Purpose #1075721

Thank you, nmartel. I wish you a worry-free wait period, and hope it’s something you find a way look forward to, I mean, to the degree one can happily anticipate surgery. Sounds like you’ve had a time of it in the past two years. Mine will be in January, too. I can’t wait until I can stop worrying about my heart rate when I exert myself, so for me, that moreless dwarfs the worry about the surgery itself.

I have found a first-rate thyroid surgeon. I’m lucky to be in a large enough geographical area where there is a surgeon who has specialized in thyroidectomies for years. He’s got an impressive and superior record of incident-free thyroidectomies. It’s a good recommendation to get a specialized surgeon, Ski. I feel solid, safe, and confident.

[Lady]

in reply to: Choosing Thyroidectomy on Purpose #1075717

Thanks, guys. All of your thoughts have helped me locate my own.

It’s very reassuring to be reminded we’re participants in the decision and not subjects. You guys are right – we are quite unique. Since I have such strong instincts about my body, I think I’ll go with them. Maybe that’s what it often comes down to when you’re a complete novice about medical decisions.

I realize that regardless of whether I choose surgery or RAI, hypothroidism is in my near future. I’ve accepted that peaceably enough. Hypo simply has be less dangerous than my particular brand of hyper. (Not that I think anybody here would argue against necessary treatment.)

I’ve already carefully researched hypo, and picked out doctors who are most up-to-date re effective hypothyroid treatment, such as an openness to Armour hormones, just in case I develop a stubborn case of hypo. Besides, it seems to me both RAI and surgical treatments necessarily direct the thyroid in hypo directions anyway, so I figure where the thyroid lands on the hypo scale is largely a matter of fortune. That’s cool with me.

[Lady]

in reply to: Choosing Thyroidectomy on Purpose #1075710

Yeah, Peggy – what’s with these endocrinologists pushing RAI like there’s no alternative? And what’s with doctors being so dismissive, incommunicative and autocratic? So your symptoms just happen to coincidentally coincide with a rather significant disease? That’s a chuckle. So he held off on RAI before because of concerns about your eyes, but he’s not concerned anymore? How does he explain his change of heart and willingness to take a chance? Somethun’s fishy here.

If my endo won’t talk alternatives, and why would he, he doesn’t talk to me at all, then screw him, I’ll go to the acclaimed thyroid surgeon in my area and see what he/she says. If I’m told surgery is contraindicated for some reason, well, at least the surgeon will have talked to me, I’ll know more, and I’ll rethink my strategy. Fact is, I suspect RAI would be just fine and dandy for me if my thyroid were less of a drama queen.

Sorry to hear about your eyes. Bummer. Seems like that would make it a harder choice – or well, actually maybe easier.

[Lady]

in reply to: Choosing Thyroidectomy on Purpose #1075708

nmartel – thank you very much for that. I didn’t know thyroids regenerate. Also, I’ve read a little about eye problems from RAI but haven’t thought much about it because my eyes aren’t too bad. Were your eyes basically okay before RAI? Maybe you’re relieved to have surgery? Will your eyes get better?

Lady

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