[LaurelM]

in reply to: 10 Months Post TT #1182655

Hi Connypie,

My endo left all 3 options open to me including staying on the ATD longer but I felt I was ready for a permanent solution. My endo leaned toward the surgery over the RAI. I live in an area with several good surgeons to pick from. What appealed to me is that I wouldn’t have to wait for the thyroid to die out but rather could start replacement right away. My eyes were not much of a concern. I had had some allergy type symptoms but that is not unusual for me. I also liked the idea that it would just be out and gone. With the TT I think it would be a medical miracle for me to ever go hyper again.

I hope that helps.

Laurel

[LaurelM]

in reply to: ** If you have ever gone into remission, please come in ** #1182645

Hi Carol,
I had about a 6 year remission. I was on ATDs for a little over a year after my first diagnosis. I then got pregnant and was able to taper off within about 4-6 weeks into the pregnancy. This was probably not the most common way to remission LOL. I came out of remission a couple of years ago and tried ATDs again. This time we had more difficulty regulating my levels and I opted for a TT last August. I don’t think my story is really going to get you the answers you are looking for but I would be happy to answer any other questions you might have.
Laurel

[LaurelM]

in reply to: was surgery a good choice? #1182388

Hi Pam,
I had a TT in August last year. I has taken awhile to get my replacement dose clse to where it should be but I think we are close and in the last month I have been feeling a sense of wellness. Everyone’s journey will be indivualized but there are several posters who have had a TT in the last year. When you Re logged in you can use the search function and read more stories. A few posters have been very through in their posts about their experiences.

Keep us posted on your recovery journey!
Laurel

[LaurelM]

in reply to: Pregnant Post TT – TSH going down??? #1182382

Hi,

We got pregnant with our 2nd after about a year of treatment with ATDs. I went into remission during my 1st trimester. I was referred to a high risk OB by my primary. My primary had handled my uncomplicated 1st pregnancy. All 3 of my Drs- my OB, endo, and primary kept each other informed throughout my pregnancy which turned out to be very uneventful. You may want to ask your OB what kind of experience they have with GD mother. They should be following you a little more closely than a standard pregnancy just to be sure. I had more frequent monitoring and labwork. As Kimberly stated, the normal range for the thyroud hormones changes in pregnancy. You will also need a TSI run in your 3rd trimester. Even though you no longer have a thyroid, those pesky antibodies can still cause some hijinks. Congratulations on your little one to be!

Laurel.

[LaurelM]

in reply to: Hi all, back in touch #1182186

Hi Deb,

Wow, you have had a rough road. I don’t think you are whinging at all. When it has been so difficult for so long, even the most positive outlooks can take a hit. This is good place to vent. I hope things will start to improve for ypu very soon.

Laurel.

[LaurelM]

in reply to: Methimazole/?Allergy/Treatment Decisions – Confusion! #1182048

Hi dhuffman63,

Raynaud’s Phenomenon comes to mind as a possibility for the cold and numb sensation. Raynaud’s is a loss of circulation and can be minor or serious. There are two kinds. Primary is just the disease by itself. Secondary can be a side effect of a medication. Certain beta-blockers can have this side effect. Be sure to read the entire insert from all your prescriptions to see if this is mentioned. Thyroid conditions are also associated with Raynaud’s. You should follow-up promptly with your Dr.

Best wishes for a speedy resolution.
Laurel

[LaurelM]

in reply to: And…it’s done :) #1182157

Woohoo!

[LaurelM]

in reply to: Aye caramba! #1182120

Exactly what AzGravesGuy just said. There is still some journey after the TT for recovery and finding the right replacement dose but I no longer feel unwell and not totally myself. I am still needing an occasional nap but that is lessening too as I approach normal but I am also walking 4 hilly miles a couple times a week and I feel good doing it.

Best wishes for a boring and uneventful proceedure and a speedy recovery.

Laurel.

[LaurelM]

in reply to: Well, here goes! #1173690

Glad to see you are feeling well and recovering. I am sur the voice issues will resolve. Mine took a few weeks to be all better and seeing the Speech and Language Pathologist really helped. SLPs kind of have specialties too so if you need one, be sure they are the right one.

My sugeon had special bandage/tape removal goo. They took off my tape around this time so hopefully you can get rid of it. It does get bothersome.

Best wishes for continued recovery!
Laurel.

[LaurelM]

in reply to: TSH of .7 (range .3-3) #1182099

Hi,

Did they only do a TSH? Did they also do the T4 and T3? Do you have the results from you last testing to compare to?

It would be interesting to compare your current labs to your last set to see if the levels are changing. The TSH is a running average over the last few weeks so it may not accurately show what your real levels are today.

I know that i can be symptomatic when my levels are moving, even if they are moving in the right direction or are within the normal range. Also remember, that your normal will be in a fairly narrow spot within the wide normal range.

I hope today is better.

Laurel

[LaurelM]

in reply to: Graves’ rearing it’s ugly head again #1182061

Hi,
I echo the message to try to stop worrying about why your levels may be off again. I got to have about a 6 year remission which was nice while it lasted but ended not quite 2 years ago. We have no idea why. I lead a fairly healthy lifestyle most of the time. Just bad luck.

After about18 months on PTU that just wasn’t working as well as we would like, I had a TT in August. In spite of still working to find my replacement dose, I feel much better than I have in nearly 2 years. I am starting to get out walking again. I have even dropped a couple of pounds of my PTU weight gain. For me the TT has been a good decision. Each day is getting better.

If it is your levels being off, getting back on the meds will be the first step and then you can decide with you Dr. How you want to tackle the next stage of your treatment.

Keep in touch,
Laurel

[LaurelM]

in reply to: Well, here goes! #1173684

Hi,
I have been taking my replacement the very last thing I do before I go to bed. I am find I am able to be pretty consistent this way. I have one of those weekly pill dispensers that reminds me of my grandmother. I load it up at the beginning of the week. I leave the lid up after I take a pill so it is easy to see at a glance if I have taken my pill. My endo actually recommended the evening as there is some fairly recent research that the replacement absorbs better overnight. I just have to be sure not to have eaten for 2 hours prior. Thisnis also curbing my late night snacking. LOL.

Glad your TT went well and you are on the road to recovery!

Laurel

[LaurelM]

in reply to: Methimazole/?Allergy/Treatment Decisions – Confusion! #1182042

Hi Jennifer,
During my first bout with GD I took Methimazole for about 8 months when I developed hives. At the same time we also discovered that I had just conceived our 2nd. My endo was pretty convinced it was an allergy but regardless, I was switched to PTU because of the pregnancy. The hives disapeared within a couple of days of changing meds. I was able to stop the little bit of PTU I was keeping down (thanks morning sickness) just a few weeks later. I stayed in remission after delivery for about 6 years.

When I came back out of remission, I was restarted on PTU. After over a year and ot being able to maintain on a low dose, I opted for a TT last August. I am still working on finding my replacement dose but I feel like it was a good decision. My endo was open to keeping me on the PTU but recommended the TT over RAI as we have lots of excellent surgeons in our area. He was also OK with RAI if that was my preference.

I have a good friend who had thyroid cancer and got to do both RAI and TT. From her perspective, both proceedures were fie and she didn’t recommend one over the other. I just finally wanted the darn thing out and to be able to start replacement right away rather than waiting for the thyroid to die off after RAI.

The right decision will be the one that feels best to you in consultation with your medical team. I remember being so overwhelmed when I was first diagnosed. There was so much to process and being hyper didn’t help with that at all.

Best wishes,
Laurel

r

[LaurelM]

in reply to: How long for effect from methimazole #1181926

Hi,
The exact answer will be different for everyone but I think generally it will be 3 to 6 weeks to notice an improvement. Your body has to use up all the extra it has made and stored up before you can start getting closer to a normal level. The ATD drugs only block new production. Also, improvement is not the same as feeling well. That may take some additional time. For my first bout with GD, this took about 3 to 4 months and about a year to feel truely well. This time table will be different for everyone depending on how much extra was stored, how well you respond to the meds, your dose, and how long you were hyper and any other issues you. The good news is that you WILL feel better and the ATD give you time to consider all of your options without being rushed to a treatment decision. Best Wishes,

Laurel

[LaurelM]

in reply to: TT 8/8 #1180573

2nd set of labs done and I am still heading in the right direction. TSH has moved from 20 to 8.8. I have been feeling better and better but I had suspected that I was still too low. I am however feeling well enough that when some friends suggested we do a 1/2 marathon in November (no speed goals- just finishing) that I can actually contemplate that as a possibility. Maybe. Endo increased my dose again so hopefully this next iteration will be closer to the mark. We are aiming for a TSH between 1.0 and 2.0.

I am still happy with the TT. My scar continues to improve but frankly, that was always the least of my concerns. I see it more as a trophy and with young girls, I don’t want them to see Mom focused on body image vs. health. Slowly but surely, I am getting there!

Laurel

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