[mamabear]

in reply to: BLOODWORK when to do it. IMPORTANT #1071343

Kailjia, great info
Just wanted to point out that there are times where blood work of any kind might have to be done while fasting so please make sure you speak with dr. and or call the lab to find out what is needed.
Also exercise of any kind for Graves’ patience can increase their blood but also their blood pressure/heart rate. So please verify with your dr. if exercise is ok and if so what kind of exercise is ok to do. You don’t want to walk run a little bit when you already have high blood pressure or a high pulse rate. That would sooooo not be cool.

Kailjia, I have also done the whole walked in on friday right before closing, went in on a monday and went in having not eaten anything and boy was it hard for them to get anything. She was mad!!! LOL

[mamabear]

in reply to: History of GD – Low TSH 5 months postpartum #1071416

Congrats on baby and welcome here.
Yes please call your dr. and explain that you were Graves’ before and that you know how you feel and you need to be treated with Tap since you did so well on it before.
Are you nursing? If so please speak with dr. about nursing and taking Tapazole, they might recommend PTU or not. I’m so not sure at this point but make sure you tell him if you are nursing or not.
He should take what you say seriously because well he should AND because you have a new baby. You can’t be feeling crappy and thinking it’s due to being a mommy. You know what you feel like and he needs to put you on what you wish. PERIOD!

Keep us up to take. prayers and pinching baby cheeks for the little one!!!

[mamabear]

in reply to: untreated graves disease #1071334

His levels are all screwed up so he isn’t thinking clearly. This is a symptom of Graves’. Please know that this isn’t really him right now and hasn’t been for a long time. He is doing such grave damage to his organs, the poor dear man must be so confused that he thinks he feels fine. I’m sorry you have to go through this as well but please try to get him the help he needs.

Try to get him on here, we would be more than happy to support him. He can vent, talk a bunch of anything he wants and ask what ever he feels like. We’ll help him get through this.

[mamabear]

in reply to: So confused #1071380

Lets see….. Your dr. said RAI or Tapazole. Says that you shouldn’t do Tap because you can’t do tap than RAI but in fact you can. If it walks like a duck, looks like a duck and acts like a duck than it is a duck… Now apply that to your dr….If this is the way they are trying to push RAI that is just so asinine and poor bedside and well I’d kick the dr. to the curb! Oh wait…. I’d get the prescription for Tapazole first and get the right dosing and if the dr. says "well it’s against my better judgment" just say well this is MY thyroid not yours and I will make my own disisions on something so permanent.(tapping my foot while I was typing that lol). Once you get the right dosage for the tapazole you are at least set for starting to feel better, you having burned a bridge yet with the dr. so if YOU NEED to be seen he/she will see you asap if there are any side effects. In the meantime you can look for a new dr. and when you do find one you are already on meds so after a blood test they can determine if the dose needs to be up’d or lowered or stay the same.

You seem to want to do the Tapazole first and see what it does. You shouldn’t have to feel pressured by any dr. for doing something you don’t want to do when there is another alternative first. Unless of course you are in a life threatening situation which it doesn’t seem that you are right this moment.

I think that taking the Tapazole will help clear your mind and if you truly want RAI then go for it but at least it will be YOUR decision.

Hugs

[mamabear]

in reply to: confusing? recently diagnosed..anyone?? #1071386

Hello and welcome.
I read the article, have to reread when I have the chance. But Please look at the 10th paragraph of that article as it states about PTU and it is still drug of choice during pregnancy.

In answer to your question, I am someone who was trying to get pregnant but couldn’t, was diagnosed with graves and said not to get pregnant till levels were better. I went on PTU, was able to get pregnant and was taken off of the ptu due to being pregnant was helping my levels and bringing them up to high so taken off the ptu so the body could adjust on it’s own. Was able to have the baby which happened to be #2(1st was 8 years before that), then I was able to get pregnant again shortly there after (i was not on PTU during this time at all). I was pregnant with #3 and was fine and it wasn’t until after I had #3 and me and #2 were sick that I had to take PTU again. I was fine off the meds for a while(per dr’s orders go off so I can achieve remission) but then I had to go on them again. I did that and went off did fine, then got pregnant with #4 and was fine during that time and then had to go back on them again for a short time and was taken off and have been fine in remission for almost 2 years. I was also told that I had a mild case of graves disease, no nodules either.

this is the short story. I am usually one who can write a book but I have no time right now but wanted to say yes there are girls out there who were graves patients and then got pregnant.

Please do yourself and your future baby a favor. WAIT to get pregnant. Don’t let it happen accidentally and then wind up with a problem. Get your levels right then try. I say this because your body is sick and your eggs are weak. Mine were and it is no fun thinking you will get pregnant then find the little stick says negative. Stress will not help in getting pregnant. So get better first and know that it will happen but lets see it happen with a healthy you not a sick you. (also I was seeing a reproductive endocrinologist at the time as well).

[mamabear]

in reply to: New guy saying hello and then some. #1071474

I just wanted to say hello and welcome!!!
How is your wife doing with this disease?
Hugs to you for your pain..
Once your son is stabilized on the thyroid suppliments he hopefully will be feeling better.

[mamabear]

in reply to: depression and GD #1071500

Her actions seem GD related. This disease can surely change a person. Is there a way for her to have an alarm on her cell phone or if she uses an email system/calendar system that goes on her cell phone she can get 3 reminders a day for it so she doesn’t forget. DON’T tell her that it’s so she doesn’t forget. TELL her it’s so she remembers. I know it seems silly to do that but when someone has a problem with forgetfulness like gd patients and people like my son and myself who have short term memory issues (not GD related) it helps for us to hear remember rather than dont forget.

Have you or the dr. explained to her that this is from the graves disease and as long as she is taking the meds it will help her.

I fear that if she isn’t being compliant with the meds right now due to her gd which from what you are saying seems to be from the gd (mood changes, forgetfulness and depression), than destroying her thyroid completely where she will have to take meds for Hypothyroid (once you do RAI you become hypo), she wont take those meds either. You need to talk to her and go with her when she goes for her dr’s apt.. Again tell her it isn’t because you feel that she isn’t doing what she has to. TELL Her that you want to make sure the dr. is doing everything then can for her and you want to make sure that no one is screwing around with her health. By saying things like that you are looked at as the hero or more like the mother who will kick the dr’s butt if he doesn’t treat her baby right. Some kids enjoy that ! You certainly don’t want her to feel that you are thinking she’s being a brat and not doing what she should. I say that because her mind set might be "screw it I dont care" and that isn’t her usual attitude so it’s most likely the gd talking.

As far as school is concerned is there someone you can speak to about this. Graves disease is a serious condition and this isn’t her fault at all. This is a medical condition that is proved by her dr. that she has it so the school might be able to take that into consideration. Make sure you document all of this so that if push comes to shove you have it available to show anyone in case they are trying to say she can’t go to the next grade.

This isn’t your fault. You didn’t know that the symptoms were related. You can help her by getting things that she would normally do for herself but can’t right now done. Like documenting things and speaking with the school. Since I am sure you are fitting the bill for her school or a portion of it, you have a right to make sure that they know and understand what is going on with her.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[mamabear]

in reply to: Newly Diagnosed #1071483

Oh yeah sure did!!! AND NOT just because I’m a blond like some would think LOL.

When you have a thought for something you need to do,buy or ask someone else always always write it down. Really take the time to write stuff down. You will notice that even though you say you’ll remember to do it or even say"i’ll remember to write it down", it never works. Trust me take that moment to write it when it’s in your head, it will save you a lot of frustration.

Welcome to the boards!!

[mamabear]

in reply to: board going wonky???? #1071570

Welcome Lady’s and Gentlemen…we are in the Twilight Zone…du du du du , du du du du

[mamabear]

in reply to: And so it begins… #1071542

Blessed, hello and welcome .

I have to get moving here but i really did want to post this to you…

Why not put you back on meds again and try to remission again? Um that would make sense wouldn’t it? Is he unwilling to try again this time. So what if you come out of remission, just do the meds again and work on another remission. It’s worth a shot.

I did it and the dr. i went to was the one I "had" to go to. He said after I felt "off" that he didn’t want to treat me with PTU(drug of choice when trying to get pregnant(at the time two years ago it was not sure about now)). He said he would treat me with Tapazole because I shouldn’t be trying for another child because I have 4 and was already 32.

WELL, so I wont cause HyperM(a member here that loves my sarcasm) have a heart attack as to what I told him. Lets just say I didn’t go back to him. I wound up using the PTU that I had and went on a search for another dr. and found her and well bottom line is I went off meds a short time later and have been in remission AGAIN for almost 2 yrs now.

That dr. that was a jerk told me that RAI would have to be it since I was going out of remission. I said no way!

Just to put this into perspective for you and everyone else…
I was finally diagnosed with blood work Feb 2001 with Graves disease. it was mild and throat wasn’t bad at all. I was given PTU to try after 5months of figuring out if i should or not. I went on it and by oct 2001 I was within normal range. Dr. said try for baby I wound up getting pregnant by end of april beginning may of 2002. My meds were stopped due to climbing into high levels and dr. feared I would Miscarry.
2003 a boy was born and my levels were still great.
Had another baby in 2004 and levels were still great.
Had RotaVirus 12/31/04 and by Feb 2005 I was horrible and wound up going on meds(same dr. too and he was still a jerk then). Was fine with it until beginning 2007 after having been sick for a long time with virus’.
He said you’re barely out of range and i wont treat you. I went 6 weeks later and still wasn’t well and he still refused to do it.

Its been 8 years since I was diagnosed and most of that time I have been fine. I go into remission for long periods of time and see no need to choose a different path for myself I go out of remission again. Unless of course there are other health issues.

I understand he sees this as oh well you’re out of remission so lets just treat you with this so you can just go on Thyroid replacement and be done with it. But that might not be what you want. Think long and hard for this. If you maintain remission for long periods of time you might just need a dr. that sees it your way with medicine.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Oh ok, I’ll say this so everyone gets a kick out of it…
I was in a dr’s office for a visit and the dr. had his hand on the door. I asked him if he was going on a date or had a surgery he was going to go into the hospital for. He replied "no". I said "then get your hand off of that door like i am so dumba** that doesn’t know what you are going, treat me with respect my taking the S**t out of your ears and look me in the eyes and listen to what I have to say or I will get cranky"! Lets just say he listened to me and then I never went back to him because I didnt like him. ROFL

[mamabear]

in reply to: board going wonky???? #1071566

Hyperm, Shame on you for touching something and making it all go wonky!!! Sheesh you’d think a grown woman would know better! (tappin’ foot at you!!) Oh and another thing, you can keep yer freezing Scotland. No coldness over here ok! No no no, wont be havin’ non of that now ya hear me! Could not resist this thread, but Hyperm already knew that I’m sure. ” title=”Wink” />
ROFL

Ok, down to business. SKI I have noticed the same thing AND if it helps those that take care of the forum and the higher people, I am also another another forum that just started with the same board.(PHPBB) They are also having some of the same issues. We notice that threads aren’t there and then they are, people are posting and loosing their posts. We just started to notice it I"d say less than a week ago.
JUST FYI in case that will help who ever is has to figure it out.

Have a great night ! Don’t forget no frosty coldness over here ok Hyperm.

[mamabear]

in reply to: very enlarged thyroid(grave’s)-surgery? RAI, tapazole, PTU? #1071572

Welcome!!!!
Has your Dr. suggested the 4 that you mention or did you find this out on your own and need to speak with dr. about it ?

Each treatment that you mention has different side effects and it also is the individual person as well. Some take well to PTU as others wont. Some go into remission where others wont. Some do great with RAI and never have a problem with going Hypo and some do and when they go hypo their meds work right away and dont’ have to adjust them often. Some do poorly with these options as well. It really depends on who you speak and what worked and didn’t work them.

personally I ONLY tried PTU. I was trying to get pregnant and didn’t want to do RAI which is what the very 1st dr. i went to recommended. We said no (dh and I). Went to another dr. and he said try PTU and i did and I was one of the lucky ones where it worked and did it’s thing right within the first few months. When I got off the meds i was fine till another episode happened then another but each time went back to normal with the PTU. I have been off of it for almost two years and still doing well. AND i didn’t have a reaction to the meds which I hear a lot of people do have.

So each person is different, it really depends on what you would like to try. Are you looking at getting pregnant, are you near children or someone who is ill or has cancer or cancer treatment? Are your levels so high you have to do meds first anyway even before trying RAI? (those are questions you have to ask yourself and talk to your dr. about)
Each case is so unique although so many of us have similar complaints. Do your homework about it but don’t wait to terribly long. The faster you start something the faster you will be on the road to recovery and getting back to good health.

[mamabear]

in reply to: thyroid thumping? #1071604

Welcome!!
As many have noticed, I am not a fan of dr’s with poor bedside manner. I prefer to kick them to the curb. If they are more interested in "treat them and street them" then that dr. isn’t worth MY TIME. Which is worth quite a lot these with 4 kids.

So you are right in looking for a dr. that suites your needs and wants. Good luck with it and keep us posted.

[mamabear]

in reply to: I need Help ( newbie here) #1071608

ELenorelle,
Welcome and I am so sorry you are feeling so horrible and scared. I can not say yes or no that you have Graves disease. BUT I can say it sounds like it and it should surely be checked out by a dr.(Endocrinologist).

You say you are not in agreement with some of the blood tests that he wants to do, which ones and why?
Are you waiting for an appointment with an Endocrinologist or general dr.?
Who did the blood work and put you on meds, General dr or the ER?

It is 10pm here in USA, New Jersey. Most here work and are sleeping right now, please know that when they come in they will post to your thread. I’m just up late. ” title=”Wink” />

You’re on the right track of finding out what is wrong and not giving up and questioning things that don’t make sense. So keep up the good work! You came to the right place, there is a lot of information here and lots of advice!!

[mamabear]

in reply to: What’s next #1071802

Nothing more to add just wanted to say Prayers and hugs to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Promise I wont squeeze to hard!! ” title=”Wink” />

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