[npatterson]

in reply to: Symptoms of too much replacement #1066333

If you haven’t seen your doctor yet, be sure to describe your hyper symtpoms so that a decision came be made. Things like the number of hours sleeping, hand tremors, heartrate, concentration/memory, hot when others are not are good indications that the levels may be too high.

Take care,

NAncy

[npatterson]

in reply to: Just how crappy did you feel after RAI? #1066168

Hi Corrine,

My experience was much like Ski’s–nothingmuch was different. I went back to the office and saw four more appointments.
I had RAI a long time ago, and they were just beginning to know about the effectd on the eyes. I know now that I already had some eye disease. It took about two weeks, and all I could say is that my eyes "felt funny". It did take a while to get stable on my meds.

I was able to keep up with the things I needed to do (that I knew well) like teaching and giving presentations. It was about four years later when the bottom fell out (and most of it was not due to Graves’), but even that is a long time ago.

Take care,

Nancy

[npatterson]

in reply to: Advice Needed – Nursing Career & TED with GD?? #1066172

Dear Sue,

There is a lot more to nursing than starting IV’s! You have taken all this time to get your prerequisite courses done–go for it! Long before I had Graves’, I went to nursing school, and always knew I wanted to work in psychiatry. For the most part, that meant a lot of talking and interacting with people. I can still draw blood (if absolutely necessary). Most of that is a "feel".

YOu do need to get some glasses with prisms in them. You have lots of videotapes to watch and lots of notes to be taking. Good luck to you, and keep in touch.

NAncy Patterson, "ARNP" PhD (Just so you know that you can do it!)

[npatterson]

in reply to: Graves’ Disease In Our Own Words is AWESOME! #1066142

Julie,

Thank you very much for that uplifting appraisal of the book. We hoped it would help a lot of people, and what other way than to hear it from those that have been dealing with it?

Take care,

Nancy

[npatterson]

in reply to: thyroid injections? #1066355

I am aware of injectable thyroid, but only know it for a compliance concern. I, too, wold suggest that your sister get all her medications evaluated relative to her thyroid hormone–timing, interactions and absorption. Plewase keep us posted.

Take care,

[npatterson]

in reply to: Endoscopic Thyroidectomy #1066318

The last I heard azbout Endoscopic thyroidetomies was that they were one time researched in Canada, and then returned to China because that is where the principal researcher is from. James S. can make the most intelligent response. Personally, I don’t think I would classify You Tube as necessarily reliable reference.

[npatterson]

in reply to: Still Graves? #1066664

Thyroid tissue that is left behind sometimes does begin to grow, and produce extra hormones. Are you, or have you, seen someone who specializes in thyroid disease? You can find them at "http://www.thyroid.org". That is the American Thyroid Association, and all they do is thyroid! Depending on where you live, there will be several, or very few. Let us know where you live, and we will help. My e-mail: "nancyngdf@bellsouth.net".

Take care,

[npatterson]

in reply to: Magic Wands needed #1066682

” title=”Very Happy” /> ” title=”Very Happy” /> ” title=”Very Happy” /> ” title=”Very Happy” /> ” title=”Very Happy” /> BINGO!!!!!

Now if they will just let me order small quantities! Thanks so much!

Take care,

[npatterson]

in reply to: Magic Wands needed #1066681

Thanks for both suggestions. I will try this one. I did find giggletoys.com. One has be to VERY careful when googling things like "Magic Wands" and "Fairy Wands" I blush very easily!

[npatterson]

in reply to: Ignorance or Arrogance? #1066672

Bobbi’s answer was very thorough. I don’t think your explorations are either arrogance or ignorance. We all need hope, we all need some measure of control over our lives, we all need support. That’s what we look for all the time. Hopefully we get it from our family, friends, physicians and others with Graves’. I know this is not always the case, so we go searching on our own. Just be careful, and stay in touch.

Take care,

[npatterson]

in reply to: Went hypo..on levoxyl..when does it kick in? #1066710

Your low pulse won’t hurt you. The fact that you can go running is an indication of that. Give your body a chance! Just something to think about: you know how you feel at your level of hypo–when thyroid cancer survivors have to totally go off their replacement for a total body scan (which means several weeks), they go up to TSH’s of several hundred. The most I ever heard of was 800!

Take care,

[npatterson]

in reply to: Surgery #1066702

There is a website for Thyroid Surgeons. I will find it and post it. They are going to be in larger areas, frequently in medical schools. Also, check the ThyCa.org site. They know ALL the good surgeons!

Take care,

[npatterson]

in reply to: ORBITAL DECOMPRESSION-questions @ post-op #1066848

I have had decompression surgery. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. In other surgeries, I have been alone, so I will give you the hints I figured out for that.

1. Get two 4 X 4 blocks of wood about a foot long. These will go under the head of your bed to elevate it. This is better than trying to elevate your head on pillows. The idea is to get a good flow of blood, and that is not accomplished as well with pillows. We are usually bent too much at the hips.

2. Do not sleep in, or on satin–you will slide down the bed!

3. Get several good ice packs and keep them in the freezer. My orders have always been 72 hours with ice packs. Yours may differ. They keep the swelling at a minimum, as well as help greatly with the pain.

4. Speaking of pain, there is less than you would think. I need the good stuff" for no more than a day and a half (MUCH to my surprise). Then Tylenol and ICE PACKS took care of everything.

5. You will not have bandages. Your eyelids are all that you need–plus the ice packs

6. You will probably sleep a lot. That is healing.

7. This is a time for finger foods. Things that you can pick up with your hands. Sandwiches cut in 1/4’s, drinks in bottles or cans or cups with lids (like the insulated ones you get at the hospital) Drink lots of fluids

8. Make sure the floor is absolutely clear of debris. Your depth perception will be off for a while, and you don’t want to be tripping on things, or small animals. Make sure you have some sturdy furniture or walls to steady yourself.

9. Lifting and pulling is out for the next couple of weeks.

10. You will be mostly recovered in about four, maybe five days.

11. The bruising may be alarming for the first week. The longest I ever stayed out of work was two weeks, but that was because I was doing face-to-face therapy, and didn’t want to alarm clients.

That’s all I can think of for now. If you want, e-mail me at "nancyngdf@bellsouth.net".

Take care,

‘

[npatterson]

in reply to: Dear Thyroid #1066837

Believe it or not, Goiters used to be consider beautiful. Look at some of the Old Masters in painting. Eye Disease was pretty revered as well. Susan Sarandon was known for her dramatic eyes.

On a similar note: Have you ever written a letter to your thyroid, or Graves’ Disease? We did that as an exercise in a Conference in Florida. It was quite profound. Spouses and friends wrote to the Graves’ Disease of their loved ones.

Over the years I have written a few. They usually take the form of a memorandum, so I don’t have to say "Dear" Graves’. I wrote it a post card from San Diego last year. These best one was fairly long, reminding it that I knew it didn’t necessarily choose to be in this particular body, and I wasn’t exactly thrilled to be the host. But, please be on notice that I was going to do everything possible to have a normal, happy and healthy life, and that in order to do that, my Graves’ could be assured that I would take good care of it, so that it could just rest, and not have to aggravate me for attention. The whole experience was sad, poignant, angry and funny.

[npatterson]

in reply to: herbal remedies #1066895

You will not see anything about herbal remedies on any reliable website. That is not to say that there are not things you can do in additional to medical treatment and evaluation to make yourself feel better. (Hopefully, James S. will hop in here)

The double vision in Thyroid Eye Disease is strabismus. That is caused by muscles pulling in the wrong direction. In our case, usually the muscles have been swollen by the reaction to the eye antibodies. That alone can cause the eye muscles to become misaligned. When the inflammation goes away, the eye muscles frequently return to pre-Graves’ condition. However, in some of us, rather than diminish to normal when the inflammation went away, the muscles developed scar tissue. The prisms "pull" the muscles into alignment, and that is the treatment for most strabismus. With small children, it is called ‘Lazy eye", and the treatment there is to cover the good eye, while trying to make the muscle in the weaker become stronger. When our double vision is severe, there is corrective surgery that can be done.

You are also describing the symptoms of active Graves’ disease. STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR DOCTOR, and us!

Take care,

[Author]

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