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in reply to: Thyroid Hormone replacement dose AM or PM? #1174058
I admit to taking mine in the morning so I can snack after dinner sometimes!
My endo said I could have some calcium in the foods I ate, but I shouldn’t be drinking a big glass of milk (or something else with lots of calcium). Not sure if she is totally right on that, but at least in the morning I have the requisite empty stomach.
in reply to: This cheerleader needs some cheering up! #1174008Sometimes it is tough arguing with a new doctor, one who doesn’t know what your husband is like. I’ve known my endocrinologist for three years. Probably like your husband and his last doctor, the doctor could probably get a sense by observing him. Your husband will likely benefit from your presence.
in reply to: Thyroidectomy #1173444I had to get my drops after the Japanese nuclear accidents caused by the earthquakes and tsunami, so my fellow Americans were buying up the drops to supposedly protect themselves from the released energy.
I was worried I wasn’t going to be able to buy them. I got lucky. My pharmacy had a part-time pharmacist who also worked about 75 minutes away and happened to see one, so she hooked me up. I guess these things work out one way or the other.
in reply to: Cycle touring post RAI #1173437What a great trip! I don’t think anyone mentioned this, but bring a letter from your specialist that explains your situation. You never know what you’ll need, or if you get questioned about your meds.
Make sure you have someone available at home (if not there) that can be reached if you are in an accident or something.
I travel as part of a group–university travel–and my insurance covers treatments abroad as out-of-network, plus we have travel insurance for health and emergency evacuations. I’d check with your insurance to see what they will cover.
Best advice with exercise is to ride similar terrains and lengths to prepare.
in reply to: Thyroidectomy #1173441I can’t disagree with those comments. Their experiences were similar to mine. The thing that surprised me–and maybe others didn’t have it–was chills. I was very cold for weeks. I was wearing sweats and had heavy blankets on at night…in June!
I chugged the yucky tasting iodine stuff with apple juice. I drank it fast to avoid the taste.
A friend of mine had similar ear problems. The doctor, quite the elder, intentionally scraped his ear or something, and it later started bleeding and my friend freaked out. So he went to an ENT in Israel while visiting his mother. The doc there was shocked at the story, and told my friend he needed a surgery for a deviated septum. He got it done, and no more problems. That convinced me to get mine done and it improved. My allergies are bad so it didn’t completely take care of things, but it helped.
Long story, but did you get your nose checked out for this?
in reply to: Positive attitude #1173243snelson, I really appreciate your post. Sometimes I need a good cry to clear out those bad feelings. Allowing myself to be really bummed and cry it out can be cathartic.
in reply to: Concentration/problemsolving/tests #1173030I think a lot of us have had that fog, and it isn’t easy. Are there ways to minimize other mental tasks? Do you have times that you are stronger with your thinking? Maybe utilizing those times to prep for exams will help.
Sometimes we need time before jumping into graduate work when all the good things become aligned. I went into my master’s too quickly. I needed some time off from school. I worked after my master’s and entered my doctoral work after I was burned out from my job.
So don’t feel bad if you aren’t ready because of Graves’. There is always another year to go for it. Treating your Graves’ makes everything else easier.
in reply to: Life after Graves #1173227dgregory, my thyroidectomy certainly helped me but I also certainly don’t feel cured, I guess because the problem is the autoimmune disease and not really the thyroid.
I still feel some of the same surges (like some kind of adrenaline rush) but not as bad as during the pre-surgery Graves’. As I’ve told my wife, it seems like Graves’ affects me in some way every day, whether it is energy, the surges, or how sudden stomach issues emerged with Graves’. Last year I was talking with a senior citizen I know who had her thyroid removed many years ago and was telling people how she always felt fine after that removal. I’m happy for her, but sometimes people seem to expect that we should feel the same way. However, we know what we’re going through is different.
I am happy that I went the surgery route, although it isn’t for everyone. If it wasn’t for this discussion board, I might think that a lot of my issues are in my head. I feel bad for everybody, but it is good to know I am not alone.
in reply to: Positive attitude #1173234I really like your post about a positive attitude. It is so hard to do, isn’t it? Fortunately for me, my wife provided me with the positive attitude while I was being overly realistic to negative possibilities.
in reply to: Immunologist and GD #1172870Cutting out gluten from my diet helped me a lot. A primary physician I had is an internal medicine doc (shortage of general pracs), and he didn’t believe my Graves’ was tied to stomach problems even though they kicked up around the same time. He refused to have me tested for Celiac disease.
My new primary is open to trying different things and has encouraged my decision to test for different food allergies/sensitivities. But the doctors most open to the possibility of a relationship have been my surgeon and allergist. My allergist thinks most doctors ignore the immunology issues. Maybe it is a disciplinary thing, or maybe not. The people in my allergist’s office were more concerned about my weight loss than a previous doctor who missed the Graves’ (There has been a revolving door of docs around here.). So I am thankful for my allergist’s office!
in reply to: Successful Thyroidectomy! #1172508I found the less I corrected my kids that first week, the better I felt. And I think they enjoyed that week the most!
in reply to: Successful Thyroidectomy! #1172491Congratulations on the surgery. There is no feeling like waking up from one!
in reply to: Diagnosed yesterday as having GD #1170465snelsen wrote:Excellent post, Bobbi.Even though I am an RN, and was working in an academic hospital at the time, I had NO IDEA what Graves’ was. All I remembered from my student days studying the endocrine system, was diabetes and some of the more common endocrine diseases.
And that is the position our friends and families are in. They don’t have a clue. So, you are doing a super job of doing research, reaching out, learning every day.At this point, I don’t want to overload you, but here is a suggestion for your visit to ANY doctor. Ask at the desk for their form that gives them permission to send lab results, and copies of your visit, to your home address, so you can have your own personal medical file. This is extremely useful.
ShirleyThat is great advice at the end. I wish I had done it at the beginning, and now I am still getting around to it.
I’ll add the comment about your student days. At general practitioner check-ins I was surprised for awhile that the nurses didn’t know about the thyroid meds I was on, but it made me realize the disease was lesser known than I imagined. But it was a nurse who noticed my tremors and made note of it, and I wish the doctor had the same degree of concern as the nurse. Nurses really are the first level of review, and I wished my doctor had acted on her concern. So it seems even professional medical advice is hit-and-miss. I was told it was probably a hereditary tremor by my doctor.
in reply to: Anyone choosing no treatment? #1172448Anytime someone avoids treatment that person is running a risk. I know some non-Graves’ situations when people were worse off when avoiding treatments for their conditions. For Graves’, I don’t think the treatments are typically worse than the condition.
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