[PolishTym]

in reply to: Diagnosed with Graves This Week #1170996

I was bummed about hair loss and the mood changes because my wife had previously told me my hair and humor were my best qualities. My scalp would even hurt! So I switched to Burt’s Bees shampoo and conditioner. While not 100% natural, it helped. After surgery, the hair thickness improved and the scalp discomfort was significantly reduced. I cut out the hair products with significant artificial ingredients.

I don’t know how many this will help because it is a men’s product, but I used a thickening cream which helped with styling the thinning areas.

[PolishTym]

in reply to: Wife want divorce and family in shambles #1170268

You’ve got some great replies in this forum. Graves’ disease can be tough on the family, and I am glad my Graves’ didn’t come on in the first few years of my marriage. My wife and I had 16 -17 years of marriage behind us and experience overcoming problems thrust upon us. My wife could tell something wasn’t right and she was very supportive when we found out, but I also wanted to feel “normal” ASAP. Through the hills and valleys she learned not to be bothered by my infrequent temperamental moments and I learned when to go for walks or do something relaxing.

If there had been underlying issues in the marriage, who knows what would have happened. It sounds like you’ve been super supportive and understanding.

[PolishTym]

in reply to: Cancer Risks of Radioactive Iodine Treatment #1171066

I think RAI is right for some people, and surgery for others. I’ve read medical journal articles from different countries and found the Americans tend to be more liberal about when we are safe to be around others after treatment. Surgery tends to be more accepted elsewhere. [We won’t know the impact of RAI on cancer (or lack of) until we can do things like better isolate the variables. Large studies tend to be meta-analyses (studies that look at other studies) and the different research structures used for a variety of studies limit the reliability, which are weaker than large, singular studies. They are good for finding trends in other studies, but they have notable limitations.]

I’d be really concerned about your doctor if people have lost their voice, rather than the surgery itself. My endo was pro-RAI, but she told me that a particular surgeon was the surgeon she would go to if she needed work. I met with my eventual surgeon months before my surgery to check him out, and I met one of his surgical trainees and his physician’s assistant. The surgeon does about 300 a year, and was called a rock star by other doctors not in the same practice. So for me, that was convincing. If you can, consider finding a very good surgeon and get both sides. Go with the treatment within your comfort level.

[PolishTym]

in reply to: Newly Developed Lactose Intolerance #1170705

Around the same time I was diagnosed with Graves’ I lost my ‘rock gut.’ I couldn’t take milk, nuts, and gluten anymore. My endo said it was chance timing, but my endo surgeon said they were related. Apparently, there is not convincing data one way or the other. I believe the endo surgeon–the timing is too strange and the multitude of problems odd. Best wishes resolving your situation.

[PolishTym]

in reply to: ELECTRONIC READERS-Kindle, Nook etc #1170472

For pure reading, the old fashioned Kindle is like reading textured paper. I bought the Nook Color (not Nook color tablet) about one year ago and I find it easy to read, but klunky compared to an iPad. I’ve heard some people turn down the brightness on the iPad to make reading easier. The biggest eye issue I have is very active floaters, and the Nook is easier to read than a laptop or desktop.

[PolishTym]

in reply to: RAI-confused about safety measures #1170506

My endo highly recommended the RAI. Because I had access to some medical journals online, I downloaded a variety of studies. It seemed that foreign researchers were more concerned about RAI use, isolation, and long-term effects than American researchers. It was enough to convince me to go with surgery. Whatever works for you is best, but consider being as conservative as possible with interactions.

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