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I always thought both were personal choices. My endo went back & forth between the 2 but we ultimately decided on the surgery because I was having trouble responding to the medications and they said the recovery with RAI would take longer. (Though the TT actually took me 7mo recovery before I could go back to work.)
I had an AMAZING surgeon, no keloid scar at all (I have them from other surgeries) but still a slight scar after a year that I seem to only notice and others don’t really notice unless I point it out to them. (If you want to come to Buffalo, NY I can recommend him!)
If you have the surgery done well and don’t pick at the scabbing you shouldn’t get one.Regardless of if I would have had RAI or TT the battle was the aftermath, getting my hormones in check and getting the right dose of meds to make me feel better. I can say though, after the TT I never had a panic attack until I got way too anxious going back to work. But my anxiety is SO much better! I AM on 5mg of Lexapro now but that’s even less than a normal starter dose and I only started that after I went back to work so next doc appointment I’m going to see about getting off of it.
I don’t know how you can convince your doctor. They can’t force you to do the RAI. Since ENTs do the surgery maybe it would be best to consult with one of them. See if they have before/after pics (or patient testimonials) of their surgeries & necks also!
Good luck!!
AmandaI’m sorry to hear about everything that has gone on & may be going on in your life. *hugs*
Stress is a huge factor. I was actually being treated for Hashimoto’s when I had a huge flip to Graves’ but during a high time of stress between family, my job, and a surgery not related to my thyroid. I’ve finally seemed to level out a year after my thyroidectomy w/my doc only checking Free T4 and TSH now but I still have issues with a mix of hyper/hypothyroid symptoms when I’m in higher stress situations or if my routine changes.
Couldn’t hurt to ask for them to do a full thyroid panel just to see if anything jumps out, as well as other hormone levels. Even with my higher stress my levels have been coming back normal lately though I know my symptoms are associated with my disease. Plus your levels can change depending on the day so what I did was ask for a script and went and had blood work done on a day I was feeling particularly awful. Came back still in normal range though slightly off from what it was before.
I used to have pain also but when I switched from a T4 to a T4 & T3 (Armour) the pain went away. Still had my other symptoms but the fact the pain was gone helped SO much! You don’t have to necessarily switch the dose of your Tapazole but maybe add a T3 med to it. (Tapazole just never worked for me.) I also am on a teeny tiny dose of anti-anxiety/depression med. Only 5mg of Lexapro. Of course this is my med routine, still, entrust in your doctor’s advise but it can’t hurt to discuss everything and ask lots of questions, making sure they explain why they are deciding what they are as your plan of action and that you understand it!
I learned though that with it being slightly off, it’s not worth changing the medication dose as it could take months for that to kick in and usually after a few days of feeling like crap I’m back to normal. If you are feeling bad for a week or more I would stress to your doctor for more help. Not necessarily medicine wise if your levels are normal, but it could be ways to help channel your stress. Like I’ve found for me that taking about 1/2 hour walk every day after work helps me de-stress. (Though I have no idea what I’m going to do in the winter when it snows because I hate going to the gym.)
Good luck!! – Amanda
SueAndHerZoo wrote:I got online and ordered myself one and it just came in. I haven’t had a lot of time to practice and play with it yet but I think I’m going to like it: Smashbox High Definition concealer. It’s got really great reviews, especially for under eye circles, and I think the most challenging part would be picking the correct shade online. Probably better off to go buy it somewhere in person but I didn’t have time this week so gambled with a shade online.Smashbox is a great company too. I tried a few concealers including theirs but found the best coverage & shade for me was the Kat Von D. I dab then blend, then let it dry, then if I feel I need more coverage I dab & blend again. Usually never need more than 2 applications. Just like the condition, it’s different for everyone! LOL I also got overwhelmed when trying to find the right color! Let the professionals do it for me.
I had a friend with me too who wasn’t too helpful to curb my “retail therapy.”I’ll be seeing my eye specialist on Thursday. I have a lot of questions for him but who knows if I’ll get any answers that I’ll be able to fully medically understand & relay back well enough for anyone else to.
Amanda
Maybe not an oral steroid but what about a steroid eye drop? It won’t be as strong as the oral & no side effects like the oral steroids have. Could be helpful.
Before I was diagnosed with TED the skin around my eyes started to get irritated & even scabbed because of it. It was awful. Then they diagnosed me with the TED put me on a steroid eye drop called Lotemax & it cleared up in about 2 weeks though I still have other vision & tearing complications from the TED still. Even on oral steroids.
Good luck!
Amanda
I actually went to Sephora the other day because I had a groupon & had to pick some stuff up & I guess the Kat Von D line has been expanded so she has this concealer called Lock It Tattoo Concealer, which you can actually cover up tattoos with! Problem is it’s so popular in my light shade it’s not in stock on-line & I had to call around to different stores to find it. finally sound it in the JC Penny Sephora. So now that’s my new thing but I also got more of her eye primer for above the eyes.
But yeah, the Sephora girls were really helpful finding my right shade for me. A friend of mine got mugged once (she was ok but a bruised mess for a while after) & I don’t have permission from her (I wouldn’t even ask her because I know she’s still sore on the subject with how she looked after) but I WISH I could have posted the pictures of her before & after. They did a fantastic job on her & she had some terribly bad bruises on her face. She’s fully recovered now.
As far as “fixes” to reduce puffiness & the circles w/out makeup, if anyone ever finds one, LET ME KNOW. I’ve tried too many things. So many I can’t even remember or list them, nothing ever worked, so that’s when I started experimenting with makeup just to cover it up. I know I haven’t tried the Earth Sciences stuff.
I did a little search also & found this:
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is a thyroid hormone deficiency disease. Hypothyroidism may occur at any age and is common in older adults. According to the Merck Manuals of Medical Information online database, obtaining a diagnosis for hypothyroidism may be easier for younger adults, because it may be more subtle or atypical in older adults. You may develop dark circles around your eyes, because hypothyroidism can cause an infiltration of complex sugar molecules in your face, which leads to swelling and discoloration in your face and around your eyes.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/294197-pathologic-dark-circles-around-the-eyes/#ixzz2eCyEgpHY
Hmmm… if that’s the case, how can these “molecules” be treated to rid us of this!? More research needed.
Amanda
Luckily, my specialist works with the local university & the place I have been going to is a learning/teaching facility so they told me they are not even billing my insurance! (Because I kept asking if they were putting the claims through as medical instead of just optical because of the condition.)
I could REALLY use a new pair of glasses, though I think I need more answers & to get this more under control before I do.
Amanda
I’ve always had problems with dark circles. The best that has worked for me is a primer (Sephora perfecting eye primer or their anti-shine foundation primer is good & cheap) then the BEST cover up w/eye primer I have was with the Kat Von D High Voltage Eye primer. I use it above & below my eyes for the dark circles. If the shading doesn’t blend well with the skin tone, then use your regular foundation on top of that, then I use powder for matting.
It can be time consuming but I would suggest if you have a Sephora or Ulta close to you go in & ask someone to help you & try the stuff out. (Sephora peeps seem better at makeup consults to me.) Little bit can go a long way so they have been worth the $ to me.
I’ve noticed after my TT the circles seem darker also. I really don’t think it has to do with my TED. (Karen, I’m the same way w/my TED) The circles could be from allergies, eczema, thinning skin, rubbing your eyes. So… maybe it could somehow be brought on by the disease.
Know all too well about the “Are you ok?” My supervisor would ask me EVERY DAY and I gave him the same answer EVERY DAY.
Good luck! Amanda
Nancy & Karen thank you! At least I’m not going crazy. Which every new or progressive thing with this makes me feel like I could be.
I’ll make sure I ask & know those things are being checked when I get my blood work done next Monday & be prepared with my questions when I see my doctors later that week.
Unfortunately, last year at the end of October was our open enrollment & I dropped my separate eye coverage. I do have minimal coverage, like 1 appointment per year, with an ophthalmologist & terrible discount plan under my main insurance. The only thing the eye coverage was good for anyway were the glasses. Who knew 2 months later I would be diagnosed with Graves’!?
So frustrated!
Amanda
