[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: Shingles now, what’s next… #1180541

I think you’ll be fine with the anti-viral and TT… I’ve been on Valtrex for about two years (daily maintenance dose) because I got shingles TWICE in 5 years. I’ve never stopped taking the Valtrex before, during, or after the TT so there shouldn’t be any interaction. Good luck!
Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: Hello again, and another post-TT update #1180495

Oh Amy, so glad you wrote and updated! You must be psychic… the other day I was reading your entire journal and was kind of surprised at how it stopped (I think June 7?) and then I searched all your posts by your name to see if I could find any updates that way.

I’m so sorry you’re feeling so badly. I wish one or more of your doctors could tell you why this is happening. I’m guessing low feritin has a lot to do with it, but the anxiety? Not sure how that would be connected, unless the anxiety is just from being completely and totally exhausted overall. Are you taking anything for the anxiety? Perhaps you should?

Apparently your roller-coaster ride isn’t over yet, and Lord knows you deserve it to be over soon, so please keep the faith that the worst is behind you and better days are coming soon.

And please keep us posted, whether it be good reports, bad reports, or in-between reports. Sending healing and positive thoughts your way.
Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: Sue’s TT – July 16, 2013 #1180372

Gabe wrote:

you’ve still got weeks maybe months of ups, downs, and changes to go thru but I can say that, for me, the worst experiences post TT are a breeze compared to the horrible hyper, methimazole, experiences before TT!

Karen

Amen to that! My husband called from the office today to check on me and I told him that I was feeling a little “weird and off”. He said, “Awww, I’m sorry, honey.” and I said “Don’t be! “My “off days” now are better than my good days were a month ago!”

Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: Methimazole dosing #1180460

I’m not sure that would work because I believe the half-life of Methimazole is rather short. Several years ago I was down to a tiny little doze and I do remember cutting the tiny pill into fourths….. you basically wet your fingertip and eat the powder and crumbs. LOL

Curious what your doc will say, but I believe mine told me to get a tiny bit every day.
Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: Sue’s TT – July 16, 2013 #1180368

OK, now I feel better about the “raised look” of the incision area and you explained it perfectly – thank you.

The anxiety is very minor – so much less than I’ve lived with for decades, but I don’t think it’s from being housebound… I have gone out and I have been doing a lot around the house and I LOVE being home. I think it’s part of the fluctuating levels and maybe some of the synthetic hormone in addition to still having old stores of natural hormone. I’m sure this is only the beginning and I will try to stay calm if the anxiety continues or increases…… it’s STILL much better than before surgery!

Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: Sue’s TT – July 16, 2013 #1180366

Day 9 Update:
OK, today I woke up feeling “weird”. First I have to preface that by saying that the fact that I woke up from a deep sleep is weird in itself because since surgery I’ve had more insomnia than sleep. But I think I may have gotten almost a solid 8 hours last night and that can’t be a bad thing.

I noticed a slight tingling in my fingers so I staggered right over to the Tums bottle and took two (yesterday was the day I reduced from 4x day to 3x a day). I took my daily medications and made coffee but all I wanted was to go back to bed. Took my coffee and went back up to watch TV from there.

As I was becoming coherent I noticed that my incision area seems to be “pulling” today…… feels tight, like I can’t turn my head as freely as yesterday. I got up and looked in the mirror and I’m not sure but I think it might be slightly puffy. I can definitely see a “bump” if I look at my profile but honestly don’t know if it’s been that way since Day 1 or not… hadn’t looked. The area isn’t red or hot to the touch, but it seems more “tender” than before. I find that kinda strange.

I’m also feeling somewhat anxious and antsy, something I’ve been delighted to be free of for the past 9 days. I’m tired, but my mind is racing.

Let the roller-coaster ride begin?
Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: Sue’s TT – July 16, 2013 #1180363

TT was one week ago (well, technically surgery hadn’t even begun for another hour but close enough).

I feel fabulous. I finally got some sleep last night (not solid, but more than I’ve gotten in the past week) and I am full of energy. Trying to force myself to stop and take breaks but there is so much I’m enjoying doing around the house that I want to keep going. But don’t worry, I’m not a morning person so I take my sweet-ass time getting motivated and don’t start till afternoon. I haven’t driven yet but I went to a store with my husband last night and felt better shopping than I have in years. No dizziness, no heat-intolerance, no anxiety, no weak muscles, no agitation. Felt like a “normal” person!

I’m not naïve enough to hope that I’m going to stay like this forever – I’m sure there are going to be ups and downs, crashes and surges, but I am in SUCH a good mood and feeling so good – soaking up every minute of it.

Not sure why, but food tastes so much better, too! Haven’t weighed myself…. don’t want to yet. It wouldn’t be realistic one week TT anyway.

Today I drop from 8 extra strength Tums to 6, and tomorrow is the last day of the prescription D. (Calcit….something).

Hope everyone else is having a good day, too.
Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: Post TT T4 numbers #1180446

Do you feel good at the levels you’re at right now? Perhaps you’re done excreting (or whatever we do with) the leftover natural hormone and you are strictly running on your 100 mcg of Synthroid right now. If so, then maybe you’re going to pretty much level off at these numbers?

As you know I’m newer at this than you but I don’t think I’d worried yet. Of course, that’s easy for me to say.
Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: First day of Levo…… what should I expect? #1180435

Hi Talley.
Sorry you had headaches and had to crawl out of hypo state…. Lord only knows what I’ll be feeling in the next four weeks but it’s nice to hear that my surgeon may have started me at a good guesstimate. Yesterday and today I feel too much energy…. really hope I can sleep tonight. I was going to make myself some herbal or chamomile tea to see if that helps but in the hospital they told me to stay away from the herbals for another week or so. (shrug).

I did lots of chores around the house today and only forced myself to take breaks because I was hurting my back and muscles because of some of the awkward positions I get in for certain chores.

I set my alarm for 6:30 a.m., the pill is in a tiny pill container next to the alarm so I can take it and go back to sleep and if I wake up wondering if I took it or not I can check the container. When I go back to work I will start getting up at 7:30 again so a 6:30 pill should be fine… I can crawl right to my coffee after the “snoozings”.

Thanks for posting…… I’m going to try and keep coming here even after I feel wonderful (how’s that for positive thinking) to see if I can help others. This place has been PRICELESS and the people are worth their weight in gold.
Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: Sue’s TT – July 16, 2013 #1180362

Holy Insomnia, Batman!!!!! What the hell was that???? I have never in my 56 years ever stayed up that many hours, non-stop, not even when I was a young party animal!

Yesterday morning (day 4) I woke up feeling a little antsy and anxious but it settled down after a few hours and I was able to have a GREAT day lounging in bed. I was waited on, I watched all kinds of crappy movies (good crappy) I had cravings that were tended to, I pigged out on some junk food, and generally was loving the hell out of recovery. I had a bout of nausea for about 2 hours but ginger ale pretty much knocked it out. Had a headache but Tylenol took care of that. All in all, a delightful day, and come night time I was full of good energy and started taking on a project (I always come to life at night). I stopped myself after an active 90 minutes so as not to overdo it and chilled on the couch with my husband. He headed up to bed but I was wide awake so watched more TV. I forced myself to head up at 3:00 a.m. but was still wide awake. Tried watching TV. Tried lying in silence and darkness. Tried left, right, back and stomach. Tried meditating. Tried TV again. Nothing. Never drifted or dozed at all. Watched the sun rise and listened to the birds chirp. Then low and behold, I must have dozed off at 6:00 a.m. because at 6:30 my alarm woke me (to tell me to take my first Levo pill). That was it…. wide awake again until I think 9:00. I dozed lightly and fretfully for about 2 hours and finally gave up and got up at 11:00.

What in hell was that? I so badly wanted to get up all night and work on the project I started but knew, intellectually, that was a bad idea. Now I almost wish I had. Not feeling as enthusiastic today. Can’t sleep, but not a ball of energy, either.

Is that part of the recovery process or have I just been lying around too much and my body refused to rest anymore? Even though I have been lying around resting a lot since I got home from the hospital Wednesday, I really haven’t “slept” much.

I’ve always been a night owl and not much of a morning person, but this was ridiculous. Are my days and nights messed up from surgery, anesthesia, recovery?

Glad I don’t have to go to work tomorrow…. I’m going to need to get some real “sleep” one of these days.
Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: First day of Levo…… what should I expect? #1180431

Thanks, Ladies. You are all my God-sends, as usual.

Maybe my dose of 125 seems high because I think I’m “bigger” than most of you. I am 5’5″ and have been as high as 170….. right now I think I’m probably at the 155 – 158 mark but I honestly haven’t checked in a week or two.

Most of the bad and scary reviews were written by, well…… you know – consider the source. I’m guessing the authors were hard to please and didn’t really know much of what they speak so some were frightening but after a few minutes I realized (again) you really have to choose what and where you read. But this list from Mayo Clinic shocked me and had me and my husband cracking up as I read them out loud:

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine.
• Abdominal or stomach cramps
• Change in appetite
• Crying
• Diarrhea
• False or unusual sense of well-being
• Fear
• Feeling not well or unhappy
• Feeling of discomfort
• Feeling of warmth
• Feeling things are not real
• Feelings of suspicion and distrust
• Hair loss
• Headache
• Increased appetite
• Mental depression
• Muscle weakness
• Nervousness
• Quick to react or overreact emotionally
• Rapidly changing moods
• Redness of the face, neck, arms, and occasionally, upper chest
• Restlessness
• Trouble getting pregnant
• Trouble sitting still
• Unusual tiredness or weakness
• Vomiting
• Weight gain
• Weight loss

LOL Talk about covering it all! And as was mentioned, these are probably more effects of being hypo and hyper, NOT effects of the drug itself.

Have had the first Levo in me for almost 7 hours and so far I’m not feeling ‘unreal” or distrustful and suspicious. LOL

Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: Sue’s TT – July 16, 2013 #1180361

Regarding the SSKI, I found it a wonderful “perk” to all this! When I read about it thinning mucous and started feeling it work I thought “Hey, this could be a solution I’ve been looking for for decades!”

I’ve always had very thick mucous… just the way I’m made. My doc explained to me a long time ago that the reason I get dizzy a lot is because the fluid in my middle ear is thicker than most people’s. And when my endo surgeon put the scope up my nose and down my throat she had a hard time and kept commenting on the very thick mucous in my body.

When I finished taking my last dose of SSKI Monday I did NOT throw it away…. I may ask the doc about using it from time to time to thin my mucous in the future.

Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: Sue’s TT – July 16, 2013 #1180358

Hi Alexis.
Taking 8 extra-strength Tums a day, in addition to prescription D (Calcititrol?) twice a day.

Hasn’t happened again, and wasn’t really that bad, it just made me go “Hmmmmm… that’s a strange feeling, that happened to me once when I had the flu right before I almost fainted.”

I’m not sure if “feeling faint” is part of the calcium thing… I’m guessing it’s more of a adrenaline/fear response. I always feel faint when anxious.

I’m guessing it’s not worth bothering the surgeon on a weekend, but if it happens again in the next day or two I will definitely call Monday.
Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: Sue’s TT – July 16, 2013 #1180356

Christina, you have no idea how much I appreciate your response. The little episode I had last night worried me all night and I was obsessing over it and was hoping beyond hope someone on here would know what I was describing and be able to tell me what it was. I was pretty certain no one would since I don’t remember reading much about it but as soon as my eyes opened this morning I jumped on here hoping. There you were, giving me validation and helping me find a possible (and probable) cause.

As I said, the only other time in my life that I’ve felt something like that was when I had the flu this past winter and of course I just chalked it up to fatigue and flu but when it happened last night it was so familiar, so now I wonder….. could having the flu cause the same thing? My vitamin D has been frighteningly low for quite a while (don’t know how long – just told about it during a February physical) and I just started taking high doses as of February so when I had the flu in winter, I was very low in D (and probably consequently calcium). Maybe the flu caused my parathyroids to be sluggish?

OK, I’m obsessing… I apologize to all those following this journal for the diversion.

Thank you Christina and EVERYONE who shares their experiences. No matter how weird or minor you might think it is, it may save another person’s sanity by sharing it.
Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: Sue’s TT – July 16, 2013 #1180354

3 days post surgery – Friday night: I took a short excursion out of the house tonight. My sister lives about 5 miles from me and I had asked my husband to bring her something she wanted to borrow and then decided that I’d hop in the car with him… slippers and all. The ride was fine, the walk into the house was fine (except that it’s 95 degrees and the humidity is sickening) and the visit was fine. The toughest part was making it a SHORT visit because there’s usually no such thing as that at my sister’s house but my voice was cracking and I told her it hurt to talk so we left. We went back home and I still had some energy, did a few small chores, and joined my husband for dinner and a movie (at home). He just went up to bed and I THOUGHT I was still doing fine so I went to make some decaf and watch some tv and then something hit me. All of it sudden it felt like all my arm and shoulder muscles were clenching up, tightening up, almost spasming, and I thought I might faint or at the very least I needed to sit or lie down quickly. Once I got to the couch I recalled I had felt that same thing (muscle clenching and faint) once when I had the flu.

I’m not going to obsess or worry about it.. I’ll just assume it’s a sign of fatigue or unwellness that tells us we need to give in and lie down?

Other than that, no nauseau today, normal to high appetite, mood and mental attitude fine. Slight discomfort when swallowing and lots when coughing or sneezing but turning my head just about normally. Never took anything for pain except regular Tylenol twice the day after surgery.

Sue

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