[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: Hyperthyroid Symptom Question #1179903

Gabe wrote:

Interesting. Just occurred to me. I was diagnosed with IBS in my late teens. Struggled with this all my life. Had my TT on 5/31/13 and have not had one single episode of spastic colon or diarrhea (sorry for the graphics!) since the surgery. Coincidence? Could my thyroid have been causing this my entire life?! I swear I’ve been hyper since my teens. Hmmmmmm. Makes me wonder…will be watching this…

Karen

Hmmmmm…. I was diagnosed with IBS in high school and also have struggled with it all my life. Now they’re calling it colitis and I take corticosteroids daily to keep it under control.

Sure will be interesting to see if I can wean off the colitis meds after my TT. I should mention that I’ve had a goiter for over 25 years. I can’t help but wonder how many medical problems this thyroid has caused me through the decades.
Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: 3 weeks post-TT, weight gain #1180251

Thanks for the support, Kimberly and Christina. I am so eager to feel good (finally!) that I almost don’t care if I put on a few pounds, and I (and the people I’ve said that to) can’t believe what they’re hearing. I guess no one realizes how bad it gets living with Graves but for me to want to be “fat and happy” over thin and miserable speaks volumes. Of course I won’t let myself get out of control but I’m certainly not going to worry about it for at least the first 2 or 3 weeks.

The surgeon’s office called today to go over some stuff, see if I had any questions, etc. and she said that the T4 in my system would still be in there for 4-6 weeks post surgery (much longer than I expected). She said that she’ll start me on Synthroid 5 days after surgery and in most of her patients that allows for a fairly seamless transition between me getting rid of my natural T4 and me taking the artificial one. And she mentioned that we would definitely adjust doses according to how I feel, not just the lab results.

Hope you’re feeling better about weight gain, Talley…… I think it’s much too soon to be worried about it. Sorry if I hijacked your thread.
Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: 3 weeks post-TT, weight gain #1180247

Similar situation – same problem and same concern. I am scheduled for TT one week from today and the blood work drawn 10 days ago shows that I am finally in the low end of normal. It FEELS so much better than being hyper, but I got on the scale today and saw that I put on 1.5 pounds. I immediately thought… “Uh oh, if that’s the result of not being hyper, what the heck is going to happen when I have no thyroid?!?!” I decided that I would immediately start a diet right after surgery but had previously thought that for that week or two I would probably be lying around not moving much and was HOPING to pamper myself a little, not munch on carrot sticks and celery!

I pretty much decided that the two weeks post-op will be for recovery and healing, and THEN I will decide how serious of a regimen I have to develop to get to and maintain my ideal weight. Will be curious to read other comments.
Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: Hyperthyroid Symptom Question #1179900

Steph82 wrote:

I get dizzy/nauseas spells very frequently and often find myself running to the restroom. I have had this for years before my diagnosis and thankfully a lot less frequently since starting medication. I have good days and bad now and it always hits me out of nowhere. I always thought of myself as having anxiety but I’m pretty sure it all stems from my thyroid!

Well I should be able to let you know if it’s thyroid or anxiety in a month or so… I have chalked it up to anxiety for years but it would be a dream come true if the thyroid removal alleviated those symptoms.

Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: Progress toward TT #1180204

Hi Laurel.
Congrats on the decision regarding surgery and a surgeon……exciting, isn’t it? My surgeon is being very thorough with pre-surgical testing and I think we’re very fortunate that they are being so careful.

Mine is scheduled for July 16th, (12 days but who’s counting?) and I am really, really looking forward to it. I have several health issues (some serious, some trivial) and I’m curious to see how many get resolved by having my thyroid removed. As I suffer from some of them now and try to figure out what’s causing which problem, I’m trying to tell myself that I should just get through the next 12 days and start with a clean slate on July 17th. I know it will take a few months to start to feel normal but I’m hoping that the new “normal” will be better than my old normal.

I’m feeling really anxious today (have had anxiety disorder for decades) and can’t figure out why. Don’t know if my thyroid is causing it or if I’m starting to stress over surgery…. I’m not real good at being in touch with my feelings.

In any event, I look forward to following your journey, comparing notes with you and the other TT’ers here, and to all of us finding a new and improved life.
Keep us posted, please.
Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: Thyroxine surges? #1180107

msled wrote:

Made a big mistake tonight…ate a choc. cookie and had a cup of tea!!! ALso flossed my teeth, dry gums = cuts inbetween my teeth. Back to salt water rinses and hopefully Ativan to help me sleep.

Marg

Why was a cookie and tea a mistake? Geez, you would think you at least deserve an occasional (or daily) treat for yourself!

Here’s hoping the patch work and things settle down soon. We all deserve a purple heart for all that we suffer and deal with.

So sorry you’re going through this.
Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: Diagnosed @ 49 y/o #1179176

#7. You can tell people off, including medical staff, and never need to apologize. You can simply blame it on “Graves Rage” and solicit sympathy instead of resentment. This is the perfect time in your life to tell off everyone that’s caused you frustration in the past decade or two.

And, oh…. by the way……….

Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: normal to have depression after TT? #1180122

Sorry to hear you’re feeling down and will be very interested in updates since I’m having my TT in less than three weeks.

I have already wondered if I would feel depressed afterwards for a couple of reasons: I think my Methimazole has finally gotten my levels to a place where I am probably feeling some hypo symptoms and I gotta tell ya, as much as I was looking foward to “slowing down” a bit, I’m thinking hypo isn’t much fun, either. I found myself wasting an entire weekend being sluggish, tired, lazy, and unmotivated and it really depressed me. I didn’t want to get up and do anything, but I didn’t want to just be lying around, either. I was stuck in between and didn’t like that place. I really think if it weren’t for me having to get up and go to work on Monday I would still be lying around feeling depressed.

The other thing I wonder about is that since I have spent so much time being full of energy and not being able to sleep, will the contrast seem like a depression to me? Will my lack of desire to get up and clean the house be a result of low medication, the stark contrast of my too-high energy, an authentic depression, or just the realization that I hate to clean? That’s something I’m going to have to figure out in a month or two and I am trying to accept the fact that I may never feel “normal” again but that I will learn to discover a “new normal”. I may not be as perky and productive as I was before but I may be a lot more calm and rested (I hope).

I’ll be interested to hear other’s comments and experiences and if you remind me in 6 weeks, I’ll let you know what I’m feeling.
Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: Diagnosed @ 49 y/o #1179169

Hey Buddy . . . glad you are on your way to some relief. Here’s hoping that you are one of the ones who gets that thing killed off quickly and finds the perfect dosage of replacement in a very short time.

Sorry to hear about the unannounced vomit….. hope you were home when it happened.

Is your urine starting to glow yet? Have you kept yourself isolated from all living things? Did you have strict orders to double-flush and shower several times a day? Are you working or did you take some time off?

OK, that’s enough with the questions for a while….. keep us posted.
Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: Thyroxine surges? #1180103

Wow, Msled, what a challenge. And when we’re feeling so lousy it’s hard to think straight and know what to do but by now we all know that we have to be our own doctors. Only WE know what feels best and what doesn’t. I think we all need to get our medical degrees so we can heal ourselves.

So sorry you’re going through this.
Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: Break-neck speed? #1180088

snelsen wrote:

Agree with Sue. YOu have time. This is not an emergency. Everything she said is right on, and well said.
Shirley

Thanks, Shirley. Us old-timers have to share what we’ve learned during our long and tedious travels with this rotten disease.
Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: Break-neck speed? #1180086

Hi Barbra. Congrats on making a decision on one of the three treatment options….sometimes the research and deciding is as painful as the disease! This is happening really fast, though, so I have to wonder, was it you that told the Endo that RAI was your best choice, or did he tell you and asked if you agreed? Making such a major decision after only meeting him once kinda makes me nervous. I have been seeing my endo for over 6 years and just recently took the plunge to talk about surgery. He suggested RAI as the easiest and least invasive solution but after explaining to him why I thought surgery was much better for me, he agreed. My surgery is July 16th but it’s something I’ve thought about for years.

Have you had any eye symptoms? Are you prepared for the roller coaster of thyroid levels after the RAI? I’m not trying to change your mind – I would just feel more comfortable knowing that you have researched all the options before going in on Monday. Wow – even if it was your idea, that was a fast appointment for RAI!

Good luck in whatever you do, and please remember to make sure this is YOUR decision, not your doctors.
Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: Thyroxine surges? #1180101

All done with menstrual cycles….. 56 years old.

I’m guessing that surges or spikes may not be common or we would have heard more about it. Who knows…. maybe I’ve got some Hashimoto’s going on, too. I have had this goiter for over 25 years but was only diagnosed with Graves 6 years ago… wouldn’t be surprised if I have both going on.

I was hoping to feel “normal” before I went in for surgery since that would make it easier to find a “normal” after surgery, but at this point I’m willing to just accept that I’ll have to get to re-know myself after surgery and find a new me and consider that my new normal.

Thanks.
Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: Gabe’s Total Thyroidectomy Journal – 5/31/13 #1179643

snelsen wrote:

Sue/Zoo. I think I am safe in saying that TT is not related to “getting” TED.
Karen is “just” getting everything over ALL AT ONCE! Ha.Instead of waiting 50 years, never thinking for a MINUTE about TED, and having it hit me big time.
Shirley

Thank you Shirley and Karen…. you’ve set my mind at ease and I will now cross that off my list of things to worry about during my three weeks till surgery. (Well, I’ll cross it off in pencil, there will still be a trace of worry because that’s just what I do.)
Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

in reply to: Gabe’s Total Thyroidectomy Journal – 5/31/13 #1179640

Hi Karen….. glad there is progress going on regarding your double vision. Can’t even imagine having to deal with that right now on top of everything else your body is going through.

I just read your signature and you don’t mention having eye issues before your TT but I just assumed you did. Was the problem there prior to surgery or did it only start after surgery?

Sue

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