[vanillasky]

in reply to: My total thyroidectomy journal #1178810

Believe me, it’s definitely an inspiration especially for someone who is apprehensive about the surgery.

I saw my father go through literally “Hell” when he had the cancer in the gland. They did big incisions in those days. It was from ear to ear. I was just a small child but I remember thinking, “they cut daddy’s head off and put it back on.”

He went into recovery and began to choke on his own blood. I guess they tied off a vein but it came loose and all he said he remembered was them coming at him with a mask. Back under again to repair the tie for the vein.

they didn’t check calcium back then. He came home and went hypocalcemic. He couldn’t move his hands, his feet were cramped, and…………back to emergency room. We didn’t know what was happening to him.

He took calcium pills for months. They could have choked a horse. And his voice was very, very raspy and he would lose it every now and then. His voice was never the same. He went from tenor to baritone and was upset because he used to sing.

Nevertheless, he lived another 40 or so years and no reoccurence of the disease.

[vanillasky]

in reply to: I feel like giving up #1178854

@Kimberly, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take time to write to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are a gem!

Nancy, thank you SO MUCH FOR WRITING TO ME. You make great sense and I totally understand what you are trying to convey and realize that as strong as some people think I am, I do believe everyone has their breaking point. Unfortunately I feel like I’m at that point.

Sometimes we get “beyond” our cool and my “friends” do their best. Even husband is being very nice to me. Thank God. I take to heart everything you have said and you are definitely a great influence as a guide for me.

Sorry to hear about your loss as well. I guess we can relate. I knew May 7, would be a tough day for us, but I am going to see my father and spend some time with him. A far cry from the party my mother and I had planned for his 100th birthday. His greatest wish was to live to be 100 and he died at 89. He fought so hard to be here for us but I know he’s still with us and is in peace in his new home. I pray he is with God now. He was a good man….

Stymie: yes, you are right I am going for another opinion. I have done a lot of thinking today, my hives are going and trying to be rational about this. My thought is to seriously think about removing the uterus. I don’t want to go through this again and again. I have RAI or TT to worry about as this disease evolves and this is what my endo told me. I am “evolving.”

I appreciate everyone’s concern. I am doing my best to hold it together and you ladies are THE BEST.

XOXXOXO
Karen

[vanillasky]

in reply to: My Thyroid is Talking but My doctor isn’t listening (Communication Difficulties) Please Share your stories!! #1178709

Try 15 years by an idiot endo that said I had Hashimotos/Hashitoxicosis and my thyroid would die and I’d live on Synthroid. WRONG.

After 15 years of highs and lows, I went to Cleveland Clinic. It took 2 doctors, a medical Endo and a surgical endo. they figured out it was Graves’.

I’d like to sue him or beat him up. Not sure which

[vanillasky]

in reply to: I feel like giving up #1178850

No. they do not explain why this happens again over and over and it’s less than 2 years. they just think I’m going to keep spreading my legs and having surgery after surgery and biopsy after biopsy. Well, I have better things to do than to be humiliated each time. I am very, very sensitive on this subject.

I do not allow male gynecologists. so many women have been sexually assaulted. We just had a case here recently. And I will not do anything unless it’s a woman involved in the surgery.

My appointment is Monday with a woman. I will tell her I WANT this uterus removed. I can’t go through any longer. I have Graves’ disease on my plate. the anxiety I am going through is making everything worse. I don’t want to sleep or eat, feel like crying every two minutes, I broke out in hives yesterday and nobody understands why I am so upset. I am sick and tired of being threatened with uterine cancer every year. Something has to be done or quite frankly, I will just let it go and take my chances. I’m 55 years old. I’m old anyway and don’t know how much longer I have.

I have already planned my funeral and purchased a crypt in a beautiful masoleum near my father. Another thing that is on my mind is my father’s birthday is Tuesday. He would have been 100 years old and I was planning a party. Now I will spend it in the cemetery.

[vanillasky]

in reply to: My total thyroidectomy journal #1178808

God Bless you, Amy. Aside from some discomfort and neck pain which I certainly won’t belittle, I think you are doing quite well.

They have come a long way since my father had his thyroid removed (he had cancer) back in the 1960’s.

Your surgery seemed to go much smoother. Sort of takes the fear out of it that I have had since seeing how my father suffered and nearly died from it.

I am glad you posted this. You are a great inspiration to all of us!

Karen

[vanillasky]

in reply to: Cleveland Clinic’s Integrative Medicine (entertaining read) #1178769

The whole idea was to get me to move my bowels a lot so I could “clean” my colon. I thought it was dehydration they were striving for.

[vanillasky]

in reply to: I feel like giving up #1178848

Thank you, ladies, for responding. I really appreciate it…. Not sure what to do as I am beside myself and this throws a monkey wrench into RAI which I was planning to do. I am behind in my thyroid panel blood work, have been feeling hyper this week, and never even made it to the lab.

I dont think the anxiety of this is helping my condition either. I feel like vomitting, alittle while ago, my face broke out in a horrible rash I am trying to calm down now. Hot flashes are horrid worse than usual. Heart if pounding. I guess this is all anxiety or if I could get those labs, I would know where I stand.

thank you all for “being there.”

xxoxox
Karen

[vanillasky]

in reply to: I feel like giving up #1178845

No, Di, you are not out of line at all. I was thinking the same thing today. Maybe take out the uterus? Then this would not keep happening to me.

I have so much to deal with, Graves’, pituitary disease, and now this? I just did this surgery about 12 or 14 months ago and thought it was a done deal. How does this keep happening?

I made another appointment (yes to see another doctor) I do want another opinion on what to do. I’M SICK OF THIS

[vanillasky]

in reply to: Anti inflammatory diet #1178777

I could post the diet those ladies gave me at Integrative Medicine if anyone wants to read it. I found it a bit bizarre and contradictory.

[vanillasky]

in reply to: Cleveland Clinic’s Integrative Medicine (entertaining read) #1178767

Hi Shirley, couldn’t agree with you more. I think the whole thing is just a money-making venture. You should have seen the people lined up for accupuncture!

I think they have a comprehension problem. I told them I tried accupunture and it did not work. My quote: “nonsense with needles.” My insurance company does not cover it. My husband’s spine specialist said it does not work and does not believe it helps hot flashes At ALL. I spoke with him. It becomes “mind over matter.” That’s his opinion.

The crab and tuna, salmon, are just stupid statements because I know they are bad and I do not eat those things.

Reviewing the paperwork sans the box this morning, I found they want me to drink citrate of magnesium 3x a day. Well, I did this years ago for a colonoscopy and all I did was vomit. And I told them I have stomach problems with certain things and they ignored it.

Her final diagnosis was “diareaha? sp? LOL! can’t spell it but I told her that NEVER happens to me. She also said I suffer from malabsorption which is not true because I met with a gastroenterologist last fall who did $1,400 worth of testing on me and said I absorb things just fine. The only deficiency they found was Vitamin D.

She used the phrase “I think you have an eating disorder.” And after saying that 3x, I told her it was b.s. My husband was in the room and backed me up by saying he’s known me for 30 years and has never seen me bulemic or aneroxic. Very judgmental women. And that book? LOL! Dr. Oz wrote about how to be beautiful both inside and out. Maybe they should read it. Their personalities were just ……..well, let’s say left something to be desired.

Reviewing the labs on the “box,” it said they were testing me for worms, and various parasites. I still think my dog could benefit.

[vanillasky]

in reply to: Cleveland Clinic’s Integrative Medicine (entertaining read) #1178765

LOL@ raspberry! No, I’m not going to do that horrid test. The “box” went into the trash this morning.

No, Deepak Chopra. The one doctor said I would see her once because she was moving to be “near” him? ????

The other doctor was very unfriendly and sullen. She wasn’t the least bit warm and fuzzy.

And NO! I am not going to try that diet. I think I might just disappear. Talking about losing weight. What do they want me to do? weight 80 pounds? These women are koo-koo.

I just read James’ Randi’s take on Intergrative Medicine. He called it “quackery.”

[vanillasky]

in reply to: Never Rains, but it pours! #1178527

@Kimberly, thanks for asking. I still haven’t heard and no one has gotten back to me. I have just packed for Cleveland – am leaving in the a.m.

Not feeling well. I am starting to get “hyper” feelings unless it’s just my rotten menopausal symptoms, not sure.

when I get back, I’ll have to go to the blood lab and see what’s going on. this trip to Cleveland, is for Integrative Medicine so I won’t be seeing my endo and I really am feeling awfully warm, have palpitations, and jittery. It could be my menopause. It’s getting hot here and I hate the heat. I have heat intolerance bad. I’m hoping I’m not going out of remission.

karen

[vanillasky]

in reply to: Old to graves, but scared from recent flare #1178690

Hi! I also have very low blood pressure. Most of the time, they will check it and say “are you still with us?”

I took Atenolol (lowest dosage) just once a day and it didn’t work. So they took me off of it. Any higher the dosage and I might just faint (and I have!) What helps me is a tranquilizer. It helps with the tremors and calms me down so that I don’t get dizzy but the heart seems to just “relax.” You might want to inquire about that.

But beta-blockers for us low blood pressure people can be awful for us because I faint very quickly and the last thing you want to do is faint in a public place which has happened to me..

Otherwise, you just have to get your TSH up in normal range and the racing should subside. Not a bad idea to get heart tests too. I did all that. They found nothing wrong, just good ol’ hyperthyroidism

[vanillasky]

in reply to: Never Rains, but it pours! #1178525

They told me there was no doctor to “read” the ultrasound. A likely story. I find it hard to beLIEve that. Because I saw 5 gynecologists in that office, one was in his office, staring at the wall and sitting at his desk.

Also 2 PA. As far as drinking the water, I really don’t know what to think. My requistion said “empty bladder.” Then when they called to confirm the appointment they left a voicemail and it said “to drink the water.” I called them back and they said it was a mistake and I didn’t have to drink the water.

When I had a transvaginal before at Cleveland Clinic, I was told I didn’t have to drink the water so I figured I’d go with that. ?

I pleaded with that nasty woman that I had Graves’ and we have a lot of anxiety and it was really weighing on me to get results because I have to go to Cleveland on Tuesday for my Graves’ disease. She could care less.

When I went to the check out desk, they told me to plan on coming back in to see the doctor for results and I just said “NO, tell her to CALL me.” Why should I pay another co-payment? And where was this so-called doctor that ordered the test? They told me she wasn’t there. This whole thing sucks.

[vanillasky]

in reply to: Never Rains, but it pours! #1178522

Well? went for that humiliating test today. Was painful at times. I didn’t like the woman who did the test. they seem to get their wires crossed easily. “Drink the water, don’t drink the water.” Oy! I didn’t drink the water. The last test I had I didn’t have too! Does anyone know what they are doing? and how do these “people” get these jobs?

And no results. She told me it takes 2 weeks to find out. i can’t believe this. Last time I had it done, I knew within minutes what they found. Now I have to go to Cleveland Clinic on tuesday for my Graves’ disease and STILL won’t know where I stand with this transvaginal test!

Ugh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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