Newbie Introduction

[Guest guest]

Hi,

My name is and I am suffering (literally) from Grave's disease.

I suffered the usual symptoms for about 2 weeks and when I was shaking so

much that I couldn't keep food on my fork I decided to consult my doctor. As

I was getting ready to see him I checked my hair in the mirror and noticed

my eyes were bulging and then the " penny dropped " . The shaking, rapid heart

beat, drastic weight loss, feeling hot, nervous, exhuasted and then my

bulging eyes all added up to thyroid problems which my doctor confirmed and

was convinced was Grave's disease. The blood test showed a T4 reading of 76.

I was referred to a physician who said that my thyroid wasn't that big so he

took another blood test. The T4 count was 59. He said that in his

experience, patients with Grave's disease never had such a large drop in the

T4 count and he doubted I had GD. The next day I went to the Nuclear

Physician had an Iodine Uptake test just to make sure but unfortunately it

confirmed that I *did* have GD.

The pysician said that with my permission he would like to wait for 2 weeks

before I have the Radioactive Iodine treatement. He said he wants to recheck

my T4 count. I agreed to it as I wasn't feeling that bad, the beta-blockers

were working well.

Of course I have read as much information on GD and feel that I am fairly

well informed but nowhere have I read:

1. What is a normal T4 count?

2. Is it normal for those with GD to have large fluctuations in their T4 count?

If anybody could help me with this I would be most appreciative. I am the

kind of person who has to know EVERYTHING.

I am really angry that I have this. So far this year I have been diagnosed

as diabetic, had the most horrendous allergy rash that had me lurching from

one anti-histamine injection to the next, had Bell's Palsy which wasn't a

barrel of laughs and had another embarrassing tear " where the sun don't

shine " *g*.

I've taken all of this in my stride and remained positive but this GD has

really got to me. This is going to hit me hard financially too. I have no

insurance as I am new to this country and because of all the strange things

I've been getting no medical insurance company want me. I am a DJ and last

night I did a gig from 7pm till 3am and it nearly killed me. Today I am

feeling as if the Beta-Blockers are having no effect at all.

Sorry to sound so negative, usually I am a cheery person but I am down.. and

exhuasted.

Next time I post I will make up for it by telling a joke or something *g*.

Goode

45 years young and fed up with having diseases none of my friends has heard of