Does this sound strange?

May 28, 2003

In a message dated 5/28/2003 12:59:28 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

pladd@... writes:

>

> But... someday , when this rough time is long past, you will be on the

> computer some morning, and see a newbie send out a distress call, and that

> time YOU will be able to reply to them. And you will try to find some way to

> try to reassure them these feelings are normal and they will not be forever.

> It is just a phase we have to go through.

>

> -Pam L -

>

Pam, I feel like such a wimp.

Thank you for your reassuring words. I will get thru this with the help of

people like you on this list. I will just have to keep telling myself, " this too

shall pass " . Thanks to you I know that it will pass.

Again thanks so much

Betty

PS If your are expecting an answer from me, and you don't get it, please

email me back with a friendly reminder.

" To err is human; to forgive, divine. "

May 28, 2003

In a message dated 5/28/2003 2:36:40 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

johnandaldyth@... writes:

>

> It doesn't sound strange at all. I can remember times when I would feel

> absolutely desolate...for no particular reason...anxious and out of control.

> This was when my thyroid levels were coming down, so I can't even blame it on

> being really hyper.

>

Aldyth

It could very well be that. I am 29 days post RAI so that might make sense.

What a roller coaster.

I am not on any med's yet. I am going for my first blood test since the RAI

next week. I am anxious to find out my results.

At least I know that this is normal considering the condition of the thyroid.

Thanks so much.

Betty

PS If your are expecting an answer from me, and you don't get it, please

email me back with a friendly reminder.

" To err is human; to forgive, divine. "

May 28, 2003

Pam,

I live alone so I don't have anyone that I have to take care of.

I don't feel that I need that immaculately clean house. But, I don't like

just sitting and doing nothing. I need to be busy.

You are right, it is just that hyper thing. Darn!

It is hard being your own boss isn't it?

You have to make it seem like you are working for someone else and have a

quitting time. And quit at that time.

Try it, but I don't suppose you will be able to do it. I know that I wouldn't

be able to.

Thanks

Betty

PS If your are expecting an answer from me, and you don't get it, please

email me back with a friendly reminder.

" To err is human; to forgive, divine. "

May 28, 2003

In a message dated 5/28/2003 3:52:19 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

shen@... writes:

>

> Be gentle with yourself, don't deny what you feel, don't fight it for

> now, it's the best way to care for yourself.

>

> Hang in there,

>

Hi , maybe that is my problem. I fight it. I push myself till I can't

push anymore.

I am not on any med's yet. I am 29 days post RAI. Getting new blood test next

week.

I was hypo and went hyper and have/had 2 nodules on the right side and left

side not working at all.

I think tomorrow I am going to start being lazy. That is what my body wants

anyway.

Thanks so much.

Betty

PS If your are expecting an answer from me, and you don't get it, please

email me back with a friendly reminder.

" To err is human; to forgive, divine. "

May 28, 2003

Betty,

Not strange at all. You are in a group of fellow Gravies, and I am sure most

all of us have had the exact same thing happen on more occasions than we

want to admit to.

Now if a person caught hyper while it was still subclinical and managed to

treat the condition without ever going hypo or more hyper... well then 'they

would think we making this up and it is all in our minds. If we would just

get over it " , we would be fine.

But the truth is thyroid hormones making big changes create temporary stuff

like this to all the rest of us. Once you are on replacement hormones and

find the correct dose for you, this stuff will pass. There is no quick fix

for Graves' , no matter what treatment is chosen.

But... someday , when this rough time is long past, you will be on the

computer some morning, and see a newbie send out a distress call, and that

time YOU will be able to reply to them. And you will try to find some way to

try to reassure them these feelings are normal and they will not be forever.

It is just a phase we have to go through.

-Pam L -

May 28, 2003

In a message dated 5/28/2003 4:08:09 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

simon@... writes:

>

> Whilst some doctors will wait for a while to see if the hypothyroidism

> clears itself (this does happen sometimes) after RAI, when the TSH kicks

> back in (assuming it was suppressed before), this will depend on the

> dose of RAI. i.e. if the dose was deliberately aimed at achieving

> hypothyroidism then there is no reason to wait.

>

Simon, the Endo told me that he hoped the RAI would kill of 2 nodules and

make my left side start to work again. I had the Nuclear Neck Scan and the

ultrasound neck scan.

I can go get the blood test Sunday.

I have the blood test form here and here is what he is testing for.

T4 free

TSH

Thanks for your advice

Betty

PS If your are expecting an answer from me, and you don't get it, please

email me back with a friendly reminder.

" To err is human; to forgive, divine. "

May 28, 2003

Betty,

Looks like we are alone here this morning.

I am playing hookey and you are still sick. Guess the rest of them must be

out doing productive things. :-) Fine... they can do them for us today. (

grin )

Remember.. you ARE sick right now. Still in the eye of the hurricane so to

speak. Give yourself lots of down time. You know, if it was your child that

was ill, you would not be hard on her / him. You would be kind and

understanding. You would be constantly going over and telling him/ her to

rest.

You would be making sure the child was eating GOOD foods to help the body to

heal, and no junk, which fills us up and them we skip the things we really

should be eating. ( now... how would I know that ??? Tee hee )

One problem I have over and over is trying to do too much. I am still

working on this, but the darn hyper personality CAN be tamed if we remember

to push it back in the corner on a regular basis.

I just did this again today.

I am exhausted and very sore. I have had a full month of MANY, many jobs. I

am self employed and this is the busiest time of year. (All the days leading

up to June first ).

I do the mental work of cramming it all together to get as much done as

humanly possible, and then the heavy physical work as well. THEN I loose

sleep worrying.

So... this morning I looked back on years past, since Graves' and there is a

pattern. I KEEP pushing and end up sick by June 1 . This year will be

different. No emergency trips to the ER during Rose Festival. ( Mid June ).

I am sure they will wonder where I am . :-)

I sat here this morning and wrote out a list of priorities in my life/ today

etc. . It was a true struggle. The things that really do not matter kept

popping to the top.

Final choices were made when I made the list as if I was going to die next

week.

I need to keep myself as sane as possible. Have energy left over to feel and

express love for those I care about. They are NOT going to care how much

money I made today or how the house looks.

I have an obligation to them to continue healing physically and mentally.

THIS is the most important thing.

I need time to rest, be more centered, and show them I love them by my

attitude only.

I am going to spend some time on my hands and knees in my garden. THIS

always grounds ME and I feel better . I am also going to do some sort of

creative project... as for ME, this will result in being peaceful and happy

as I go to sleep tonight, and it always laps over in good feelings for

several days after.

When I go to bed tonight there will still be laundry undone, but I just bet

I will be able to locate it later. :-)

Perhaps you could make a list ? But remember to judge it carefully. What if

you where going to die next week ? What would they be saying ? I know for a

fact the dirty laundy will NOT be on the list. = :-o

-Pam L -

May 28, 2003

Hi Betty:

That used to happen to me all the time. I finally caught on and just

took myself to bed. I slept an inordinate amount when I was hyper,

people always think that you would be buzzing around, and partly

that's true, but I also got so bone tired that neither body or mind

could move an inch . . . your metabolism is overworking, you never

really get rest, even at night, so it makes sense that you would be

exhausted.

A big lesson for me was not to judge when I couldn't get anything done

(that's hard for Type A personalities), and just listen to my body and

rest, and when I had energy to do something, I made the most of it. I

also had to learn to ask for help, so instead of being depressed that

I hadn't gotten out to the garden in months, I asked a couple of my

neighbors to help me, and it was so great that THEN I cried out of

relief.

I'm just catching up with this group so am not really clear about your

treatment, if you are new on ATDs, give it time. If you have been on

ATDs a long time, have you had labs recently?

Be gentle with yourself, don't deny what you feel, don't fight it for

now, it's the best way to care for yourself.

Hang in there,

>I am not depressed or stressed or unhappy. Just tired

and crying.

> Am I strange or what?

> Thanks

> Betty

May 28, 2003

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thebetzz@... wrote:

>

> It could very well be that. I am 29 days post RAI so that might make

sense.

> What a roller coaster.

> I am not on any med's yet. I am going for my first blood test since

the RAI

> next week. I am anxious to find out my results.

> At least I know that this is normal considering the condition of the

thyroid.

Hi Betty,

what you describe sounds like hypothyroidism, the timing is right with

regard to the RAI.

Do you have to wait till next week? Call your doctor/endo, describe the

symptoms, and get the blood test ASAP.

The blood test should include fT4 (and ideally fT3) as TSH is too slow

to respond to changes after RAI (www.thyroidmanager.org has the

references if your doctor wants them).

Whilst some doctors will wait for a while to see if the hypothyroidism

clears itself (this does happen sometimes) after RAI, when the TSH kicks

back in (assuming it was suppressed before), this will depend on the

dose of RAI. i.e. if the dose was deliberately aimed at achieving

hypothyroidism then there is no reason to wait.

The earlier you start the replacement hormone the quicker you'll feel

better, as recovery from significantly hypothyroid state can take a long

time it is best to avoid it.

Think of it as the next step on the road to recovery, thinking that

won't make you feel better, you'll probably need thyroid hormone for that.

Take care,

Simon

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May 28, 2003

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thebetzz@... wrote:

>

> It could very well be that. I am 29 days post RAI so that might make

sense.

> What a roller coaster.

> I am not on any med's yet. I am going for my first blood test since

the RAI

> next week. I am anxious to find out my results.

> At least I know that this is normal considering the condition of the

thyroid.

Hi Betty,

what you describe sounds like hypothyroidism, the timing is right with

regard to the RAI.

Do you have to wait till next week? Call your doctor/endo, describe the

symptoms, and get the blood test ASAP.

The blood test should include fT4 (and ideally fT3) as TSH is too slow

to respond to changes after RAI (www.thyroidmanager.org has the

references if your doctor wants them).

Whilst some doctors will wait for a while to see if the hypothyroidism

clears itself (this does happen sometimes) after RAI, when the TSH kicks

back in (assuming it was suppressed before), this will depend on the

dose of RAI. i.e. if the dose was deliberately aimed at achieving

hypothyroidism then there is no reason to wait.

The earlier you start the replacement hormone the quicker you'll feel

better, as recovery from significantly hypothyroid state can take a long

time it is best to avoid it.

Think of it as the next step on the road to recovery, thinking that

won't make you feel better, you'll probably need thyroid hormone for that.

Take care,

Simon

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May 28, 2003

Hi Betty,

I don't have Graves, my daughter does and one thing I have found from reading

this site is that everything she does is normal for her with this disease.

Everything you described is how she sometimes acts and I feel okay with it all

now. I understand it better by reading how you all feel so I just wanted to

write and say Thank you for sharing your feelings and no it doesn't sound