This has been some day. It is offical, I am now a man with Graves

[Guest guest]

This has been some day.

I'm sorry this is so long but I guess I needed to vent. I have

learned that we have to be our own advocate every step of the way.

I went this afternoon to have an orbial CT scan. I get to the

hopsital and they weren't aware that I have an alergic reaction to

iodine. (I made this painfully clear to the Doctor, his nurses and

anyone else who would listen to me yesterday before they made the

appointment for me.) So they cant do the test untill

I pre medicate to nuturalize the iodine they will be giving me for

the contrast. As I was making another appointment I happened to ask

the costs for the test. They said thatis estimated to be in excess

of $2006.10. And to top it off, the tech told me that they haven't

done this test before and that I was going to be their guiney pig.

At first I thought wow but if I need it, insurance will pay. As I

was driving home it occured to me that at this point in time I

haven't had the offical diganosis so why are they wanting me to do

this test now?

I called my eye doctor who had asked my medical doctor to order this

test. He said that at this point in time it really isn't necessary

to have it done! He was amazed that the test costs so much. He said

that it will need to be done at some point so we decided to wait

until my blood work came back. Just as I was hanging up with him

call waiting sounded and it was my medical doctor's nurse, and the

blood test came back and it is consistant with Graves.

I called back my eye doctor to tell him that it is confirmed. He

said that he has now decided that I should wait until I see the

specialist in December and see what he thinks.

Okay, I realize that I will have to have this test at some point.

The thing that amazes me about it is that the eye doctor didn't have

a clue how much this test costs and the fact that they were going to

run it without knowing that I have Graves first. I feel proud that I

saved my insurance company and me from paying for a test that wan't

necessary at this point in time.

I'm scheduled for a thyroid uptake test next monday with follow up

tuesday. My Medical Doctor had perscribed Tapazol 3 times per day

and I can't start taking it until my thyroid uptake test is done.

I sorry that I don't have the test numbers yet or the dosage amount

for the tapazol. I meet with my Medical Doctor next Wednesday and

will get the numbers then and will know the dosage amount of the

tapazol once I pick it up from the pharmacy.

Thanks to eveyone who gave me follow up on the breast question and

the great references for me to read up on. It really helps.

Del