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I Am Very Ill And Untreated

Donna

By Donna
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  • 1 year later...
Donna

Donna

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I want to give an update here.


[i]The previous post on this thread was one year ago.[/i]

Firstly, I thank Our Lord Jesus Christ BIG TIME for giving me you all, who literally got me through that most terrible time. Ditto the saints, angels and souls in purgatory.

I began the ATD (anti-thyroid drug) for hypeRthyroidism due to Graves' Disease late Dec. of 2003. It blocks, or slows down the amt of thyroid hormone manufactured, and uses up the excess hormone racing in the body. In 5 days I'd gained 1 1/2 pounds. By late January, I was feeling great. However, my body'd been through a hurricane, and it don't come back from that in one month! And, the 2nd Specialist overmedicated me...and it's not a thing where you just go back to normal overnight.

So I spent the winter months of this year dealing with almost as many symptoms, but they were hypO (not enough hormone). It's like trying to crawl out of a deep hole. I fled Spec. II and his protocols which kept me sick, self-medicated, and finally begged my OB-GYN to monitor me.

In the Spring, I began reducing the already cut-in-half initial dose about every 3 weeks, like clockwork. But it wasn't happy-time, because hypOman was always at my back. I could not get stable, I could not get to a maintainance dose.

In about July things began to settle. My lab numbers began creeping up to my own set-point , and the hypO-symptoms began going away. I'd begun taking 6 pills a day, in 3 doses. Now I was down to about 1/4 of one pill, 3 doses.

Since August, I found out that antiibodies which cause Graves' had decreased by about 1/6. Other antibodies had decreased by 75%. Good stuff. Increasingly stable, could begin trusting myself physically and mentally. My hair lightened in the untreated part, but only to a point where it looks like I've highlighted it. Nice.

This month, I think I've decided to take a stab at alternative medicine alone. The ATD will always be there. I need a new Spec, or someone who WON'T require me to be on drugs, but keep doing labs and antibodies' checks. Now is the point where I need something to address the antibodies, that they die (and this will take time)...but not something to slow down or speed up my thyroid production.

When the antibodies are at 2% of activity, with no meds, and stable thyroid levels for a year, this is considered remission.

I began jogging last month. I am talking 10 minutes a day. Wonderful benefits. My diet's always been pretty good. We're getting more organic stuff in here; food is medicinal to me.

I feel like I'm stabilizing...building on something. I actually go to bed early once in a while. I'm slowing down, maybe only a 2 1/2 "A" personality instead of Triple A like before. I'm not the same, and it can bewildering (and experimental!) to navigate these waters, but I've a lot of good support, and think I can gain and accept patience and hope and health, a bit at a time.

With the great upset in our home which began over a year ago due to our child's illness, it's a miracle such progress has been made.

So I am very grateful.

XXXOOO


_________________________________________________________________

[i]What follows is informational; from experience, and sound protocol.[/i]

[b]The mental/emotional symptoms of untreated Graves' disease mimic those of bipolar (manic/depressive illness)[/b].

[b]Physically, they speed the whole system[/b], which canabalizes itself, because it cannot keep nutrients. The appetite is usually huge, sometimes eating every 1/2 hour. Usually there is weight loss along w/ this. The eyes can become totally sensitive to light. The eyes may: protrude, feel gritty, blurred vision, double vision. There can be a swelling (goiter) in the neck, or a general neck region thickening (where you can't swallow or breathe as easily as you used to).

The large muscles buckle; the body is hot; the hair can begin losing its color. The heart pounds; insomia; panic (the panic I liken to the feeling about 2 minutes before giving birth).

Imagine 20 strength espresso...that is untreated Graves'. It is rare, but sadly becoming more prevalent.

It's counter is hypOthyroidism (not enough thyroid hormone). I have been hypO (via the zealous Specialist #2 overmedicating me), and that is why I understand why people w/ mental ilness want to commit suicide. No one can talk someone out of having a broken arm; they sure can't talk one out of wanting to die if there is a PHYSICAL cause to the depression. Even if the m. illness is not thyroid-related, but soely to do with the brain, the brain is a part of the body. Talk therapy can surely help; but the body/brain needs just as much help (*IMO).

[b]ANYONE[/b] experiencing mental health symptoms should first get a complete physical and thyroid panel. I would say that goes double for children, teenagers, those taking estrogens or who are post-partum. It seems to be fairly common to be diagnosed Graves' post-partum, OR after facing chronic, severe stress (like nursing an ill parent for years).

[color=red]The thyroid panel should be 3 tests:[/color]

[color=red]*[/color] TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone)
[color=red]*[/color] FT4 (or "Free" T 4)
[color=red]*[/color] FT3 (or "Free" T 3)

[b]You must ask for the "Free" tests specifically[/b]. Be firm. Do not accept a "Total" T4 or a "Total" T3 test. These "total" tests also measure other hormones like estrogens, binding proteins, etc; They will NOT tell you how much "free" amount of thyroid hormone is in your body. Anyone who has questions about labs and how to interpret them, contact me, and I'll get some expert help.

[b]If you are symptomatic[/b], do NOT accept the Medical office merely telling you your tests are "normal." You learn the Faith by going to the sources and documents. Same thing here: get copies of your actual lab report; it ain't rocket science, you can learn to read them. And the little time spent learning how to do so (and there is GOOD help available, for free)[i] then [/i]pursuing thyroid-related issues can [i]prudently[/i] be ruled out (or in).

[b]EVERY LAB DRAW[/b], write a note as to your specific mental and/or physical symptoms, and keep this note, or log it on your calendar. Keep this info: if symptoms are thyroid related, you will have actual lab levels (a number where your blood tested, like 1.8) correspong with how you felt. This becomes even more important as you get better: because then you will have lab levels corresponding to how[b] well [/b]you feel; and these numbers are YOUR unique set points.

"Normal" values of tests fall into [b]a range[/b]. For example, one person can feel great at 1.1 for the Free T4 test. But someone else can have suicidal thoughts, fatigue, weight gain, hemmorhage-like menstrual flow, cracked skin, debilitating achiness, carpel tunnel, and panic attacks at that same level of 1.1. Your doctor isn't going to figure this out for you.

God bless.

You know how to reach me if you need to.
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